Sudan clears UN visit to Darfur

Quelle surprise. Sudan has said it will allow Jan Egeland, the UN undersecretary, to visit Darfur, three days after it barred his flight to Darfur. Will we ever know what this stunt and media game was all about? More later, if I can find out.



Photo: Elsamani Elwasilah Elsamani, Sudan's state minister for foreign affairs, said in a press statement that "we reiterate our commitment to receive concerned officials from the United Nations and all other those who are engaged in extending humanitarian aid and assistance".

The visit of Egeland, the UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs, had been postponed for 10 days because of "internal reasons", the statement said, without elaboration.

Full report AP/Aljazeera 5 Apr 2006. Photo courtesy Sudan Tribune.

Apr 3 2006 What's going on in Janana, S Darfur? 60 villages attacked by Janjaweed while Khartoum "safeguards" Norwegians from being in Sudan for next 2 weeks?

Apr 4 2006 Annan met with AU, EU on Darfur - Seeks to speak to Sudan's president over ban on UN aid chief's trip to Darfur

Apr 4 2006 Amnesty International Statement on Sudan's blockade of humanitarian aid

Apr 5 2006 Norway sends protest to Sudan

Amnesty International Statement on Sudan's blockade of humanitarian aid

Amnesty International Statement April 4, 2006 condemns Sudan's blockade of humanitarian aid . The Statement points out this latest trend does not affect only international NGOs - on 13 March 2006, SUDO was ordered by HAC to close its offices in al-Jeneina, capital of West Darfur State, and Zalingei, West Darfur State.

Also, a further concern is the enactment of new legislation regulating the work of NGOs - excerpt:

"Amnesty International calls on the government of Sudan to abide by its repeated commitments to cease the obstruction of humanitarian aid. The undue delay and/or often unreasonable withholding of travel permits and exit visas should cease. Illegal closure and suspension of humanitarian organisations must also be halted.

Amnesty International also calls on the President of Sudan not to sign into effect the 'Organisation of Humanitarian and Voluntary Work Act, 2006' until all provisions that contravene international standards on freedom of association and the Sudanese Interim National Constitution are amended.

Note, Mar 15 2006 Sudan closes offices of rights group

Foreign donors turning backs on Darfur - UNICEF

International donors are turning their backs on Darfur UNICEF said on Wednesday - Reuters:

Dan Toole, head of emergency programmes for UNICEF, said large parts of Darfur were off limits to aid workers as government forces and local militias battled each other as peace talks faltered.

"Donors are just not coming up with the money. I can understand that they are fed up [--] the peace process isn't moving forward, security is deteriorating -- we have no access to the area of the border with Chad, there are parts of south Darfur you can't even travel anymore -- and donors have not kicked in adequate funds."

[I say, "fed up" may be an understatement. How many more years will this go on for? 20 ... 50 ... or what? Surely if the Arabs were made to cough up a few billion dollars for humanitarian aid for the Sudanese people, they'd pay more attention to what their brothers in the Sudan are doing]



Cartoon by M.e Cohen, Politicalcartoons.com courtesy EditorialCartoonists.com.

Note, Apr 5 2006 Sudan clears UN visit to Darfur

International Day for Mine Awareness

Why aren't landmines banned? Who manufactures and sells them? The UN's mine action office in South Sudan, in a statement issued to mark the first International Day for Mine Awareness, stressed that thousands of landmines were obstructing the implementation of South Sudan's peace deal.

Without demining, reconstruction of roads, schools, hospitals and any other post-war recovery and development project cannot be implemented.

According to UN estimates, 1,800 people have been killed by landmines in the Sudan. Between 15,000 and 20,000 are killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance around the world each year. Some 20 percent of them are children. AFP/ST 5 April 2006.

Sudan VP Garang crash initial report blames pilot-SPLM

A report into the death of Sudanese First Vice President John Garang blamed pilot error for the crash of the helicopter last year.

The initial report also ruled out mechanical failure in the helicopter which crashed into a hill killing all 14 passengers last year just three weeks after Garang took office, a spokesman of Garang's Sudan People' Liberation Movement (SPLM) said on Wednesday.

"The initial report suggested it was pilot error," said Walid Hamid of the SPLM. He said the report added there was no hill sensor on the helicopter and the pilot was flying at 5,300 feet and the hill was 6,000 feet. There was no mention of foul play. Full report Reuters 5 April 2006.

Aug 1 2005 John Garang Sudan's first VP and former rebel leader killed

Aug 1 2005 Sudan VP Garang killed in crash

Mar 14 2006 Insurers pay out on Garang crash

AU's Darfur troops in abuse probe

On March 16, 2006 More4News, an offshoot of Channel 4 TV here in the UK, claimed that Sudanese air force resumes bombing Darfur villages. I don't recall seeing any other news sources reporting such a story.

