Turkey sends field hospital in Darfur, western Sudan

Turkey will open a field hospital in Darfur, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. Releasing a statement, the ministry said two executives of the Turkish Red Crescent had gone to Sudan on 30 March to determine the needs of the region. "Five C-130 cargo planes of the Turkish Air Forces will ship a fully-equipped field hospital to the region," the statement said.

The hospital has a 50-bed capacity and two operating rooms, the Turkish Anatolia news agency reported.

The statement recalled that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who had paid a visit to Sudan between 27-29 March and seen the tough living conditions of around 30,000 people in Otach refugee camp, ordered establishment of a field hospital in the region. Full report ST 13 April 2006.

Merowe Dam area set for further confrontation and unrest

An unsourced article at the Sudan Tribune, dated 11 April 2006, reports violence started on Friday in the Amri area of the Hamdab (Merowe) Dam when the dam authority carried out its final survey by force. According to the article, the survey - which was supposed to take place last December - has been postponed many times due to the objection of the affected communities. The area is set for further confrontations and unrest, observers believe.

Note Jan 12 2006 The El Multaga resettlement site - Sudan's Chinese backed Merowe Dam is for the greater benefit of Sudan.

Security Council calls for smooth transition to UN operation in Darfur, western Sudan

The Security Council today called on "all parties" to ensure a smooth and successful transfer to a UN operation in Darfur, while also commending the African Union's mission in the region and endorsing the AU Peace and Security Council's 30 April deadline for achieving peace. Full report UN News Centre.

Note, China holds the presidency for this month.



Photo: UN Security Council President Ambassador Wang (China)

Apr 11 2006 DPA - The council asked Secretary General Kofi Annan to send an assessment team to Darfur before April 30 to plan for the transition from the AU to the UN force. The AU had decided to pull out of Darfur by year's end, but agreed that some of its 7,000 troops would join the UN peacekeeping mission. The council said in a statement that the UN operation in Darfur would have "strong African participation and character."

Apr 11 2006 Reuters - The 15-nation Security Council, in a policy statement read at a public meeting, backed the African Union's April 30 deadline for reaching an agreement in the Abuja talks and reaffirmed its decision "to hold accountable those impeding the peace process and committing human rights violations." Diplomats said Britain would soon distribute a list of individuals it believes are blocking the peace process, who could become the targets of U.N. sanctions, such as a travel ban and having their foreign assets frozen. But China, which has veto power, has said it was not in favour of sanctions.

Apr 11 2006 UN Security Council calls for Sudan to explain Egeland fiasco

Apr 11 2006 AP/ST TEXT: Full UN security Council Statement

Apr 12 2006 AP/Guardian Edith Lederer Council Wants Deal on Darfur Conflict - US Ambassador John Bolton said the next step will be council consideration of a list of people subject to sanctions for blocking peace efforts. Britain's Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry welcomed the statement, saying "the key thing is that between all of us working with the regional organizations, we tackle the problem of the politics, the security and the humanitarian access in Darfur."

Deputy UN Secretary-General, Mark Malloch Brown on Darfur

Mar 11 2006 Malloch Brown appointed Deputy UN Secretary-General - excerpt:

America and Europe should provide troops and money for a major international peacekeeping force for Darfur, the new deputy UN secretary-general, Mark Malloch Brown, said yesterday.

Mr Malloch Brown, who was appointed last Friday, told the Guardian that only modern mobile forces, trained in helicopter operations, could be effective in Darfur. Peacekeeping operations by poorly equipped African and Asian countries were no longer sufficient. "We want the rest of the world to make a higher level of contributions to peacekeeping, involving more mainstream militaries around the world. It's going to need a whole new level of investment and logistical support," he said.

"You can't do this [peacekeeping in Darfur] through just troops on the ground with Landcruisers or lightly armoured vehicles because this place is the size of France. However many troops you have, the only way they are going to be effective in preventing attacks on civilians is if they are highly mobile.

