After President Bush spoke on Friday, a senior State Department official said the US proposal continued to be "to strengthen the AU" until UN forces arrive late this year.
While Mr. Bush spoke of "a NATO stewardship," the American officials cautioned that NATO would command only logistical operations, not the AU troops.
They reiterated that Washington would send no American troops. In Congressional testimony this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "We are prepared to talk with our NATO counterparts about what more we can do to support" the AU forces "until we can get the UN forces" into Darfur.
A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Joe Carpenter, said in Washington that no decisions had been made on NATO's role, but "NATO could potentially be a significant leader" in UN peacekeeping. Full report (NYT) via Sudan Tribune 19 February 2006.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Sudan sets up body for disarmament, demobilization
President Omer al-Bashir Saturday issued a republican decree forming the National Council for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Coordination (NCDDRC) to be chaired by Minister of Presidency Maj. Gen. Bakri Hassan Salih. Full report (SUNA) via Sudan Tribune 19 Feb 2006.
- - -
Salva Kiir says partnership with NCP growing every day
According to the Sudanese Media Center (SMC) news service Lt Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit confirmed SPLM will not delay in appointing its reps to joint committees and commissions so that the peace agreement is fully implemented.
Salva Kiir hailed President Omar al-Bashir's visit to Juba and Rumbek last Tuesday 14 February. He added that the detailed explanation offered by the president on the issue of oil revenues had satisfied the regional government.
Photo: First Vice President Salav Kiir (left), Lake State governor John Lat (right) and President Omar al-Beshir in the center in Rumbek on 14 Feb 2006 (Manyang Mayom) Full report via ST.
Note, Kiir observed that southerners had waited for the visit for long as it kept on being postponed due to sudden changes to the president's programme. He added that southerners expressed their happiness with the visit by turning in large numbers to attend the rallies in Juba and Rumbek.
- - -
Salva Kiir says partnership with NCP growing every day
According to the Sudanese Media Center (SMC) news service Lt Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit confirmed SPLM will not delay in appointing its reps to joint committees and commissions so that the peace agreement is fully implemented.
Salva Kiir hailed President Omar al-Bashir's visit to Juba and Rumbek last Tuesday 14 February. He added that the detailed explanation offered by the president on the issue of oil revenues had satisfied the regional government.
Photo: First Vice President Salav Kiir (left), Lake State governor John Lat (right) and President Omar al-Beshir in the center in Rumbek on 14 Feb 2006 (Manyang Mayom) Full report via ST.
Note, Kiir observed that southerners had waited for the visit for long as it kept on being postponed due to sudden changes to the president's programme. He added that southerners expressed their happiness with the visit by turning in large numbers to attend the rallies in Juba and Rumbek.
Sudan opposes International Criminal Court
The Sudanese government opposes the International Criminal Court, insisting it can prosecute any war criminals in its own courts. The ICC investigation is the first to be carried out against the will of the country where the alleged crimes occurred.
The ICC, which is based in the Netherlands, has a list of 51 suspects - including Sudanese government officials, pro-government militiamen and rebels - that was compiled by a UN panel which reported on the Darfur conflict last year.
Among the 51 names listed are "military and civilians about whom there is much convincing evidence", said Antonio Cassese, an Italian law professor, who led the United Nations commission of inquiry on Darfur crimes.
That evidence includes accounts from senior military officers that the Sudanese government "openly uses militia gangs, gives them weapons and salaries and tells them to kill and burn and it backs them up with planes and helicopters," Mr. Cassese said. "There is no restraint. More than 2,000 villages have been burnt. The scale of looting, raping and torture is horrible." Full report (Sudan Tribune) 19 February 2006.
The ICC, which is based in the Netherlands, has a list of 51 suspects - including Sudanese government officials, pro-government militiamen and rebels - that was compiled by a UN panel which reported on the Darfur conflict last year.
Among the 51 names listed are "military and civilians about whom there is much convincing evidence", said Antonio Cassese, an Italian law professor, who led the United Nations commission of inquiry on Darfur crimes.
That evidence includes accounts from senior military officers that the Sudanese government "openly uses militia gangs, gives them weapons and salaries and tells them to kill and burn and it backs them up with planes and helicopters," Mr. Cassese said. "There is no restraint. More than 2,000 villages have been burnt. The scale of looting, raping and torture is horrible." Full report (Sudan Tribune) 19 February 2006.
