The members of the Security Council express support for the efforts of the African Union and invite the Secretary-General and the African Union to make available their good offices to address this crisis.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Statement on Chad, Darfur by Security Council President
Statement to the press, delivered today by Security Council President Wang Guangya (China), says the situation in Darfur and the mounting tension at the border between the Sudan and Chad was under consideration by the members of the Security Council. Excerpt:
Chad Conflict At 800 Casualties?
Prensa claims some 400 soldiers and rebels died and 387 were injured in the past few hours in Chad, Administration Minister Mahamat Ali Abdallah reported Friday. Ali Abdallah did not mention civilian victims, but humanitarian organizations said about 100 civilians went to hospitals.
- - -
Chad: Around the clock surgery in N'djamena's main hospital
"We had to perform quite a lot of double inferior limbs amputations. Most of the wounded are quite young. We've been treating girls and even a three-year old baby." - MSF Press Release:
Since yesterday afternoon, MSF has been treating heavily wounded civilians after widespread violence in Chad reached its capital city, N'Djamena. So far, surgical teams have provided treatment to more than 60 people in the Hopital General de Reference National (HGNR), the main reference hospital in the country. [via PoTP]
- - -
Chad: Around the clock surgery in N'djamena's main hospital
"We had to perform quite a lot of double inferior limbs amputations. Most of the wounded are quite young. We've been treating girls and even a three-year old baby." - MSF Press Release:
Since yesterday afternoon, MSF has been treating heavily wounded civilians after widespread violence in Chad reached its capital city, N'Djamena. So far, surgical teams have provided treatment to more than 60 people in the Hopital General de Reference National (HGNR), the main reference hospital in the country. [via PoTP]
Central African Republic closes border with Sudan
Central African Republic closed its border with Sudan on Friday in protest at what it called Khartoum's "aggression" following rebel attacks on its neighbour Chad, its foreign minister said.
"We are closing the border. We condemn the aggression against Chad," Central African Republic's Foreign Minister Jean Paul Ngoupande told Reuters, adding the country was stopping short of cutting diplomatic ties with Khartoum.
Full report Reuters (Image courtesy AFP) 14 April 2006.
"We are closing the border. We condemn the aggression against Chad," Central African Republic's Foreign Minister Jean Paul Ngoupande told Reuters, adding the country was stopping short of cutting diplomatic ties with Khartoum.
Full report Reuters (Image courtesy AFP) 14 April 2006.
Chad cuts Sudan ties after attack
"We have taken the decision to break our diplomatic relations with Sudan today and to proceed to close our frontiers," Chadian President Idriss Deby told a rally in N'Djamena.
Mr Deby warned that the international community had until the end of June to resolve the conflict in Darfur, otherwise they would have "to find another country" to shelter some 200,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. He said he had ordered all Sudanese diplomats to leave the country. Full report BBC 14 Apr 2006.
- - -
Sudan's government denied it was helping anti-Deby rebels
"Let me repeat that Sudan is not involved in these Chadian internal affairs. They have a revolt, we are not involved," said Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim. Full report Reuters 14 Apr 2006.
During a press conference at Khartoum Airport today Sudanese FM Lam Akol said Sudan hoped that Chad would remain stable. "Chad's instability would negatively affect the security in Sudan. What is taking place at the moment was a Chadian internal concern that has no connection with us" he said.
Photo: Chadian rebels from the United Front for Democratic Change (FUC), an alliance of nine rebel groups, on drill in rebel territory, February 10, 2006. Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom
Mr Deby warned that the international community had until the end of June to resolve the conflict in Darfur, otherwise they would have "to find another country" to shelter some 200,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. He said he had ordered all Sudanese diplomats to leave the country. Full report BBC 14 Apr 2006.
- - -
Sudan's government denied it was helping anti-Deby rebels
"Let me repeat that Sudan is not involved in these Chadian internal affairs. They have a revolt, we are not involved," said Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim. Full report Reuters 14 Apr 2006.
During a press conference at Khartoum Airport today Sudanese FM Lam Akol said Sudan hoped that Chad would remain stable. "Chad's instability would negatively affect the security in Sudan. What is taking place at the moment was a Chadian internal concern that has no connection with us" he said.
Photo: Chadian rebels from the United Front for Democratic Change (FUC), an alliance of nine rebel groups, on drill in rebel territory, February 10, 2006. Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom
Chad says to stop oil output if no World Bank deal
Chad will stop its oil production from Tuesday unless it reaches an agreement with the World Bank to end a dispute over the use of oil revenues, a government minister said on Friday - Reuters 14 Apr 2006:
"We will turn off the tap in a week if there is no agreement with the World Bank," Human Rights Minister Abderamane Djasnabaille told a news conference after a cabinet meeting. He said production would be stopped on Tuesday, April 18 at midday.