"That means militarised helicopters that can protect themselves against ground fire and troops trained in helicopter-based operations. This is a very different model of peacekeeping."

Sudan's VP Taha meets SLA leaders Minawi and Nur

The UN News Centre's near verbatim transcript of a press briefing by Jan Pronk, UN special envoy for Sudan, 17 August 2005, explains the Darfur rebels are flown to the peace talks and sleep at the Hilton in Abuja, Nigeria.



Photos: The Hilton Hotel, Abuja is a 45 minute drive from the airport and offers ultra modern facilities. The Zuma Rock and Gurara Waterfalls are only a short drive away.



AP report says on Tuesday 11 April, 2006 Sudan's Second Vice-President, Ali Osman Taha, met one of the leaders of Darfur rebel group SLM, Mani Arkoi Minawi, at his residence in the Hilton Hotel, Abuja.



Photo: Ali Osman Taha (Sudan Watch archive 14 Mar 2006)

The meeting was a follow-up to one held in Tripoli, Libya last March. Taha had told Minawi that what they discussed in Tripoli had received full interest from the Sudanese leadership.



Photo: Meni Minawi Arkowri (Sudan Watch archive 14 Mar 2006)

On Sunday 9 April, 2006 Taha met Abdelwhaed al-Nur the leader of the other faction of the SLM



Photo: Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur attends at the Darfur peace talks in Abuja Feb 4, 2006. (Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde)

On Monday April 10, 2006, the African Union's chief mediator for the Darfur peace talks, Salim Ahmed Salim, met with Taha in Addis Ababa to review the outcome of the high-level consultations which took place over the weekend in Abuja.



Photo: Salim Ahmed Salim, special envoy on the Darfur talks addresses the gathering at the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 3 2005 when the talks entered the final phase



The Hilton Hotel, Abuja, pictured here, has 670 rooms and suites and is set in beautiful landscape grounds, less than one kilometre from the Ministries and Embassies.



Photo: A general view of a Sudanese internally displaced people camp housing over 730 families, December 3, 2005. Darfur peace talks in Abuja have dragged on for two years. Fighting in Darfur began three years ago.

EU gives $424 million for Africa peace operations

The European Union has set aside 350 million euros ($424 million) for continued support of African-led peacekeeping operations in Africa, including Darfur, EU officials said April 11, 2006 - Reuters:

The new funds for the EU's African Peace Facility, created three years ago with a 250 million euro budget, are intended to cover the 2006-10 period.

"There is no development without stability, and no development without security," EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel told a news conference after a ministerial meeting of the 25-nation bloc.

The African Peace Facility has been mostly used to support African Union efforts to halt violence in Darfur, Michel said.

He confirmed the EU was preparing to give 50 million euros to help the AU finance a six-month extension of its mission, adding to 162 million already given by the bloc for that operation.

The AU says it costs around $24 million a month to run its [Darfur] mission, for which it relies on donor nations.

UN Security Council calls for Sudan to explain Egeland fiasco

The UN Security Council reports this morning its regret at the Sudanese government denying entry of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator to Darfur and called for an explanation:

In a presidential statement read by this month's Council President, Wang Guangya (China), the Council also expressed its regret and its "grave concern over the humanitarian consequences" at the Government's decision not to renew the contract of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The Council, reiterating its full support for the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on the Conflict in Darfur in Abuja, Nigeria, endorsed the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council that 30 April was the final deadline for reaching an agreement.

Also today, China's Xinhua reports UN Council demands parties in Sudan to reach agreement by April 30.

Vacancy: Ockenden seeks Field Director, South Sudan

Ockenden International, a UK-based secular NGO working with refugees, seeks a Field Director to oversee their programmes in south Sudan. Full job specification and details on how to apply are on the Ockenden website.

Propaganda war in Chad aimed at sowing fear and panic

"The UN and most NGOs have decided to reduce staff at Goz-Beida ... as a security precaution," UNHCR spokesman Matthew Conway told Reuters:

Speaking by telephone from Abeche, some 270 km (170 miles) to the north of Goz-Beida, Conway said the rebels appeared to have pulled back from both Koukou Angarana and the refugee camp.