Sudan rejects US claim of ongoing Darfur genocide
"She (Rice) is biased because any authentic parties who are concerned with what's going on in Darfur have confirmed that this is not genocide," said Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim.
"This is a systematic policy of the U.S. administration ... of pressuring the Khartoum government," Ibrahim said, saying the US was responding to internal pressures from Congress and the African American lobby. Reuters via Sudan Tribune 18 Feb 2006.
"This is a systematic policy of the U.S. administration ... of pressuring the Khartoum government," Ibrahim said, saying the US was responding to internal pressures from Congress and the African American lobby. Reuters via Sudan Tribune 18 Feb 2006.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Tony Blair hails Gaddafi's efforts for Darfur
AngolaPress says British Prime Minister, Tony Blair in a phone conversation with Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Gaddafi, has acknowledged the tireless efforts exerted by Col Gaddafi, toward finding a lasting peaceful solution to the crisis in Darfur.
Quite right too. Many Sudanese people appear to like, respect and listen to Colonel Gaddafi. Pity he's not mediating the Darfur peace talks, he speaks their language - in more ways than one.
Photo: Sudan's vice president Salva Kiir Mayardit (L) chats with Libyan president Mohammed Gaddafi during the official opening of the Sixth Ordinary Session of Assembly of the African Union capital Khartoum, January 23, 2006. Five African leaders asked Sudan to withdraw its bid to head the African Union because the appointment could sink Darfur peace talks and dent the group's credibility, an AU official and delegates said. Sudan, which is under fire for rights abuses, wanted to succeed Nigeria at the two-day summit in Khartoum. (Reuters/Antony Njuguna) Note, some news reports speculate Sudan has been promised the AU chair for next year.
Feb 8, 2006 UN says Eritrea, Libya, Chad supply arms to Sudan's Darfur rebels and SPLM/A provided training and arms to SLM/A
Photo: 8 Feb 2006 Chad and Sudan in Tripoli pact to end tension - The leaders of Chad and Sudan agreed on Wednesday to end to a crisis between their two countries, which have accused each other of backing insurgents, a Libyan official said. The Tripoli Agreement between Presidents Idriss Deby of Chad and Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan was reached at the end of mini-summit hosted by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Feb 6, 2006 Libya to host mini-sumit on Sudan-Chad crisis
Jan 24, 2006 Chad welcomes Libyan initiative over row with Sudan - The Chadian Foreign Minister, Ahmat Allam-Mi , has declared his country's welcome of the Libyan mediation to settle the Sudan-Chad tension, according to the Sudan News Agency.
Jan 19, 2006 Libya proposes to deploy AU soldiers on Chad-Sudan border
Nov 20, 2005 CIA met Gaddafi - Sudan rounded up extremist suspects for questioning by CIA
Sep 29, 2005 Chadian president in Libya to meet Gaddafi - Photo: Chadian President Deby arrived in Libya Thursday afternoon, Sept 29, 2005 at Sirte international airport where he was received by Major-General Alghwaldi Alhmeadi. (LJB)
Photo: Sep 27, 2005 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)
May 11, 2005 Libya opens route for UN aid to Darfur - UN's WFP began airlifting food aid from a new route directly from Libya to reach Darfur. Last November, a collaboration between the US and the Libyan governments allowed the transition of WFP food aid through Libya to reach Darfur refugees displaced by the fighting to camps in Chad. The new air route will boost the overland transport route - opened last April - of food aid through Chad. This opening of the ancient caravan route through Chad has so far allowed the delivery of 400 metric tonnes of food aid. WFP is expecting to deliver some 50,000 metric tonnes of food aid through air, land and rail transport
April 13, 2005 Photo: Libyan leader Mouammar Kadhafi and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo during Darfur summit in Tripoli last year. (AP)
April 3, 2005 Libyan leader Gadhafi receives John Garang's delegation
Photo: Sudan asked Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi to "intervene personally" in the escalating crisis in Darfur, Libya's official JANA news agency reported in August 2004.
Oct 19, 2004 Summit in Tripoli closed with emphasis on getting aid to the refugees - Sudan hints at Darfur power share - JEM says Libya can play a very vital role.
Photo: See Nov 11, 2004 report Britain drafts UN resolution on Sudan peace accord. Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir shakes hands with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the presidential palace in Khartoum in Sudan, Oct 6, 2004.( AFP).
Quite right too. Many Sudanese people appear to like, respect and listen to Colonel Gaddafi. Pity he's not mediating the Darfur peace talks, he speaks their language - in more ways than one.
