AU top mediator hails UK efforts to bring peace in Darfur

TEXT - AU top mediator hails UK efforts to bring peace in Darfur. Excerpt:

"The fighting, the banditry and the level of violence on the ground in Darfur, is impacting negatively on our Talks, which is why we need once more to call upon the Parties, particularly, those who feel that they can fight and talk peace at the same time, to immediately put an end to all offensive actions on the ground in Darfur, as a mark of their commitment to a negotiated settlement of the conflict."

Africa 'a base for terrorism'

News 24 South Africa, 14 Feb 2006 - excerpt:

UK foreign minister Jack Straw said on Tuesday Africa is an attractive base for militants looking to launch worldwide attacks and the risk is set to grow over the next decade.

"Nowhere in the world is immune from terrorism, but Africa is now at particular risk," said Straw, on a three-day visit to Nigeria.

"Africa's porous borders, stretched security forces and location in relation to the Middle East and Europe make it attractive to terrorists", he said. "Sadly we think that the terrorist threat to and from Africa is likely to grow over the next 10 years."

Flowers in Darfur, Western Sudan

Photo: Flowers in El-Fashir, northern Darfur, Sudan (by journalist Andrew Heavens at Meskel Square blog)

Quote of the Day

Annan and President Bush agree to 'work together' on Darfur:

"I'm very happy that we have agreed to work together on the Darfur issue, working with other governments from Europe, from Asia and other regions to ensure that we do have an effective security presence on the ground," Mr. Annan told reporters after meeting the President. - UN News Centre 13 Feb 2006.

Sudan: Interview with Daniel Toole, director, Office of Emergency Programmes of UNICEF

Q: So Darfur has a dire year ahead?

A: I think so. It is a key year for Darfur. If we can't get progress, people will be very used to being in camps. Whereas southern Sudan is important because people have to see progress for normalisation, in Darfur the people have to see progress so that they can start thinking of normalisation and start to move home. It is not looking very likely.

Read full interview 13 Feb 2006 courtesy IRIN/ReliefWeb.

Ministers underscore commitment to NATO Response Force

NATO Update - 13 Feb. 2006 - Ministers also discussed the way ahead for NATO's operations and missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Mediterranean, as well as the Alliance's assistance to the African Union in Darfur.

Edith Lederer blogs behind the scenes at the UN

UN Correspondent Edith M. Lederer writes a periodic blog about life behind the scenes at the U.N. headquarters in New York. - via AP 13 Feb 2006.

Britain's top diplomat Straw to attend Darfur peace talks

On February 3, 2006 the UK set a list of priority actions on Darfur for the new Sudanese Government of National Unity.

Today, AFP reports British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will address everyone at the Darfur peace talks tomorrow, February 14 during a visit, an African Union spokesman said today:

"Mr. Straw will visit the venue of the talks in Abuja and will brief the parties, international partners and donors and observers during a plenary session," Nouredeen Mezni told AFP.

He said Britain's top diplomat will be received by the AU special envoy to Darfur, Tanzanian-born Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, at 10:00 am (0900 GMT).

"You know as a partner in the talks, it is appropriate that Mr. Straw share his experiences and makes his valuable contributions to get the talks going," he said.

[via Coalition for Darfur with thanks]



Photo: Jack Straw holds talks with Sudanese officials over Darfur during a two-day visit to Sudan (Islam Online August 24, 2004)

See BBC photos of Mr Straw's Darfur visit August 2004.

Update

Feb 13, 2006 Straw to underscore democracy in Nigeria.

Feb 13, 2006 Harold Doan.com Press Release Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Jack Straw, is expected to criticise the lack of progress in the Darfur peace talks taking place in Abuja, during his visit to Nigeria on 14 and 15 February. He will also deliver a keynote speech outlining the UK's agenda for Africa in 2006 and beyond.

In his address to the Darfur peace talks, Mr Straw will say that the commitments made by the participants to the talks have not been met and that both the Government of Sudan and the rebel movements have repeatedly violated the ceasefire.

British PM Blair vows to keep up pressure on aid for Africa

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is currently in South Africa for a summit of centre-left government leaders, reports Reuters today.

Mr Blair vows to keep up pressure on international help for Africa, saying the wealthy world still needs to make good its promises to give aid, trade and peacekeeping help.

Britain was on track to meet a goal of devoting 0.7 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to aid for poor countries and that other initiatives, such as a plan for near universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, were also making headway.