Today, a report by Jonah Fisher in Khartoum for BBC News says AMIS will look into claims that its troops committed sexual abuse in Darfur. Excerpt from Mr Fisher's report 4 April 2006:

"The UK's More4 TV channel last week aired allegations [see More4 Exclusive: More abuse in Darfur?] that AU soldiers paid women, some as young as 11, for sex.

The AU said the claims were disturbing, but added there had recently been many allegations against its mission - all of which had been found to be baseless. The AU has 7,000 troops guarding some of Darfur's 2 million displaced people.

The report broadcast on More4 showed interviews with two women at a camp in south Darfur called Gereida. One said she had been paid for sex with an AU peacekeeper and was now pregnant. The other, an 11-year-old, said she was paid, then raped by a soldier. According to the reporter, many other women at the camp said they were being paid for sex.

A statement from the AU mission in Sudan said the accusations were very disturbing and that a committee including representatives from outside the AU had been set up to investigate them. It went on to say that there had been a spate of orchestrated allegations against the AU in recent months - all of which had been proven, after investigation, to be baseless.

The Sudanese government is keen for the AU peacekeepers to remain but Darfur's rebels would like to see them replaced by a larger, more robust United Nations force."

UPDATES

Apr 5 2006 Channel 4 acknowledges the report.

Apr 5 2006 More4 Darfur investigation

Advance team of Chinese peacekeepers arrive in Sudan on UN mission

An advance team of Chinese peacekeeping troops to serve on a UN peacekeeping mission in south Sudan arrived in Sudan by plane yesterday. The 25 members of the advance team were met at the airport by officials of the UN Mission in Sudan and Military Attache of the Chinese Embassy in Sudan Li Jingping. The team is to head for south Sudan today, according to sources.

Some 400 Chinese peacekeepers are due to arrive in Sudan in April and May. - Xinhua via PDO 5 April 2006.

Norway sends protest to Sudan

As noted here previously, Norway's Jan Egeland, the UN's coordinator of emergency aid, was told he would not be allowed to enter Darfur or even Khartoum for two weeks and yesterday Sudan asked the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) terminate its work in the whole of Darfur. NRC operates the largest refugee camp in Darfur, housing 100,000 displaced persons.

Today, Norway has sent a note to Sudan, expressing the Norwegian Government's concern over the development of the situation in the country, Norway Post reported. The note points to the working conditions for the humanitarian organisations, the Sudanese authorities lack of ability to protect its own population and Jan Egeland being denied entry to Sudan.

Norway has been heavily involved in the Sudan, both with emergency aid and in connection with the peace process to end the civil war between North and Southern Sudan.

Annan met with AU, EU on Darfur - Seeks to speak to Sudan's president over ban on UN aid chief's trip to Darfur

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is seeking to speak to Sudanese President al-Bashir after his Government banned a visit by Jan Egeland, the top UN relief official to Darfur UN News reported 4 April 2006.

Note, UN News says Mr Annan held separate talks in New York March 31 with top African and European officials on the situation in Darfur. In a meeting with the Chairman of the AU Commission, the two discussed the Darfur peace talks. They also discussed support for the AU force in Darfur, including the possibility of a donors' conference, and the situation on Chad-Sudan border and steps being taken to defuse the tension there.

Darfur was also on the agenda at a separate meeting between Mr Annan and European Common Foreign and Security Policy High Representative Javier Solana. They reviewed European Union support for the AU force in Darfur.

First Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia arrive home under UN programme

Seeing this photo today of a UNHCR convoy of refugees returning to Sudan yesterday brought tears to my eyes.



Photo: First Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia arrive home under UN programme - UNHCR convoy of refugees returning to Sudan (UN) Full story UN News Centre 4 Apr 2006 - and Ethiopia Watch.

Dramatic development in next few days? African leaders to push for Darfur talks breakthrough

Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha might attend Darfur peace talks Saturday in what observers said was perhaps a signal Khartoum would be willing to make new concessions.

Congo Republic's President Denis Sassou Nguesso, current chairman of the AU, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare are due to take part in Saturday's meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.

The African heads of state will push the warring parties to clinch a peace agreement at a meeting on April 8 that all sides said on Tuesday could help break the deadlock.

"Vice-President Taha would not be coming if the talks hadn't reached a critical stage ... I expect dramatic developments in the next few days," said a government delegate.

"The presence of heads of state at peace negotiations in Africa is a big deal and it usually ends up breaking impasses," said Berhanu Dinka, who chairs negotiations on power-sharing, one of the three areas under discussion.

"We are in the last straight line before the finish ... We have high hopes of securing an agreement before the 30th," said Boubou Niang, who chairs the wealth-sharing negotiations.

"What we need now is for the two sides to take courageous political decisions and make concessions," he added.

Full report Reuters 4 Apr 2006.

SLM claims Sudanese troops and Janjaweed now massed in Geneina, W Darfur to bring down Chad's President Deby

Today, SLM rebels in Darfur charged Khartoum of systematically obstructing "any attempts to discover and understand what is actually happening on the ground in Darfur."