Photo: Sudan's vice president Salva Kiir Mayardit (L) chats with Libyan president Mohammed Gaddafi during the official opening of the Sixth Ordinary Session of Assembly of the African Union capital Khartoum, January 23, 2006. Five African leaders asked Sudan to withdraw its bid to head the African Union because the appointment could sink Darfur peace talks and dent the group's credibility, an AU official and delegates said. Sudan, which is under fire for rights abuses, wanted to succeed Nigeria at the two-day summit in Khartoum. (Reuters/Antony Njuguna) Note, some news reports speculate Sudan has been promised the AU chair for next year.
Feb 8, 2006 UN says Eritrea, Libya, Chad supply arms to Sudan's Darfur rebels and SPLM/A provided training and arms to SLM/A
Photo: 8 Feb 2006 Chad and Sudan in Tripoli pact to end tension - The leaders of Chad and Sudan agreed on Wednesday to end to a crisis between their two countries, which have accused each other of backing insurgents, a Libyan official said. The Tripoli Agreement between Presidents Idriss Deby of Chad and Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan was reached at the end of mini-summit hosted by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Feb 6, 2006 Libya to host mini-sumit on Sudan-Chad crisis
Jan 24, 2006 Chad welcomes Libyan initiative over row with Sudan - The Chadian Foreign Minister, Ahmat Allam-Mi , has declared his country's welcome of the Libyan mediation to settle the Sudan-Chad tension, according to the Sudan News Agency.
Jan 19, 2006 Libya proposes to deploy AU soldiers on Chad-Sudan border
Nov 20, 2005 CIA met Gaddafi - Sudan rounded up extremist suspects for questioning by CIA
Sep 29, 2005 Chadian president in Libya to meet Gaddafi - Photo: Chadian President Deby arrived in Libya Thursday afternoon, Sept 29, 2005 at Sirte international airport where he was received by Major-General Alghwaldi Alhmeadi. (LJB)
Photo: Sep 27, 2005 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)
May 11, 2005 Libya opens route for UN aid to Darfur - UN's WFP began airlifting food aid from a new route directly from Libya to reach Darfur. Last November, a collaboration between the US and the Libyan governments allowed the transition of WFP food aid through Libya to reach Darfur refugees displaced by the fighting to camps in Chad. The new air route will boost the overland transport route - opened last April - of food aid through Chad. This opening of the ancient caravan route through Chad has so far allowed the delivery of 400 metric tonnes of food aid. WFP is expecting to deliver some 50,000 metric tonnes of food aid through air, land and rail transport
April 13, 2005 Photo: Libyan leader Mouammar Kadhafi and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo during Darfur summit in Tripoli last year. (AP)
April 3, 2005 Libyan leader Gadhafi receives John Garang's delegation
Photo: Sudan asked Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi to "intervene personally" in the escalating crisis in Darfur, Libya's official JANA news agency reported in August 2004.
Oct 19, 2004 Summit in Tripoli closed with emphasis on getting aid to the refugees - Sudan hints at Darfur power share - JEM says Libya can play a very vital role.
Photo: See Nov 11, 2004 report Britain drafts UN resolution on Sudan peace accord. Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir shakes hands with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the presidential palace in Khartoum in Sudan, Oct 6, 2004.( AFP).
Sudanese President al-Bashir directs the evacuation of LRA from South Sudan within one month
According to news from Sudan Vision, Sudanese President Al-Bashir has directed the evacuation of the Lord's Resistance Army from South Sudan within one month in order for the south to live in peace. Via Andnetwork.com:
Photo: President al-Bashir reviews the Honor Guard during the arrival ceremony at Rumbek Airport, on his left First Vice President Salva Kiir Feb 14, 2006 (Manyang Mayom) via Sudan Tribune.
According to above SV report, at the rally held in Juba Salva Kiir introduced President Al-Bashir to the rally as the "maker of peace". Also, among other issues including seccession and oil revenues, the President highlighted the food security in the South, calling for: the provision of agricultural inputs and opening of roads for flow of movement and normalization of life, a university in Rumbek, converting Rumbek hospital into a specialized one, in addition to rehabilitation of Shambe post and opening of a vocational training centre.
Further reading:
Feb 18, 2006 Acholi king, S. Sudan Marchar discuss LRA's eradication - Acholi king David Onek Achana has held consultations with southern Sudan vice President Riek Machar to find a resolution to the ongoing LRA crisis.