Full report (Reuters) 13 February 2006.

Further reading:

Feb 1, 2006 (Reuters) - At the UN, the US and Britain were drafting a Security Council statement for approval next week that would ask UN officials to draft plans for a Darfur force as a first step, council envoys said. But the diplomats did not expect council authorisation this month when US Ambassador John Bolton holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body.

Oct 3, 2005 Message to Sudan: What happened to Tony Blair's 5-point plan?



Photo: British PM Tony Blair in Khartoum, October 2004: the first visit to Sudan by a British leader since Sudan gained its independence from Britain in 1956. See Oct 6, 2004 Blair arrives in Khartoum to press for Darfur peace - Blair outlines demands to Sudan.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair writes "Towards real action in Africa" - AU Standby Force of 20,000 personnel

Read Towards real action in Africa by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Excerpt:

"The UK has set out a series of milestones for this year which, if met, will see comprehensive plans across Africa for achieving free healthcare and schooling, and an African Union (AU) Standby Force ready to deploy 20000 personnel to conflict zones on the continent."

Feb 22 Update: See Feb 10 2006 Reuters report NATO commander fears rapid-reaction force delay.

BBC Arabic road show at Khartoum University, 6 March 2006

Today, Trade Arabia.com reports that BBC Arabic radio and online have launched an interactive road show of events in five locations across the Arabic-speaking world designed to involve young people and encourage them to debate the key issues which affect their daily lives and their long-term future: 'Your future, who decides it?' launches in Cairo February 20 with interactive booths and conversation-promoting materials at places young people meet and mingle, such as universities, shopping malls, gyms and coffee shops.

'Your future, who decides it?' debates are broadcast live on BBC Arabic and webcast live on bbcarabic.com at 15.00 GMT. Note:

Khartoum University, March 6: Sudanese youth and the search for identity. Guest speakers include Sudan media specialists, Ali Shamou and Ammar Ahmed Adam. BBC presenter Safaa Faisal.

Congo leader's GBP 169,000 hotel bill

Yesterday's Sunday Times article by Tony Allen-Mills says the leader of one of Africa's poorest countries paid more than GBP 100,000 in cash towards a GBP 169,000 hotel bill run up by his entourage during last year's UN summit in New York, according to court documents obtained by The Sunday Times:

"Aides to President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo startled staff at the Palace hotel on Madison Avenue by pulling out wads of $100 notes to settle a bill for 26 rooms.

Sassou-Nguesso, who is chairman of the African Union, representing all the continent's governments, is negotiating with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cancel many of his country's debts on the grounds that it cannot afford to repay them. Yet the president spent a week last September in the Palace hotel, one of Manhattan's most prestigious addresses."

Full story.



Photo (Wikepedia): Jacques Chirac (R) and Denis Sassou-Nguesso president (1979-92, 1997-) of Congo (Brazzaville)

Jan 25, 2006 New AU chairman would welcome UN support for AU troops in Darfur: International force in Darfur must be African-led.

Jan 23, 2006 President of Congo (Brazzaville) to succeed Obasanjo as AU chair

Darfur peace talks in Slovenia postponed indefinitely

Feb 12, 2006 SudanTribune article confirms peace talks between the warring sides in Darfur, scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday in Slovenia, have been postponed indefinitely, the office of President Janez Drnovsek told the Slovene state-run STA on Sunday:

"Officials in the president's office explained that it was obvious the participants were pressured not to take part in the meeting. There was obvious pressure from a number of international organizations, the office explained, adding that UN reps also failed to show much enthusiasm for helping to bring about the meeting. The pressure on the warring sides included threats that their participation in negotiations in Slovenia could endanger the Abuja peace process, the office added.

The article says according to Drnovsek's aides, additional diplomatic efforts are needed to ensure that a meeting takes place in Slovenia in the near future.



Photo: Slovenia's President Janez Drnovsek - The Slovene president's duties are largely ceremonial, as the Cabinet and parliament hold most powers.

Note, Sudan Watch Jan 31, 2006 Sudan's expecting two new presidential boats - the first one was made in Slovenia.

Further reading

Feb 9, 2006 Slovene president calls for peace talks on Darfur - Drnovsek said he has expanded his proposed peace agreement for Darfur from 10 to 16 points. This is no longer just a draft version of a peace agreement but a proposal that has been sent to the Sudanese government and rebels for consideration, Drnovsek said.