"All our offices in the east have checked in and calm is prevailing," he said.

"PROPAGANDA WAR"

Diplomats and aid workers said recent rebel statements announcing the capture of major towns in the east -- which later turned out to be false or exaggerated -- appeared aimed at sowing fear and panic among local officials.

The government says it still controls the country.

"There's a propaganda war being fought here," said one diplomat, who asked not to be named.

Chad's government blamed Sudan for Monday's raid on the refugee camp, which it said caused damage and casualties.

The UNHCR's Conway said the agency had received no reports of civilian casualties.

"Sudan has decided to destabilise Chad with carefully planned terrorist strikes," Chad's Information Minister Hourmadji Moussa Doumgor said in a statement which described the rebels as "mercenaries in the pay of Sudan".

Since last year, insurgent groups, their ranks swelled by army deserters, have been harrying Deby's forces from the east.

Diplomats say it remains to be seen whether they can push to N'Djamena before the elections. Rebel fighters killed the Chadian army commander, who was Deby's nephew, last month.

In May's election, Deby -- who won power in a 1990 military revolt from the east -- will face four candidates with links to his government.

Source: Reuters report by Betel Miarom 11 April, 2006 with additional reporting by Pascal Fletcher in Dakar.
- - -

Chad rebels from bases in Darfur attack refugee camp

BBC report: Chad has 12 camps hosting Sudanese refugees from Darfur. A large number of army officers have deserted to join the FUCD, a coalition of rebel groups led by Mahamat Nour from bases in Darfur on Sudan's border with Chad. But Chad's government is refusing to call the attackers rebels and blames Sudan for the incident at the camp. Chad says the assailants were mercenaries supported by Khartoum.

Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby

Apr 11 2006 BBC Chadian rebels raid central town

Apr 12 2006 BBC Chad rebels 'advance on capital' - The BBC's Stephanie Hancock in N'Djamena says people in the capital are going to work as usual, but are not sending their children to school in case of unrest.

Egypt: Mubarak tackles Darfur over phone with Annan

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt received a phone call from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss Darfur, SIS/andn reported April 11, 2006.

FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby

Apr 10, 2006 AFP report says rebels from the United Front for Change (FUC) Monday mounted a fresh attack in eastern Chad. Excerpt:

The rebels seized the village of Koukou, 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of the town of Goz Beida, where they also took a refugee camp, home to 17,000 Sudanese who fled the civil war in Darfur, said a source close to the UNHCR. Armed men took control of the UNHCR's offices in the camp, taking nine staff hostage and killing a Chad policeman, the same source said.

A spokesman for the FUC confirmed to AFP that the rebels had taken Koukou, but denied that they had invaded the refugee camp. "We attacked Koukou around 1500 GMT, and took the village without encountering any resistance," said Abdoulaye Abdelkerim. "We did not enter the refugee camp... it wouldn't make any sense for us to do that," he added. "Our goal is to get to N'Djamena and oust (President Idriss) Deby."



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



Photo: Chadian rebel group FUC leader Mohamat Nour. See Feb 12 2006 Reuters exclusive interview: Mahamat Nour the Chad rebel leader demands change, by force if needed

Apr 10 2006 BBC Chad rebels attack military base - "This is only the beginning - our morale is very high," Abdel Rahman Abdel Karim, one of the rebel FUCD leaders, told Reuters news agency by phone after the attack on the Haraze Mangueigne garrison.

Apr 10 2006 Sapa-dpa Rebel attacks in Chad ahead of polls - Ndjamena renewed its accusation against neighbouring Sudan of supporting the rebels, who are stepping up attacks in a bid to topple embattled president Idriss Deby's 15-year hold on power.