Al-Bashir, who on Thursday [Feb 16, 2006] paid a visit to Juba and Rumbek towns, announced the government readiness to use the strategic stock in filling the food gap in South Sudan, directing the Armed Forces and SPLA to supply Rumbek and Juba with dura.
Upon his arrival in Juba, the President was received by the First Vice- President and President of South Sudan Government, Lt-Gen. Salva Kiir, members of South Sudan and Central Equatoria State Governments and Southern Sudan Parliamentarians.
Photo: President al-Bashir reviews the Honor Guard during the arrival ceremony at Rumbek Airport, on his left First Vice President Salva Kiir Feb 14, 2006 (Manyang Mayom) via Sudan Tribune.
According to above SV report, at the rally held in Juba Salva Kiir introduced President Al-Bashir to the rally as the "maker of peace". Also, among other issues including seccession and oil revenues, the President highlighted the food security in the South, calling for: the provision of agricultural inputs and opening of roads for flow of movement and normalization of life, a university in Rumbek, converting Rumbek hospital into a specialized one, in addition to rehabilitation of Shambe post and opening of a vocational training centre.
Further reading:
Feb 18, 2006 Acholi king, S. Sudan Marchar discuss LRA's eradication - Acholi king David Onek Achana has held consultations with southern Sudan vice President Riek Machar to find a resolution to the ongoing LRA crisis.
Africa A New Agenda - How Africa Can Succeed, By UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has listed ten conditions, which he urged African countries to confront if they must succeed.
Delivering the 10th Annual Murtala Muhammed Memorial Lecture Feb 13, 2006 in Abuja entitled, 'Africa A New Agenda', Straw named the conditions to include poverty reduction and development, governance, peace and security, conflicts, terrorism, migration, crime and drug. Others are energy security, environment, Islam and China
Mr Straw traced the present predicament of most African countries to miss governance and expressed optimism that, 'If Africa pursues the right policies, tackles the right issues and gets the full support of the international community, this continent could be the success story of the 21st Century'.
He regretted that poverty in Africa is getting worse, not better and that, 'Unless growth accelerates and the fruits of growth are distributed more widely, by 2015 around 100 million more Africans than now will be living below the dollar-a-day poverty line'.
Full story This Day/AllAfrica February 15, 2006 by George Oji, Abuja.
Delivering the 10th Annual Murtala Muhammed Memorial Lecture Feb 13, 2006 in Abuja entitled, 'Africa A New Agenda', Straw named the conditions to include poverty reduction and development, governance, peace and security, conflicts, terrorism, migration, crime and drug. Others are energy security, environment, Islam and China
Mr Straw traced the present predicament of most African countries to miss governance and expressed optimism that, 'If Africa pursues the right policies, tackles the right issues and gets the full support of the international community, this continent could be the success story of the 21st Century'.
He regretted that poverty in Africa is getting worse, not better and that, 'Unless growth accelerates and the fruits of growth are distributed more widely, by 2015 around 100 million more Africans than now will be living below the dollar-a-day poverty line'.
Full story This Day/AllAfrica February 15, 2006 by George Oji, Abuja.
Friday, February 17, 2006
US President, NATO Secretary General discuss Darfur
Photo: President Bush meets with generals and other high ranking military officials during his visit to the Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, February 17, 2006. (Reuters/Jason Reed)
Feb 17, 2006 Reuters report quotes Mr Bush as saying double the number of international troops were needed for peacekeeping efforts in Darfur:
Note, the AFP report quotes Dr Rice as saying "On Darfur, our policy is unchanged. It is our view that genocide was committed and in fact continues in Darfur."
Unchanged? Click here or here to see previous news reports listed under the heading of "further reading".
Note Jan 29, 2006 U.N. sounds Darfur warning in 42-page OHCHR report - U.S. condemns attacks by Sudan's SLA
Feb 17, 2006 Reuters report quotes Mr Bush as saying double the number of international troops were needed for peacekeeping efforts in Darfur:
"I'm in the process now of working with a variety of folks to encourage there to be more troops, probably under the United Nations," Bush said. "But it's going to require, I think, a NATO stewardship, planning, facilitating, organizing -- probably double the number of peacekeepers that are there now."AFP report Feb 17, 2006 says Washington had set a goal of using its presidency of the UN Security Council this month to push through a resolution setting out the size and terms of a UN force for Darfur. Mr Bush and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer discussed ways to respond to the worsening situation in Darfur, the White House said today.