Feb 8, 2006 Darfur rebel groups support Slovene initiative - SLA and the JEM said that Drnovsek's plan presents a good basis for concluding a peace deal. Earlier in the day Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir also expressed his support for Drnovsek's peace plan, labelling the initiative a friendly gesture stemming from a sincere and heartfelt desire to help in finding a lasting solution for the region.

Feb 8, 2006 Darfur rebel groups support Slovene initiative - The plan includes a political solution that is similar to the one used to resolve the crisis in southern Sudan several years ago; also includes provisions for ensuring security and special provisions that deal with the involvement of the international community in the peace process.

Jan 30, 2006 Slovene president leaves Liberal Democrats for civic movement - Slovenia's President Janez Drnovsek said Monday he has left the Liberal Democrat party and has formed a civic movement to fight for global justice and development. The Slovene president's duties are largely ceremonial, as the Cabinet and parliament hold most powers.

Jan 19, 2006 Slovene's "The World for Darfur" initiative welcomed in France - "China maintains a strong economic presence in Sudan and could strengthen the African Union-led peacekeeping mission, which is understaffed and ill-equipped for the task, Drnovsek was quoted as saying."

Reuters exclusive interview: Mahamat Nour the Chad rebel leader demands change, by force if needed

[Sudan Watch Editor's Note: This entry has been updated on 05 Dec 2010 as the original hyperlinks, published here in 2006, have become broken due to Reuters archiving of the report on another page]

HERE below is a copy of an exclusive interview (by Opheera McDoom for Reuters, reporting from the Sudan-Chad border Feb 12) with 35 year old Mahamat Nour, the leader of the insurgents trying to topple the Chadian president.

In this, his first interview with a Western journalist, he said well-armed defectors are flocking to his remote camps on the Sudanese border and are eager to take power and his forces are now "eight times stronger" than when they attacked the Chad border town Adre in December, a raid he describes as a test run. Copy in full:

EXCLUSIVE-Chad rebel leader demands change, by force if needed
12 Feb 2006 11:55:47 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Opheera McDoom

SUDAN-CHAD BORDER, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Confident and relaxed, the leader of the insurgents trying to topple the Chadian president says well-armed defectors are flocking to his remote camps on the Sudanese border and are eager to take power.

In his first interview with a Western journalist, Mahamat Nour said his forces are now "eight times stronger" than when they attacked the Chad border town of Adre in December, a raid he describes as a test run.

A stocky man with a commanding presence and an organised mind, Nour, 35, comes from a family that has played a key role in making and breaking Chad's leaders over the past two decades.

His father, the head of a powerful east Chadian tribe, helped launch both the coup that brought President Idriss Deby to power in 1990 and that of his predecessor Hissene Habre.

Many of the area's tribes span the long and porous border, making it almost impossible to differentiate nationalities.

Nour himself is fluent in Arabic, French and his native tribal language Tama, speaking each with a slight stutter.

His desert bases are well defended. A jolting three-hour drive on dirt tracks through Sudan's Darfur region brings the visitor to a narrow opening between two hills, where vehicles full of armed men appear from nowhere and surround the car.

From the French spoken by the men in new green uniforms, it is clear this is one of the insurgents' camps.

Both Deby and Nour know this rocky terrain well from the days when coups were planned here. Sudan's western Darfur region is now in the throes of its own civil war.

Nour left Deby's government in 1994, disillusioned with what he calls Deby's "autocratic and corrupt ways." Since then he has remained in opposition, spending time in Khartoum and other African capitals.

FINAL CHANCE

Nour has said he has offered Deby a final chance to accept a national forum to discuss democratic change or face removal by force.

"No one wants a war, but if that's the only way, we will go to Chad," he said.

His ambitions have fuelled tension between Sudan and Chad and prompted Deby to declare a "state of belligerence" with Sudan, which he has accused of supporting Nour.

Last week the two states' presidents agreed at a mini-summit in Tripoli to ban insurgents from setting up bases in each country, but the border is remote and largely unsupervised.

Nour said December's failed attack on Adre was a test run and, with deserters arriving every day including high-level government officials, he now had thousands of troops.

Truckloads of young men and supplies, including brand new weapons, were arriving every day at the well-secured camp. Heavy weapons including rocket and mortar launchers were out of sight just beyond the deceptively simple entry checkpoint of a branch and two stones. There appeared to be no shortage of funds.