The World Bank suspended loans to Chad on Jan. 12, saying the government had breached an agreement with the bank when it changed a law to access oil profits from a pipeline operated by a U.S.-led consortium that were meant to benefit the poor. The bank also froze pipeline profits saved in a London escrow account, which it has refused to release to the government. The savings include royalties from the pipeline's operator, Exxon Mobil.
"The World Bank does not have the right to block funds that do not belong to it," Djasnabaille said.
Chad parades captured rebels incl Sudanese police officer
Reuters report by Daniel Flynn says Chad's government on Friday paraded captured rebels it said were recruited by Sudan. Excerpt:
Photo: Prisoners captured after a rebel assault on the capital, N'Djamena, put on display at the Place d'Independence (BBC)
The 160 prisoners, looking downcast and some wearing bedraggled camouflage uniforms, were displayed sitting on the ground before reporters and dignitaries in Independence Square at a rally aimed at bolstering popular support for Deby.
At least one was wounded, his arm dripping blood onto the ground, while another slumped forward in a faint. The captives were shown along with 14 military vehicles, some damaged, which the government said it seized while repelling Thursday's rebel assault. Some of the vehicles were mounted with machineguns and rocket launchers.
"What you can see here are mercenaries the Sudan government has recruited among Sudanese and Chadians over there (in Sudan)," Chad's territorial administration minister, General Mahamat Ali Abdallah Nassour, told reporters.
One of the prisoners displayed in N'Djamena told reporters he was a Sudanese police officer of Chadian parents who had been offered 500,000 CFA francs to fight with the rebels.
Mahamat Ali Mahamat, 31, said he entered Chad for the first time three weeks ago and that a "difficult social situation" obliged him to join the rebels.
Photo: Prisoners captured after a rebel assault on the capital, N'Djamena, put on display at the Place d'Independence (BBC)
Khartoum armed Arab insurgents inside Chad and dispatched them to overthrow Deby?
Western diplomats believe Sudan is trying to oust Mr Deby in retaliation for his role in the Darfur war, writes David Blair in Telegraph April 14. Excerpt:
Apr 02 2006 Mohamat Nour's Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) aims to depose Chadian president Deby
Apr 10 2005 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.
Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby
Apr 13 2006 France supports Deby - Chad says rebel attack on capital N'Djamena defeated - Chad claims rebels replused, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'
Apr 13 2006 French Mirage fighter dropped bomb near Chadian rebels heading for N'Djamena
Apr 13 2006 UN evacuating 148 staff from Chad into Cameroon - French planes had fired "warning shots"
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. See Apr 10 African military monitors now on Sudan-Chad-CAR border.
Image via Genocide au Darfour blog entry posted by Le Comite 30 March 2006 - excerpt:
Darfur's men vanish from refugee camp
Apr 14 2006 Reuters report Darfur's men vanish from refugee camp - Freelance Reuters journalist Gabriela Matthews reports on the recruitment of Sudanese refugees from camps near Darfur by armed groups. Life is tough for everyone in the camps, including aid workers.
- - -
Summary: Chad Fighting Sign of Trouble
Summary by The Associated Press Staff and agencies Apr 13, 2006:
Western diplomats believe Sudan is trying to oust Mr Deby in retaliation for his role in the Darfur war.Further reading
Khartoum has accused him of arming the rebels who began the fighting in Darfur three years ago.
Mr Deby comes from the black African Zaghawa tribe, also present in Darfur. The Zaghawas were among the tribes who rose up against Khartoum's control of Darfur.
Sudan believes Mr Deby sent arms to the main rebel group in Darfur, styling itself the Sudan Liberation Army.
Western diplomats have no doubt Sudan responded by arming Arab insurgents inside Chad and dispatching them to overthrow Mr Deby.
He is deeply unpopular in much of Chad, where Zaghawas make up only seven per cent of the population. The Arab tribes are his traditional opponents and they look to Khartoum's Arab-dominated regime for support.
Apr 02 2006 Mohamat Nour's Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) aims to depose Chadian president Deby
Apr 10 2005 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.
Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby
Apr 13 2006 France supports Deby - Chad says rebel attack on capital N'Djamena defeated - Chad claims rebels replused, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'
Apr 13 2006 French Mirage fighter dropped bomb near Chadian rebels heading for N'Djamena
Apr 13 2006 UN evacuating 148 staff from Chad into Cameroon - French planes had fired "warning shots"
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. See Apr 10 African military monitors now on Sudan-Chad-CAR border.
Image via Genocide au Darfour blog entry posted by Le Comite 30 March 2006 - excerpt:
MAHAMAT NOUR ABDELKRIM- - -
Le "capitaine" Mahamat Nour, ex-officier de l'armee tchadienne, est recherche pour avoir dirige les Janjawids, et avoir ete le principal planificateur du genocide au Darfour. De par sa nationalite tchadienne, il servait d'alibi au gouvernement soudanais. -- Human Rights Watch found evidence of coordination between Janjaweed militias and Muhammad Nour's RDL rebels.