Note, the AFP report quotes Dr Rice as saying "On Darfur, our policy is unchanged. It is our view that genocide was committed and in fact continues in Darfur."
Unchanged? Click here or here to see previous news reports listed under the heading of "further reading".
Note Jan 29, 2006 U.N. sounds Darfur warning in 42-page OHCHR report - U.S. condemns attacks by Sudan's SLA
6.7 million people in Sudan need aid despite good harvest
While Sudan was likely to reap a reasonably good harvest in 2005-2006, almost seven million people would still require food aid over the coming year, two UN food agencies said Friday.
in 2005, provision of seeds and tools by humanitarian agencies benefited a large number of needy farmers. A WFP road rehabilitation project in the south has increased trade, especially between Uganda and the state of Central Equatoria, and between Kenya and the state of Eastern Equatoria.
But attacks by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army in the south/southeast remain a constant threat to any return to normal living and some key roads remain impassable thereby inhibiting large-scale trade.
WFP plans to mobilise and distribute 731,000 tonnes of food to more than six million people across Sudan in 2006. Full story (AKI) 17 Feb 2006.
in 2005, provision of seeds and tools by humanitarian agencies benefited a large number of needy farmers. A WFP road rehabilitation project in the south has increased trade, especially between Uganda and the state of Central Equatoria, and between Kenya and the state of Eastern Equatoria.
But attacks by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army in the south/southeast remain a constant threat to any return to normal living and some key roads remain impassable thereby inhibiting large-scale trade.
WFP plans to mobilise and distribute 731,000 tonnes of food to more than six million people across Sudan in 2006. Full story (AKI) 17 Feb 2006.
Sudan's Darfur and donkeys - CIDI & GlobalGiving's Livestock Support Programme for Sudanese Families
Photo: Donkey Carcass near Geneina: Donkeys are essential to the livelihoods of the people of Darfur. Many donkeys are dying due to lack of fodder or abandonment during civilians' flight to safety. (USAID photo gallery)
14 Feb 2006 blog entry at Based On A True Story:
"Just last night when I was driving home from work I got to thinking about Sudan. I was thinking about writing to my congressmen (who routinely ignore me anyway) and suggesting more help in the region. Then I started wondering how to support that region. I couldn't come up with any good answers.
Today I saw this link on Trey's site.
This project will provide food and medicine to save donkeys' lives in Darfur as they are vital to the population's survival and a key component of household wealth.
That's perfect for me. Darfur and donkeys. The day before I was thinking about Darfur I was talking at work about how much I love donkeys. I can only give a small amount right now but every little bit helps."
Photo: A young girl on a donkey with jerry cans of water which she has collected from the nearby pump. Her name is Isra and she is 7 years old - an Internally Displaced Person - forced from her home with her family when the fighting came too close for comfort. (Islamic Relief Darfur Photo Diary)
Help the people of Sudan restore their lives
Through CIDI and GlobalGiving, you can direct your contribution to Livestock Support Programme for Sudanese Families.
3.4 million people in Darfur depend on aid for survival
Oxfam report Feb 17, 2006 says the UN estimates nearly 3.4 million people in Darfur -- about half the region's total population -- are now dependent on international aid for their survival. Excerpt:
- About 13,500 aid workers are in the region struggling to meet the needs of this vast group.
- Estimates of the number of people who have lost their lives in the conflict range from 180,000 to 400,000.
- An African Union mission, sent to monitor a ceasefire that is now nearly two years old, is still significantly below its planned deployment of 7,757 troops and police officers. Even at full strength, the mission would not be large enough to adequately patrol an area the size of Texas.
For people stranded in the camps, often far from their villages, fields, and pastureland, life has become one long wait - for food rations, for limited amounts of water, for peace.
Oxfam is now providing critical water supplies and sanitation facilities for about 400,000 people in Darfur.
[via Coalition for Darfur with thanks]
- About 13,500 aid workers are in the region struggling to meet the needs of this vast group.
- Estimates of the number of people who have lost their lives in the conflict range from 180,000 to 400,000.
- An African Union mission, sent to monitor a ceasefire that is now nearly two years old, is still significantly below its planned deployment of 7,757 troops and police officers. Even at full strength, the mission would not be large enough to adequately patrol an area the size of Texas.