Chadian Colonel Ahmed Youssef Bishara, one of a group of senior officers who deserted recently and came to the rebel camp, said he was surprised at the strength of Nour's forces.

"There's not been anything as big as this in all my experience," he said. "Here we have many heavy weapons and many troops -- much more than Deby had."

JOIN NOUR'S RANKS

Bishara said he had some 1,800 troops in southern Chad near the border and was ready to join Nour's ranks to oust Deby.
"Deby has taken the money from the Chadian people -- now we want freedom," said Bishara, a tall, sinewy figure wearing dark glasses and green army uniform.

"We have people in the high ranks with us. When Deby is sleeping we know what he just ate for dinner," he said with a grin.
Colonel Bishara Moussa Farid, who took part in peacekeeping operations in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has also turned on Deby.

"He accused me of attempting a coup and imprisoned me for six months," said Farid, 52, a vetern who took part in the coups which installed both Deby and his predecessor Hissene Habre in power in N'Djamena.

"These troops here are much better off than the previous resistances," he said. "We didn't have equipment and heavy weapons as we do now," he added.

Some members of the opposition groups that signed an agreement in December to form the United Front for Democratic Change said there were doubts over whether Nour was strong enough to unite them.

"Everywhere in the world there are problems like this," was Nour's reply. "But I can say that as of today, it's all going well."
Nour and his troops were confident of success. "We will invite you to N'Djamena when we arrive," he said, laughing with his officers.

- - -

Further reading

Feb 10, 2006 report at Sudan Tribune says the chairman of one of the SLM two factions, Abdelwahid Mohamed al-Nour his faction would sign a peace agreement on its own without involving the JEM and "Menni Minawi's group".

Jan 28, 2006 Sudan accuses Chad of shelling Arm Yakui, West Darfur - NMRD Darfur rebels attack Sudan army base in Arm Yakui.

Jan 13, 2006 Sudan says UN peace force in Darfur unwelcome - See comment from Sudan Watch reader: "The commander in charge of the massacres in Darfur is called MAHAMAT NOUR ABDELKRIM: http://genocidedarfour.blogspot.com/
The "captain" Mahamat Nour, ex-officer of the chadian army, has commanded the Jandjawids with the sudanese logistic. He has been the principal planner of the genocide in Darfur. Thanks to his chadian nationality, he was used as an alibi by the Sudanese government."

Dec 21, 2005 Chad and its links to crisis in Sudan's Darfur.

Leaders of Sudan, Chad ok peace agreement

Photo: The leaders of Sudan and Chad have signed a peace agreement to end increasing tension over Sudan's Darfur region, pledging to normalise diplomatic relations and deny refuge to each other's rebel groups. By Khaled El-Deeb (Associated) Press February 10, 2006 Tripoli, Libya - see full report.

Map of Islamic Training Camp located near Khartoum, Sudan

Zone Interdite publishes above [not dated] map pinpointing the location of an Islamic Training Camp near Khartoum. According to the website:

Sudan set up training camps for African militants on the Ethiopian border and cooperated in overthrowing the Marxist regime in Addis Ababa in May 1991. Camps for training Arabs were located outside Port Sudan and Khartoum. In early May 1990, some 60 Arabs from North Africa, France, and Belgium began to train in the Shambat district of Khartoum.

Islamic veterans, many Pakistani and Saudi from the war in Afghanistan immigrated into the Sudan. In 1991 Osama Bin Ladin settled in the Riyadh distric in Khartoum acting as a businessman and investor conducting many camps which trained Islamic fighters.

Also, Zone Interdite points to a CNN report dated August 22, 1998 in which Sudanese president al-Bashir is quoted as saying:

"America is attacking us because we are guardians of Islam," el-Bashir said. "We have tasted the sweet flavor of jihad (holy war) and martyrdom, and what we seek now is to die for the sake of God."

Photo: "A herd of camels blocking the road on my bus ride from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Note the road was built by Osama Bin Laden." (Photo and caption by Douglas Long)

See Sudan Watch Jan 29, 2006 Islamic jihad groups creating camps in Chad.
- - -

1996-1999: Uganda backed Sudan's SPLM/A so Khartoum retaliated by arming Uganda's LRA

See Uganda Watch 12 February 2006.

Note May 21, 2006 Sudanese govt still supporting Ugandan rebel group LRA.