Apr 4 2006 SLM claims Sudanese troops and Janjaweed now massed in Geneina, W Darfur to bring down Chad's President Deby

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

AU mediators fail to move Darfur peace talks forward

The warring parties finished two days of high level talks mediated by AU Chairman but failed to achieve a breakthrough to end more than three years of fighting, IRIN reported today. A seventh round of peace-talks will continue in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

NATO officials cautious on support for Darfur peacekeepers

April 10, 2006 AP report says NATO officials gave a cautious response Monday to a report that the US will propose sending several hundred alliance advisers to beef up an African peacekeeping mission in Darfur. Excerpt:

The Washington Post reported the Bush administration wants the advisers assigned to African Union headquarters units to assist with logistics, communications, command and intelligence. Citing administration officials, the report said plans under consideration envisaged fewer than 500 NATO advisers including some US troops.

NATO military planners are drawing up options for boost the alliance's support for the AU force in response to a request last month from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. However, officials at alliance headquarters said the US would struggle to persuade allies to commit so many troops.

One official said the military planners were looking at dozens rather than hundreds of NATO experts to support the AU. The military is expected to submit options to NATO's political authorities this month, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning.

NATO planes helped fly in the current 7,000-strong African peacekeeping force and the alliance has sent a small number of experts to AU headquarters in Ethiopia to provide training and advice. Officials said the number of NATO experts there rarely reached double figures.

The UN is seeking to replace the AU force with a stronger UN peacekeeping mission and has asked NATO to help prepare the changeover.

NATO has agreed to increased support, but allied and UN officials want to keep the mission African-led. They are concerned any deployment large numbers of European or North American troops could inflame regional sensitivities - particularly if the mainly Muslim Sudanese government opposes a NATO deployment.

NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has repeatedly said increased support for the African peacekeepers will not entail allied "boots on the ground" in Darfur.

- - -

Mar 7 2006 NATO rules out troop presence in Darfur

Why a more robust force in Darfur needs to be a UN force

Jan Pronk (the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Sudan and head of the peace support operation for southern Sudan) in his blog entry 7 April 2006, explains the only way to avoid failure with a new ceasefire agreement is to bring a more robust force to Darfur and why, in his view, it can only be a UN force. Excerpt:

"Before the Security Council can take further decisions concerning the proposed transition towards a UN peace force in Darfur, it expects to receive an assessment of the situation in Darfur and of the possible modalities of a take-over. It is self evident that his should be a joint assessment, carried out by experts from both the AU and the UN. However, the Government has already declared that an assessment mission would not be welcome. After all, so they say, why would an assessment be necessary if there is no transition? Minister of Foreign Affairs Lam Akol has even declared that a transition, if any, would only imply a change of the present AU mandate into a new AU mandate. So far, the African Union has not corrected this surprising interpretation. Neither has the AU approached the Sudanese authorities requesting permission for an assessment. It seems that we are in a deadlock.

In Abuja there is progress, however. Early this month I paid another visit to the negotiations, my fourth time since the beginning of his year. I concluded that as far as the two substantial chapters are concerned - sharing of power and sharing of wealth - further talks will not help. Time is ripe for decisions, to cut the knot and strike a bargain. This could happen soon. We may expect a fresh position of SPLM within the Government of National Union. SPLM so far has supported its coalition partner, the NCP. However, it has come under pressure to take a more independent and forthcoming stance. From his side President Beshir seems to have instructed his negotiating team to define a possible deal.

The talks concerning the third chapter, security and cease fire arrangements, are also showing some progress. The military experts at both sides are talking with each other. A certain mutual understanding seems to emerge. For the first time the SLA has disclosed the positions which it claims to hold. The mediators have become engaged in some mapping of positions. If parties would recognize each others strengths and positions, mediators could try to convince them to freeze the status quo. Thereupon positions could be consolidated in the medium term, creating space for further peace talks - including the start of an all inclusive Darfur-Darfur dialogue - and for disarmament and demobilisation.