For people stranded in the camps, often far from their villages, fields, and pastureland, life has become one long wait - for food rations, for limited amounts of water, for peace.
Oxfam is now providing critical water supplies and sanitation facilities for about 400,000 people in Darfur.
[via Coalition for Darfur with thanks]
July 2004 Q&A Interview: Sudan President Omar al-Bashir
On checking through my blog archives, I found Q&A: Sudan President Omar al-Bashir by Khalid Tigani for UPI dated 26 July 2004 and am cross-posting it to Sudan Watch for future reference.
Q&A: Sudan President Omar al-Bashir (UPI Science Report)
UPI Perspectives July 26, 2004
Tigani, Khalid | Copyright
Byline: KHALID TIGANI
KHARTOUM, Sudan, July 26 (UPI) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Monday international pressure and military intervention would not solve the problem in the western region of Darfur where Amnesty International has charged that Arab militias, the Janjaweed, committed systematic, mass rapes.
Al-Bashir called for enough time to implement a joint plan with the United Nations to achieve security and stability in the troubled province.
He was speaking during an interview with United Press International at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum.
The Sudanese president appeared calm and refuted accusations that his ...
Q&A: Sudan President Omar al-Bashir (UPI Science Report)
UPI Perspectives July 26, 2004
Tigani, Khalid | Copyright
Byline: KHALID TIGANI
KHARTOUM, Sudan, July 26 (UPI) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Monday international pressure and military intervention would not solve the problem in the western region of Darfur where Amnesty International has charged that Arab militias, the Janjaweed, committed systematic, mass rapes.
Al-Bashir called for enough time to implement a joint plan with the United Nations to achieve security and stability in the troubled province.
He was speaking during an interview with United Press International at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum.
The Sudanese president appeared calm and refuted accusations that his ...
Sudan, AU agree Darfur should remain African Union issue
Darfur peace talks are deadlocked over power sharing. Chad says the African Union should impose a solution.
Feb 16 AFP report says US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said "genocide" was continuing in Darfur, but moves to bolster security with a UN force were held up pending a request from the African Union.
On Feb 15 Sudan's President and the Chairman of the African Union Commission agreed at a meeting held in Khartoum that resolving Darfur should remain an "African" initiative. In a press statement to the state-run SUNA at the end of the meeting, Foreign Minister Lam Akol said that the meeting reviewed situation in Darfur and the steps required on the ground as well as the Abuja peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, there appears to be no news of the Arab League's concern over Darfur. Where do the Arabs stand on the "African" issue in Darfur? Why are the Arab tribal leaders in charge of the Janjaweed not present at the Darfur peace talks?
Note the Arab League is scheduled to hold its summit in March in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, putting the US government in a tough spot.
Feb 16 AFP report says US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said "genocide" was continuing in Darfur, but moves to bolster security with a UN force were held up pending a request from the African Union.
On Feb 15 Sudan's President and the Chairman of the African Union Commission agreed at a meeting held in Khartoum that resolving Darfur should remain an "African" initiative. In a press statement to the state-run SUNA at the end of the meeting, Foreign Minister Lam Akol said that the meeting reviewed situation in Darfur and the steps required on the ground as well as the Abuja peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, there appears to be no news of the Arab League's concern over Darfur. Where do the Arabs stand on the "African" issue in Darfur? Why are the Arab tribal leaders in charge of the Janjaweed not present at the Darfur peace talks?
Note the Arab League is scheduled to hold its summit in March in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, putting the US government in a tough spot.
Darfur chronic insecurity has led MSF to redefine activities
Dr Pauline Horrill, MSF's program manager for Sudan, and Fabrice Weissman, head of MSF's Darfur mission, offer an update report 16 Feb 2006.
[via Sudan Tribune 17 Feb 2006 with thanks]
[via Sudan Tribune 17 Feb 2006 with thanks]
US says "genocide" continues in Darfur and UN must act - UN demands US to shut down Guantanamo prison camp
The timing of these news reports, published today, is interesting:
(Reuters) Rice says genocide continues in Darfur, UN must act - "It is our view that genocide was committed and in fact it continues in Darfur," she said adding, "We are doing everything we can to deal with the impact of the situation in Darfur."
[Note, 16 Feb 2006 AFP report says US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said "genocide" was continuing in Darfur, but moves to bolster security with a UN force were held up pending a request from the African Union]
(BBC) Annan backs UN Guantanamo demand - The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has said the United States must shut down Guantanamo Bay prison camp "as soon as is possible". The White House has dismissed the UN report as "a discredit to the UN."