South Sudan's SSDF: Jonglei State Governor must resign for instigating instability

It is interesting to note a confusion of news reports over fighting that broke out last week in Jonglei State, southern Sudan, especially considering Sudanese IDPs are starting to arrive in Jonglei.

Who is trying to disrupt peace in South Sudan and why? Where are the UN peacekeepers? 10,000 were agreed well over one year ago but barely more than half that figure have materialised. Few countries are keen to lend troops for such missions.



Photo: A recently returned family living temporarily in Bor, South Sudan. Their home village, 75 km to the north, has no services whatsoever. Full report by Helene Caux in Bor, South Sudan, November 29, 2005.
- - -

Sudanese presidency asks SPLM/A to explain Jonglei State fighting

Earlier this month, seven people were killed in Jonglei State in clashes between SSDF armed militias and the SPLM/A.

This appears to have occurred around the time when Uganda's LRA terrorist group chief Joseph Kony fled his hideout in Southern Sudan into DR Congo. [Note between 1996-1999 Uganda backed Sudan's SPLM/A so Khartoum armed Uganda's LRA]

Feb 5, 2006 Sudan Tribune report says the Sudanese presidency demanded an explanation from South Sudan's rebel group SPLM/A re fighting in Jonglei area at end of last week.

SSDF claims Jonglei State fighting was tribal conflict over water and cattle

Feb 6, 2006 Reuters report says the UN claims there have been clashes between SSDF and SPLM but the SSDF denies involvement, claiming it was just tribal conflict over water and cattle.

SSDF says Jonglei State Governor must resign for instigating instability

Feb 11, 2006 SSDF Press Release says a delegation of SSDF went to Waat to investigate recent fighting between the White Army of Uror County and the SPLM/A and claims the fighting was instigated by the governor of Jonglei State and Major Gen. George Athor.

UNHCR uses White Nile ferry to start major return of Sudanese IDPs

Good news. The long awaited return to South Sudan has started. The UNHCR-assisted return operation to South Sudan has begun.

The first large group of internally displaced Sudanese that UNHCR has helped home stepped ashore in the riverside town of Bor last Sunday ending sixteen years in exile.

Full report February 6, 2006.



Photo: UNHCR starts the large-scale return of internally displaced Sudanese, using a ferry on the White Nile. (UNHCR/T.Pike)

Dinkas sang joyfully when they stepped ashore in Jonglei State

Darfur must not be allowed to go on for twenty years.

UNHCR report from Bor 7 Feb, 2006 excerpt:

After a journey along the White Nile, a double-decker ferry docked in the South Sudan town of Bor with 376 returnees, part of efforts by humanitarian agencies to help internally displaced South Sudanese return home after many years of displacement.

The group on the ferry was mainly composed of women, children and the aged, while returning men went by foot, escorting their half a million cattle from Western Equatoria back to Bor.

The passengers, all from the Dinka ethnic group, were singing joyfully when they stepped ashore in the riverside town in Jonglei State on Sunday and were met by jubilant relatives and friends. They had left Juba 14 hours earlier as 375 internally displaced persons (IDPs) but a baby girl was born during the trip.

"The moment you stepped off the ferry, you became citizens of Bor, you are IDPs no longer," said the acting governor of Jonglei State. "There is plenty of land waiting for you and you will be able to rebuild your communities and educate your children."

Photo: Hundreds of south Sudanese refugees were recently helped by UNHCR to go back to their country. Tens of thousands are due to follow. Many of them have lived outside their country for decades. For them 2006 will surely be a year of change.

Return to South Sudan

More than 21 years of civil war displaced four million people within the country and forced another 500,000 into neighbouring countries.

Millions will soon return home. UNHCR will help them return to their villages. Find out more on UNHCR special sub-site "South Sudan Operation" and don't miss their uplifting eyewitness account on short video clip entitled South Sudan: New Year, New Life.

To make sure refugee and returnee children get an education, UNHCR is building Yari Secondary school 10km South of Yei in southern Sudan.



Photo: "The South Sudanese really prize education," says Timothy Brown, a UNHCR education expert in Yei, with decades of experience in the field. "Their thought is always to go further, to get more education." (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)



Photo: Sudanese women learn tailoring. Refugees and returnees need to find work once they return home. Training people and helping them start a small business is a step in the right direction. (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)



Photo: In Yei, South Suden returnees take UNHCR-sponsored carpentry classes at the Vocational Training Centre. Courses at the centre include building, information technology, carpentry and tailoring.