"The regime will do whatever it can to prevent people from making reports that could strengthen the case for sending UN troops in Darfur," said SLM spokesman Mahjub Hussein.

"An increased number of government troops and Janjaweed are now massed in the Geneina region as part of Sudan's efforts to bring down the regime of Chadian President Idriss Deby," he added. Full report AFP/ST 4 Apr 2006.

Mar 31 2006 Mercenaries from Sudan attacked Chadian town of Modeina - dozens killed, 4,000 civilians displaced

Mar 31 2006 Sudanese Janjaweed slay Chad Army General Abakar Youssouf Mahamat

Apr 2 2006 Mohamat Nour's Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) aims to depose Chadian president Deby

Apr 3 2006 Chad's ACTUS on French intervention to rescue Deby regime

Hundreds of thousands Sudanese children go to school for first time thanks to UN aid

Hundreds of thousands of children will go to school for the first time in Southern Sudan this year in a massive United Nations-backed campaign.

Education is the key to future peace and prosperity in the region. About 8,600 teachers, the majority untrained volunteers, cover approximately 2,000 schools. The campaign aims to deliver over 3.8 million textbooks and teachers' guides and basic school supplies for up to 1.6 million children. From 6 million exercise books to 1.6 million pencil sharpeners, no child should go without the basics.

Over 1,500 new classrooms are being constructed and accelerated training is underway for teachers and classroom facilitators. The effort is led by the Government of Southern Sudan with the support of UN agencies, donors, non-governmental organizations and communities. Some $22 million has been received so far, with a similar amount still required to complete the targets for 2006. Full story UN News Service 3 April 2006.

Finland to give 4.4 million euros in aid for Sudan

In Sudan, the number of internal refugees, at 6.5 million people, is the highest in the world. Finland pledges 4.4 million euros in aid for Sudan, the sum to be channelled, among others, through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Finnchurch Aid. Full story ReliefWeb 4 Apr 2006.

Medecins du Monde-Greece begins health clinics in North Kutum area, North Darfur

Medecins du Monde - Greece has started operating health clinics in three locations across North Kutum, one of the most neglected and devastated areas of North Darfur, whose inhabitants suffer from long-term water shortages and insecurity.

More than 75,000 people, among them most-vulnerable groups like Internally Displaced People and members of nomadic tribes now enjoy basic health services, vaccination campaigns against childhood and seasonal diseases. Full story Reuters 4 Apr 2006.

Germany donates millions towards peace talks

The German government made a $500 000 contribution to the Darfur peace talks, the third Berlin has made and contributed close to $4-million towards the operational cost of the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS),

"Germany is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Darfur and has tried to lower the human suffering on the ground by donating almost 25 million dollars for projects on food security, potable water, basic health services and in support and reintegration of refugees," a statement said. Full story Sapa-dpa 4 April 2006.

Egypt's President Mubarak arrives in Khartoum on short visit

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived in Khartoum Tuesday on an unnanounced short visit to Sudan,. His meeting with Sudanese President al-Bashir lasted three hours UPI reported.

NATO plans to increase support for AU force in Darfur

NATO's chief diplomat said Monday that the alliance planned to increase support for African peacekeepers in Darfur, but he again stressed that the deployment of NATO troops was not an option, AP report 4 April 2006 - excerpt:

Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said NATO was considering increasing training, planning and transportation support for the African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, and a U.N. mission that may replace it in September.

"That can very much be done without speaking of a NATO force," he said. "It's the African Union, it's the U.N. which are the guiding organizations."

Sudanese President al-Bashir now supports human rights?

President Omar al-Bashir said in a speech to parliament Monday that resolving the Darfur conflict was his nation's top priority.

"The peace that we have received with joy (in southern Sudan) remains incomplete until we achieve a solution in Darfur," he said.

He said the government would work to end the suffering of civilians and reach a political settlement that included all parties involved in the conflict.

"There cannot be a solution that ignores the rights of anyone or suppresses anyone. A permanent solution is the one that embraces all and resolves all the problems of Darfur," he said.

Full report (AP/Yahoo) 4 April 2006.

Chinese peacekeepers leave for South Sudan mission

When John Garang was alive, I posted news reports here at Sudan Watch on how he was against having Chinese troops as part of a UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan because they were too onside with Khartoum over oil.

Note a 25-member squad of a Chinese detachment that is part of a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan left Beijing Monday, heading for Khartoum, China's Xinhua reported 4 April 2006:

China plans to send 435 peace-keepers in response to an appeal by the UN Security Council. They will be mainly responsible for rebuilding infrastructure facilities, destroying weapons, and assisting all peace-keeping forces in the area. The Chinese detachment comes from the Jinan Area Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
On March 24, 2005, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution to send peacekeepers to South Sudan, to help accomplish a North-South peace agreement in the country.

Apr 3 2006 (Xinhua/ST) China, Sudan to boost exchanges between armed forces