- - -
Further reading:
June 30, 2004 No genocide in Darfur: US government
Sep 9, 2004 BBC Powell declares genocide in Sudan - The BBC's state department correspondent Jill McGivering says the use of the word genocide does not legally oblige the US to act, but it does increase the moral and political pressure.
Sep 9, 2004 US Mission to the UN in Geneva Press Release on The Crisis in Darfur - Text of Secretary Colin L Powell Testimony Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington DC, Sep 9. 2004: "Mr Chairman, as I have said, the evidence leads us to the conclusion, the United States to the conclusion; that genocide has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur. We believe the evidence corroborates the specific intent of the perpetrators to destroy "a group in whole or in part," the words of the Convention. This intent may be inferred from their deliberate conduct. We believe other elements of the convention have been met as well."
Jan 31, 2005 BBC UN 'rules out' genocide in Darfur.
July 3, 2005 BBC Panorama The New Killing Fields transcript: Chris Mullin MP (Foreign Office minister): "What we think is not an effective way of stopping the killings is the way that some people... is the suggestion that some people are urging upon us, that somehow there's some western force that could come riding over the hills and everything will be alright again, but it's not like that. And the odds are that if any western force did intervene it would become bogged down and that some new cause for all the Jihadists in the world would emerge and we'd find ourselves very quickly being shot at by all sides. Plus we would probably destabilise the whole of Sudan which is the size of Western Europe and the last thing we want is a failed state the size of Western Europe on our hands in Africa."
Feb 4, 2006 Eric Reeves says violence still displaces Daruris while US decides genocide no longer exist.
Feb 9, 2006 Eric Reeves asks why has the Bush administration chosen this moment to suggest that genocide is no longer taking place - read US State Department Dishonesty on Darfur.
Feb 16. 2006 UK Conservative Party Speech to the Johns Hopkins SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations in Washington DC by former leader William Hague mentions the words Genocide in Darfur ...
(Reuters) Rice says genocide continues in Darfur, UN must act - "It is our view that genocide was committed and in fact it continues in Darfur," she said adding, "We are doing everything we can to deal with the impact of the situation in Darfur."
[Note, 16 Feb 2006 AFP report says US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said "genocide" was continuing in Darfur, but moves to bolster security with a UN force were held up pending a request from the African Union]
(BBC) Annan backs UN Guantanamo demand - The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has said the United States must shut down Guantanamo Bay prison camp "as soon as is possible". The White House has dismissed the UN report as "a discredit to the UN."
- - -
Further reading:
June 30, 2004 No genocide in Darfur: US government
Sep 9, 2004 BBC Powell declares genocide in Sudan - The BBC's state department correspondent Jill McGivering says the use of the word genocide does not legally oblige the US to act, but it does increase the moral and political pressure.
Sep 9, 2004 US Mission to the UN in Geneva Press Release on The Crisis in Darfur - Text of Secretary Colin L Powell Testimony Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington DC, Sep 9. 2004: "Mr Chairman, as I have said, the evidence leads us to the conclusion, the United States to the conclusion; that genocide has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur. We believe the evidence corroborates the specific intent of the perpetrators to destroy "a group in whole or in part," the words of the Convention. This intent may be inferred from their deliberate conduct. We believe other elements of the convention have been met as well."
Jan 31, 2005 BBC UN 'rules out' genocide in Darfur.
July 3, 2005 BBC Panorama The New Killing Fields transcript: Chris Mullin MP (Foreign Office minister): "What we think is not an effective way of stopping the killings is the way that some people... is the suggestion that some people are urging upon us, that somehow there's some western force that could come riding over the hills and everything will be alright again, but it's not like that. And the odds are that if any western force did intervene it would become bogged down and that some new cause for all the Jihadists in the world would emerge and we'd find ourselves very quickly being shot at by all sides. Plus we would probably destabilise the whole of Sudan which is the size of Western Europe and the last thing we want is a failed state the size of Western Europe on our hands in Africa."
Feb 4, 2006 Eric Reeves says violence still displaces Daruris while US decides genocide no longer exist.
Feb 9, 2006 Eric Reeves asks why has the Bush administration chosen this moment to suggest that genocide is no longer taking place - read US State Department Dishonesty on Darfur.