Photo: Thousands of bullet holes riddle the facade of this school and remind returnees in Yei of their painful past. In South Sudan, UNHCR is funding projects that benefit entire communities, not just returning refugees. (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)



Photo: Clearing landmines to make way for trucks bringing refugees home is a top priority in South Sudan. (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)



Photo: Young Sudanese relax outside of their school before class starts. (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)



Photo: School children study English at school in Yei. (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)



Photo: Lucy Agnes (22) learns how to make bricks at a UNHCR-sponsored building course at the Vocational Training Centre, in Yei, South Sudan (UNHCR/M.Pearson (September 2005)



Photo: Sudanese teenagers play basketball during a break from their studies. (UNHCR/M.Pearson Sep 2005)

The Dinka's epic trek across South Sudan continues - 250,000 cattle have arrived so far in 34 cattle camps around Bor

You've got to love this story. It's about the fabulous Dinka heading home with up to 1.5 million cattle in an epic trek across South Sudan.

Authored by Helene Caux in Juba and Yei, South Sudan, it was first published on 8 December 2005.



Imagine the skill of the herdsmen and logistics involved in feeding, watering 1.5 million cattle.
- - -

Dinka IDPs arrive at a transit facility in Juba earlier

Feb 7, 2006 IRIN report says some 376 IDPs from Sudan's Dinka ethnic group have returned to the southern town of Bor from the regional capital, Juba, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has said. Excerpt:

The returnees, who arrived in Bor by ferry on Sunday, were part of about 4,800 IDPs who had been staying at UNHCR's Lologo way station near Juba, UNHCR spokesman Mans Nyberg said.

"Sixteen years ago, as the ravages of the civil war reached their home region, these Dinkas fled Bor and settled around Maridi in Western Equatoria State," he added.

12 ferry trips planned for the next two months

Nyberg said Sunday's movement was the first of 12 ferry trips planned for the next two months.

Southern Sudan was until recently engulfed in 21-year a war between the former rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army and the Khartoum-based government.

The war displaced about four million people and forced another 550,000 to flee to neighbouring countries.

"The signing of the peace agreement in January 2005 finally created the possibility for them to return to Bor," Nyberg said. "After the end of the rainy season in November last year, they started to return on foot."



The dinka's incredible journey is still going on

"With their half a million head of cattle they crossed the White Nile at Juba, and continued north along the east bank of the river," he added. "That trek is still going on; 250,000 cattle have arrived so far and are now in 34 cattle camps around Bor."

He said a second group of 4,600 Dinkas from Bor, displaced in December to Yei, would be assisted to return once all the IDPs from Juba were back. The Yei group fled inter-ethnic conflict in Western Equatoria, where they had been displaced until then.

UNHCR has established a way station at Bor where the UN World Food Programme, the UN Children's Fund and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International are providing returnees with food, medicine and medical care.

"The general situation in Bor remains difficult, with very little infrastructure and few services," Nyberg said. "Many villages in the surrounding countryside are hard to reach because of landmines in roads and fields."

"Despite these challenges, the only wish of the IDPs in Juba and Yei is to return home," he added. - via UNICEF

Array of amoral governments and rebel groups: Beijing is a key villain in Darfur's tragedy - Russia is also to blame

Land at any airport in Darfur and you see rows of Russian helicopter gunships, bristling with rockets and cannon, ready to raid villages in coordination with the Janjaweed, writes David Blair in the Daily Telegraph 8 February 2006.

David Blair recently visited Darfur where he witnessed the aftermath of a Janjaweed raid that displaced 55,000 people a fortnight ago. In today's article he says Darfur bleeds in the great scramble for Sudan's oil:

"Every village has been wrecked, burned or abandoned and every inch of the vast African plain is devoid of life. For mile after mile, there are no people. The huts they once inhabited are blackened shells. The fields they once worked are empty. There will be no harvest this year, just as there has been no harvest since the outbreak of war. Then, amid desolation and solitude, it becomes brutally obvious where the people are. Kalma refugee camp, with 96,000 inhabitants, teems with life. These are the survivors of the carnage, now reduced to living in shacks made of plastic sheets with "UNHCR" stamped on them.

There are 1.8 million refugees in Darfur and another 200,000 in neighbouring Chad. The unpalatable truth is that they have fallen victim to unscrupulous regimes around the world. During the Cold War, they would have been caught between the two superpowers. Today, China, Russia and a host of African countries are the authors of this tragedy - though primary responsibility must rest with Sudan's regime. ...