The African Union intends to reach an agreement around end April. Calling this a deadline would not be credible. The parties, despite the commitments made by all of them, had so clearly disregarded the previous deadline (31 December 2005) that setting a new one would not make much sense. End April is an objective which could be reached, in particular if the parties and the mediators would not aim at complete, unambiguous texts. The text of the so-called Enhanced Humanitarian Cease Fire Agreement which seems to emerge from the present talks is much better than the D'Jamena cease fire agreement of May 2005. However, it is also more complicated, because of the zoning of positions, which have to be verified, and the introduction of buffer zones and corridors between the zones, which requires checking and monitoring of troop movements. I am afraid that the African Union peace force in Darfur, given its present size, strength and composition, will not be able to carry out that task. Success in the talks may breed failure on the ground. The only way to avoid a new failure is to bring a more robust force to Darfur. In my view that can only be a UN force."

Gulf countries and their charities not publicised enough

Talking to IRIN during his first visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jan Egeland said that too often humanitarian aid was associated with the West, adding that Gulf countries gave 94 per cent of their assistance directly to countries needing it. IRIN quotes Mr Egeland as saying:

"The Gulf region was among the most generous in the world. They are excellent at providing water and sanitation, very effective and quick.

All the important work that the Gulf countries and their various charities are doing is not well enough recognized, in particular in the West."

- - -

SINCE WHEN WAS THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AT THE CENTRE OF THE RELIEF WORLD?

Dubai, city of gold souks and luxury hotels, gateway to the Gulf, hub of humanitarianism... Er, did someone say "humanitarianism"?

Read more by AlertNet's Tim Large who is blogging the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) Conference and Exhibition.
- - -

GLOBAL AID CONFERENCE IN DUBAI APRIL 10-12

Keynote address by Jan Egeland at DIHAD 2006. - via ReliefWeb April 10.

Apr 10 2006 UN News Centre UN relief chief calls on Middle East to channel more aid through United Nations

Geldof blames China for problems in Sudan's Darfur

Anti-poverty campaigner and Live 8 organiser Sir Bob Geldof accused China on Monday of being responsible for the continuing civil war in Darfur.

The Irish rock star, nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for organising last year's Live 8 benefit concerts, said China was protecting the Sudanese government because it provides 6% of China's oil.

"I was in Darfur 20 years ago and people were killing each other then. It's an ancient battle between nomadic people and settled people, between Arab Africans and black Africans, between Islam and Christians ... The reason why it has not been resolved is because of China," Geldof said.

"The Chinese protect the Khartoum government, who are killers, and they will not allow a vote in the Security Council ... so 250 000 people die in Darfur," he said.

Today's greatest political problem, Geldof said, was the "continuing economic decline of a continent [Africa] that is 12,8km from Europe".

Full story Mail & Guardian 10 Apr 2006.



Reuters graphic shows a detailed map of Sudan's Darfur region and location of refugee camps well over a year ago. Since the graphic was produced, around the the time when the International Criminal Court was about the announce a formal investigation into suspected crimes against humanity in Darfur, more camps have opened. (Sudan Watch archives)

Mendez: Action is particularly needed in Darfur, where the threat of genocide continues to loom large

Excerpt from article entitled Darfur, much more needs to be done by Juan E Mendez, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, The Washington Times, 9 April 2006 via Sudan Tribune:



"Part of my job is to provide the Security Council information regarding the worst type of human-rights violations, those warranting a response by the international community.

I have based my work on the existing, universally binding legal obligation expressed in the 1948 Genocide Convention not only to punish genocide, but to prevent it. This legal commitment was reinforced at the September 2005 World Summit with a broader, political and moral commitment by which all member states of the United Nations have now accepted the responsibility to protect civilians from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

That protection may include, in limited cases, nonconsensual means when governments are unwilling or unable to protect their own citizens. As special adviser, I have stressed that international involvement with the consent of the government in question is always preferable.

Yet despite these obligations and commitments, people continue to be targeted for violence and murder solely because of their ethnic origin. This is happening most flagrantly today in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

Action is particularly needed in Darfur, where the threat of genocide continues to loom large."