Feb 16. 2006 UK Conservative Party Speech to the Johns Hopkins SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations in Washington DC by former leader William Hague mentions the words Genocide in Darfur ...
Thursday, February 16, 2006
USAID distributing 50,000 radios throughout South Sudan
Sudan Man notes USAID's distribution of radios throughout southern Sudan:
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Note Geekcorps Bottlenet and rugged computers for desert conditions.
50,000 solar- and hand crank-powered radios are being distributed; USAID is helping to organize listening groups; regional resource centers are being set up in six areas to host the groups and provide meeting space and resources for civil society organizations.Note the BBC's new lifeline service Darfur Salaam.
USAID is also developing radio-based educational resources, such as classes and teacher trainings, that the listening groups can access.
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Note Geekcorps Bottlenet and rugged computers for desert conditions.
Wanted: Superdiplomat and manager for 181 countries
No application form is needed and no interview is held for the position of secretary general of the United Nations. So how do you get the job - and who's in the running? Anne Penketh reports at the Independent UK.
Britain's PM Tony Blair is listed in the report as one of the front runners.
Britain's PM Tony Blair is listed in the report as one of the front runners.
Darfur peace talks deadlocked over power sharing - Chad says AU should impose solution
AU Mission in Sudan said that Sudanese parties in Darfur peace talks have realised significant progress in the wealth sharing and security arrangements,. But it seems that the negotiations are deadlocked on the question of Power sharing.
Photo: Chad's Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmad Allam-mi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in N'djamena, Chad Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006.
The Sudanese government and rebel groups in the Darfur conflict holding peace talks in neighboring Nigeria have taken too long to agree on a solution so the African Union should impose one, Allam-mi said Thursday. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
Photo: Chad's Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmad Allam-mi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in N'djamena, Chad Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006.
The Sudanese government and rebel groups in the Darfur conflict holding peace talks in neighboring Nigeria have taken too long to agree on a solution so the African Union should impose one, Allam-mi said Thursday. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
Darfur: Stop the killing, or pay the price warns Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
Outspoken article in the International Herald Tribune by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw published 16 February 2006 is similar to the stern warnings in the text he read out in person this week at the Darfur peace talks.
Ramstein airmen helping airlift Rwandan soldiers into Darfur
Stars & Stripes reports today about 15 airmen from Ramstein Air Base are in Rwanda helping transport peacekeeping troops to Darfur.
The airmen from the base's 86th Contingency Response Group arrived in the Rwanda capital of Kigali last weekend to help airlift 1,200 troops from two Rwandan battalions and their personal equipment from Kigali International Airport to Darfur.
An equal number is expected to rotate back to their home country, so it's not a case of additional troops for Darfur. More on this news at allAfrica.com.
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Russian peacekeepers to be in South Sudan next April
Up to 200 soldiers, four Mi-8 transport and combat helicopters and 15 vehicles will be sent to peacekeep in South Sudan (not Darfur which is a separate conflict in western Sudan). An-124 Ruslan, An-22 Antei and Il-76 planes will make over 40 flights to airlift the personnel, hardware and 200 tonnes of various cargoes.
Photo: President al-Bashir reviews the Honor Guard during the arrival ceremony at Rumbek Airport, on his left First Vice President Salva Kiir Feb 14, 2006. It was the first time al-Bashir visited Rumbek since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 9 Jan 2005. (Manyang Mayom/Sudan Tribune article 16 Feb 2006)
The airmen from the base's 86th Contingency Response Group arrived in the Rwanda capital of Kigali last weekend to help airlift 1,200 troops from two Rwandan battalions and their personal equipment from Kigali International Airport to Darfur.
An equal number is expected to rotate back to their home country, so it's not a case of additional troops for Darfur. More on this news at allAfrica.com.
- - -
Russian peacekeepers to be in South Sudan next April
Up to 200 soldiers, four Mi-8 transport and combat helicopters and 15 vehicles will be sent to peacekeep in South Sudan (not Darfur which is a separate conflict in western Sudan). An-124 Ruslan, An-22 Antei and Il-76 planes will make over 40 flights to airlift the personnel, hardware and 200 tonnes of various cargoes.
Photo: President al-Bashir reviews the Honor Guard during the arrival ceremony at Rumbek Airport, on his left First Vice President Salva Kiir Feb 14, 2006. It was the first time al-Bashir visited Rumbek since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 9 Jan 2005. (Manyang Mayom/Sudan Tribune article 16 Feb 2006)
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