Darfur's men vanish from refugee camp
Apr 14 2006 Reuters report Darfur's men vanish from refugee camp - Freelance Reuters journalist Gabriela Matthews reports on the recruitment of Sudanese refugees from camps near Darfur by armed groups. Life is tough for everyone in the camps, including aid workers.
- - -
Summary: Chad Fighting Sign of Trouble
Summary by The Associated Press Staff and agencies Apr 13, 2006:
COUNTRY OF CONFLICT: Chad suffered through a 1960-90 civil war and several small-scale insurgencies since 1998. Libya has repeatedly invaded, and 200,000 refugees from Sudan's Darfur region now live in eastern Chad.
OIL CONNECTION: Cracks began to form within the government when it started pumping oil in 2004. The rebellion is at least in part over who gets to control oil revenue.
Cambodians clean up Sudan's killing fields
Good luck to a group of 109 Cambodian soldiers leaving Phnom Penh tomorrow to join the UN demining mission in southern Sudan.
Twenty-six of the 135-person team to be stationed in the southern Sudanese city of Malakal are already in place with 25 vehicles, 70 mine detectors and six trailers, as well as other different types of logistical equipment.
Photo: Cambodia mine-clearing soldiers stand at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/Mak Remissa/Rompres)
A seeing-off ceremony was held Wednesday presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. "It is the first time in the history of Cambodia to take part in an international UN peacekeeping mission. This is our pride and the great honor for our military, nation and the people," the premier said.
He went on to say that "it is a humanitarianism mission, so it is our obligation to participate the mission and play more and more important role in the regional and international affairs."
Photo: Mr Douglas Gardner, United Nations Resident Coordinator (L) hands over the UN flag to a mine-clearing soldier at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA/Rompres)
Photo: Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) walks past a UN flag at the end of a ceremony to commit Cambodian peacekeepers to Sudan at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA/Rompres)
Twenty-six of the 135-person team to be stationed in the southern Sudanese city of Malakal are already in place with 25 vehicles, 70 mine detectors and six trailers, as well as other different types of logistical equipment.
Photo: Cambodia mine-clearing soldiers stand at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/Mak Remissa/Rompres)
A seeing-off ceremony was held Wednesday presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. "It is the first time in the history of Cambodia to take part in an international UN peacekeeping mission. This is our pride and the great honor for our military, nation and the people," the premier said.
He went on to say that "it is a humanitarianism mission, so it is our obligation to participate the mission and play more and more important role in the regional and international affairs."
Photo: Mr Douglas Gardner, United Nations Resident Coordinator (L) hands over the UN flag to a mine-clearing soldier at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA/Rompres)
Photo: Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) walks past a UN flag at the end of a ceremony to commit Cambodian peacekeepers to Sudan at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA/Rompres)
CHRONOLOGY- Recent events in Chad
Timeline via Reuters.
Photo: Chad's President Idriss Deby (R) inspects weaponry captured from the rebels in the capital N'djamena April 14, 2006 a day after Chadian insurgents attacked N'Djamena in the boldest assault yet by fighters who have vowed to end Deby's nearly 16-year rule and block a May 3 presidential election in which he is standing for re-election.
Deby said on Friday if no international solution was found for the Darfur crisis by the end of June his country would no longer shelter refugees from that Sudanese region. - Reuters/Claire Soares
Some news reports estimate 200,000 - 250,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad.
Photo: Chad's President Idriss Deby (R) inspects weaponry captured from the rebels in the capital N'djamena April 14, 2006 a day after Chadian insurgents attacked N'Djamena in the boldest assault yet by fighters who have vowed to end Deby's nearly 16-year rule and block a May 3 presidential election in which he is standing for re-election.
Deby said on Friday if no international solution was found for the Darfur crisis by the end of June his country would no longer shelter refugees from that Sudanese region. - Reuters/Claire Soares
Some news reports estimate 200,000 - 250,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
UN evacuating 148 staff from Chad into Cameroon - French planes had fired "warning shots"
All calm on the streets of the capital after dawn attack, taxis and cars start circulating again, reports IRIN.
A spokesman for the French military said in Paris on Thursday lunchtime "we are undertaking exercises in Chad to preserve the security of French nationals". He denied that French forces had attacked rebel positions though said that French planes had fired "warning shots".
UN agencies scaling back in east Chad
IRIN reports UN aid workers have warned that the current instability is a particular threat in eastern Chad which is nearing the end of a short window of opportunity to build up food stocks, before the rainy season makes roads impassable from the end of June.