Further reading

Apr 7 2006 UN's Mendez on Darfur: "Left unattended, the situation may degenerate into genocide"

Apr 8 2006 UN Action Plan to Prevent Genocide - Juan E Mendez of Argentina, Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide

Apr 8 2006 What is the difference between genocide and ethnic cleansing?

Apr 9 2006 Juan Mendez, UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, tells press "definitely ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur"

Apr 9 2006 The Genocide Convention required States to prevent genocide - Mendez

Jan Pronk's Weblog: Talks deadlocked over transition from AU to UN peace force in Darfur

Excerpt from blog entry April 7, 2006 by Jan Pronk, UN special envoy in Sudan:

Talks about a transition from an African Union peace force in Darfur towards a United Nations force are deadlocked. The final decision is in the hands of the Government of Sudan. The transition is meant to protect unarmed civilians against attacks by militia that still seem to be supported by Government forces. However, the Government rejects such a transition and seems to get away with this. Read more...

African military monitors now on Sudan-Chad-CAR border

On Feb 8, 2006 the leaders of Sudan and Chad signed a peace agreement to end increasing tension over Darfur, pledging to normalize diplomatic relations and deny refuge to each other's rebel groups. The agreement is known as the Tripoli Declaration.

On March 21, 2006 the African Union Peace and Security Council endorsed plans to deploy military observers on the Chad-Sudan border as per the Tripoli Declaration. Next day, the African Union sent observers on the Chad-Sudan border.



Photo: Leaders of Chad and Sudan on the evening of Wednesday 8 Feb 2006 signed a peace agreement in Tripoli, Libya under which they promised to immediately expel armed groups hostile to their respective governments. - PANA

Today, Apr 10, 2006, an unsourced article at Sudan Tribune says the deployment of military monitors through the Sudan Chad border started April 9, 2006 when African observers departed from Tripoli, Libya, to monitor the common border from Chadian, Sudanese and Central African sides. Excerpt:

Chad-Sudan border monitoring team which is made up of members from Libya, Burkina Faso, Congo and Sudan left Tripoli International Airport this morning for the city of Al-Fashir in Sudan's Darfur to carry out its mission of monitoring the Sudanese side of the border with Chad at points set along the Sudanese side of the border.

Another team of observers from the Libya and the CAR left Tripoli International Airport for the city of Birao in CAR to start its mission of monitoring the Sudan-Chad-Central African Republic border.

A third team of observers from the Libya, Burkina Faso, and Congo is also scheduled to leave tomorrow for the city of Abeche in Chad where Chadian monitors will join them. The team of monitors from these four countries will be in charge of monitoring the Chadian side of the border with Sudan along set monitoring points.

Note, the article explains dispatch of these teams comes in implementation of the decision of the ministerial committee set up under the Tripoli Declaration issued by the African mini summit which was held on 8 February 2006 in Libya to contain the tension between Sudan and Chad. The ministerial committee set up teams to monitor the Sudan-Chad border and identified arrangements to implement the mechanism agreed by the directors of external security services of Libya, Congo, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic in their Tripoli meeting held on 28 February 2006. Under the Tripoli agreement signed on 8 February, the leaders of Sudan and Chad agreed to normalize diplomatic relations and to immediately commit themselves to work to prevent the presence of rebel groups on each other territory.



Photo: Click on map image to see Chad-Sudan-CAR border



Photo: Map of Libya

Feb 18 2005 Tony Blair hails Gaddafi's efforts for Darfur

Feb 21 2006 Libya's Gaddhafi and Senegal's Wade discuss African solution to Darfur crisis - United States of Africa?