Beijing is a key villain in Darfur's tragedy. Russia is also to blame."

Set an example by facing moral responsibility

David Blair thinks what can be done about it is this:

"First, we must give more aid. Aid agencies are scaling down operations because donations are drying up. Secondly, we must send a fully fledged UN peacekeeping force, with a robust mandate and proper logistical support.

But these are only palliatives. We must also face our own moral responsibility. Every time the Janjaweed destroy a village, they shame Britain, America and every country that sat in the council chamber and voted for all those UN resolutions without any apparent intention of enforcing their grand phrases."

Cynical games keep the insurgency alive and fuels the war

Also note he says the Darfur rebels are just as bad as the Janjaweed:

"Amid all the justified outrage over the Janjaweed, Darfur's rebels have escaped much of the blame they deserve. They are just as brutal as the Arab militias. Wrecked villages, all destroyed by the rebels, litter parts of Darfur. The insurgents get their guns from Chad, Libya and Eritrea, which have long-standing grievances against Khartoum. They arm Darfur's rebels as a convenient means of retaliation. This cynical game keeps the insurgency alive and fuels the war.

- - -

Anyone who helps China with energy is a friend

Note, I found this excerpt while looking for factoids showing how much China depends on Sudan for its oil requirements. David Blair quotes the dependency as being 7%. He may be right, I thought it had increased to 20%.

From the Washington Post July 13, 2005 Big Shift in China's Oil Policy by Peter S Goodman:

"No matter if it's rogue's oil or a friend's oil, we don't care," said an energy adviser to the central government who spoke on the condition he not be identified, citing the threat of government disciplinary action. "Human rights? We don't care. We care about oil. Whether Iran would have nuclear weapons or not is not our business. America cares, but Iran is not our neighbor. Anyone who helps China with energy is a friend."

The reason I have posted the excerpt is to say I believe Western companies should be doing business with countries like the Sudan as it may enable them to help locals and give them more leverage with the UN Security Council.

UN says Eritrea, Libya, Chad supply arms to Sudan's Darfur rebels and SPLM/A provided training and arms to SLM/A

Sudan Tribune article links to the full text of a UN report out today that says Eritrea, Libya, Chad supply arms and ammunition to rebel groups in Darfur and southern Sudan's SPLM/A rebel group provided training and supplied arms and ammunition to Darfur rebel group SLM/A.

The article says the report, authored by a UN Panel of experts monitoring arms embargo imposed by resolutions 1556 (2004) and 1591 (2005), points out that the SPLM/A seem to have stopped its official support when it appeared a peace agreement for southern Sudan would be finalised.

Also, regarding the Janjaweed militias the report says it is not possible to deny arms to these militias:

"Because the militias are already formally part of the Government security organs or incorporated into those organs, especially the Popular Defence Force (PDF), the border intelligence guard, the central reserve police, the popular police and the nomadic police."

- - -

Eritrea denies UN charges over Darfur rebel support

AFP report via Sudan Tribune says Eritrean government on Wednesday February 8, 2006 angrily denied charges by a UN panel that it is providing weapons and military support to rebel groups in Darfur in violation of an arms embargo.

Information Minister Ali Abdu said the panel’s conclusion that Eritrea is helping the two Darfur rebel groups was false, accusing the UN of inept ineffectiveness and UN chief Kofi Annan of being corrupt.

"The report is totally groundless," he told AFP. "Instead of pointing futile fingers at others, the UN should question itself, its role in keeping peace and stability in different regions.

[Heh. "Pointing futile fingers". Interesting turn of phrase.]
- - -

Joint border patrols? Sudan and Chad to discuss tension

This should be interesting, especially considering the timing of the above UN report. Today, the BBC says leaders of Chad and Sudan are due to meet in Libya at a regional mini-summit to try to defuse rising tensions between them

"The presidents of the two countries will meet to try to find a way to end the escalating crisis, under the brotherly gaze of Colonel Gaddafi, says the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum.

"We are meeting... to go beyond the tension between Chad and Sudan and reach practical solutions to overcome the negative issues between the two countries," Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam said.

One proposal on the table is thought to be joint border patrols, including forces from the Central African Republic."

[Heh. "Brotherly gaze". Jonah Fisher has a dry sense of humour]