Feb 23 2006 Libya offers African Union 100,000 troops, 1,000 tanks, 100 aircraft to close Chad-Sudan border

Feb 24 2006 Libya's Gaddhafi and Sudan's al-Bashir discuss Darfur crisis - see list of further reports

Feb 26 2006 Chad-Sudan border peacekeeping force - AU chair and Libyan leader Col Gaddafi follow up on Tripoli mini-summit

Feb 28 2006 Libya's Kadhafi urges Africans to fund AU troops in Darfur

Feb 28 2006 Egypt, Libya leaders reject UN Darfur force

Mar 6 2006 Libya sets up surveillance groups on Chad-Sudan borders

Mar 8 2006 Libya receives Sudanese Vice-President Ali Taha

Mar 9 2006 US hopes Libya could expand its mediation efforts for peaceful solution to Darfur conflict

Mar 8 2006 Sudan, Egypt, Libya to hold new Darfur talks

Mar 8 2006 Libya, US discuss relations and Darfur problem

Mar 10 2006 AU proposes 9 month Darfur mission - Sudan ready to reinforce it with 10,000 troops - half SPLA - within 3 wks

Mar 15 2006 Libya to host summit on Darfur - Sudan, Egypt leaders to attend

Mar 15 2006 Gaddafi will urge Sudanese President al-Bashir to hold direct talks with Darfur rebel leaders

Mar 24 2006 Sudan will be president of Arab League summit in Khartoum

Mar 24 2006 Gaddafi lashes out at 'backward society' in Middle East

Mar 25 2006 Sudan says UN takeover of AMIS would encourage intransigence from the armed groups - Sudan wants South Sudan CPA as a model for Darfur

Mar 25 2006 Sudan believes Arab summit supports Khartoum stance on Darfur

Mar 26 2006 Gaddafi arrives in Khartoum for Arab summit Mar 28-29

Mar 27 2006 Libya, Sudan leaders meet to discuss Darfur and Chad

Darfur war criminals chat and luxuriate in hotels while millions depend on UN aid

Still no breakthrough in Darfur peace talks today. Deadline is April 30.

Obasanjo and Sassou, the past and current AU chairmen, held all-night talks with the warring parties in a secluded guest house in Nigerian presidential complex and Sassou reconvened with them for a plenary on Sunday afternoon but failed to break the impasse.



Photo: Nigerian President Obasanjo (R) hosted the talks. Current AU chairman, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso (Reuters)



Photo: Mohamed Tugod, JEM chief negotiator

After two years of negotiations between the Sudanese government and two rebel groups (who's paying for the rebels' expenses, fancy suits and hotels?) there is this gem to report:

"I can't say that there are any tangible results," Ahmed Tugod, chief negotiator for the JEM rebel group, said after today's talks.

"We are back to the stage of consultations between the parties and the mediation at the hotel."

Meanwhile, in Darfur, where the uprising over the past three years has killed 400,000 people and forced 2 million to flee their homes, most parts are inaccessible for aid workers due to violence, anarchy and lack of security.

Sudan is the size of Europe or one quarter of the United States. North Darfur is 1,000 miles away from Khartoum. 7,500 African Union peacekeepers monitoring a non-existent peace agreement are hamstrung without a protection force mandate and helicopters. 14,000 aid workers in Darfur, a region the size of France, are hindered from their work by the Sudanese government, and risk their lives to reach the millions of displaced Sudanese people who rely on food aid and emergency relief.

The Genocide Convention required States to prevent genocide - Mendez

Note the following excerpt from Sudan Watch entry today entitled Juan Mendez, UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, tells press "definitely ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur" - particularly where it says "In legal terms, it was not only genocide that required the international community to act. The International Commission of Inquiry had stated that war crimes and crimes against humanity also required the international community to act. In addition, the Genocide Convention required States to prevent genocide."

Asked if what was happening in Darfur was genocide, Mr Mendez replied that there had been a separate body entrusted with making that decision. His job was not to qualify situations that he paid attention to as whether or not they could be defined as genocide, but rather prevention. The International Commission of Inquiry determined that there was, at the very least, enough evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that the element of intent, of whether it was genocide or not, should be left to a court of law -- the International Criminal Court.

He did not believe that just calling the situation genocide would help, he said, adding that there was definitely ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. All of that should prompt the international community to act. In legal terms, it was not only genocide that required the international community to act. The International Commission of Inquiry had stated that war crimes and crimes against humanity also required the international community to act. In addition, the Genocide Convention required States to prevent genocide.