The UN said it was evacuating 148 non-essential staff from its various agencies to neighboring Cameroon aboard two chartered aircraft while some embassies, including the US, said they planned to evacuate family members, Betel Miarom reported Apr 13.
Foreign ministry advises Swiss in Chad to stay indoors
The Swiss foreign ministry in Bern is following events in Chad closely. "But there is no desperate need to evacuate the estimated 100 Swiss citizens who are there," spokesman Lars Knuchel told swissinfo.
A spokesman for the French military said in Paris on Thursday lunchtime "we are undertaking exercises in Chad to preserve the security of French nationals". He denied that French forces had attacked rebel positions though said that French planes had fired "warning shots".
UN agencies scaling back in east Chad
IRIN reports UN aid workers have warned that the current instability is a particular threat in eastern Chad which is nearing the end of a short window of opportunity to build up food stocks, before the rainy season makes roads impassable from the end of June.
The UN said it was evacuating 148 non-essential staff from its various agencies to neighboring Cameroon aboard two chartered aircraft while some embassies, including the US, said they planned to evacuate family members, Betel Miarom reported Apr 13.
Foreign ministry advises Swiss in Chad to stay indoors
The Swiss foreign ministry in Bern is following events in Chad closely. "But there is no desperate need to evacuate the estimated 100 Swiss citizens who are there," spokesman Lars Knuchel told swissinfo.
France supports Deby - Chad says rebel attack on capital N'Djamena defeated
Chadian President Idriss Deby's forces fought off the most daring strike yet by rebels against the capital N'Djamena on Thursday, as international concern grew over the escalating conflict. Reuters says Deby earlier told French radio he was in the presidential palace and the situation in the city was under control.
"France has lent its political support to President Deby and his government ... the rebels have to be given a warning," a source close to French President Jacques Chirac said, adding Chirac had called Deby several times in recent days.
Full report by Betel Miarom Reuters 13 Apr 2006.
Chad claims rebels repulsed, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'
Photo: Chadian rebels' FUC representative in France and former Chadian foreign minister Laona Gong poses during an interview in Paris. Gong has alleged that French fighter planes, part of a 1,200-man contingent in the former French colony, had bombed rebel-held towns in eastern Chad, causing civilian casualties. (AFP/Jacques Demarthon) 13 AFP Chad claims rebels repulsed, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'
Apr 13 2006 AP Troops in Chad put down rebel assault - Government troops using tanks and attack helicopters repelled a rebel assault on Chad's capital Thursday. An Associated Press reporter saw 10 bodies in the streets, and residents reported seeing many more.
Tense calm in Chadian capital after rebel coup attempt
Taxis were back on the streets Thursday as a tense calm returned to the Chadian capital of Ndjamena after a daring rebel coup attempt failed just three weeks ahead of planned presidential elections, local news reports said.
'The rebel columns have been entirely destroyed and there is now only some light weapon fire near the National Assembly, but the situation is now completely under control,' President Idriss Deby told French radio Radio France Internationale (RFI).
The French radio also reported one rebel was killed while some 50 people, mostly civilians, were injured during the attack. Full report M&C 13 Apr 2006.
"France has lent its political support to President Deby and his government ... the rebels have to be given a warning," a source close to French President Jacques Chirac said, adding Chirac had called Deby several times in recent days.
Full report by Betel Miarom Reuters 13 Apr 2006.
Chad claims rebels repulsed, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'
Photo: Chadian rebels' FUC representative in France and former Chadian foreign minister Laona Gong poses during an interview in Paris. Gong has alleged that French fighter planes, part of a 1,200-man contingent in the former French colony, had bombed rebel-held towns in eastern Chad, causing civilian casualties. (AFP/Jacques Demarthon) 13 AFP Chad claims rebels repulsed, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'
Apr 13 2006 AP Troops in Chad put down rebel assault - Government troops using tanks and attack helicopters repelled a rebel assault on Chad's capital Thursday. An Associated Press reporter saw 10 bodies in the streets, and residents reported seeing many more.
Tense calm in Chadian capital after rebel coup attempt
Taxis were back on the streets Thursday as a tense calm returned to the Chadian capital of Ndjamena after a daring rebel coup attempt failed just three weeks ahead of planned presidential elections, local news reports said.
'The rebel columns have been entirely destroyed and there is now only some light weapon fire near the National Assembly, but the situation is now completely under control,' President Idriss Deby told French radio Radio France Internationale (RFI).
The French radio also reported one rebel was killed while some 50 people, mostly civilians, were injured during the attack. Full report M&C 13 Apr 2006.
France ready to evacuate some 1,500 French nationals in Chad if situation worsens
Speaking on French radio, Deby said fighting in the capital was under control and Chadian soldiers had wiped out a column of resistance close to the Sudan border.
Meanwhile, France, Chad's former colonial ruler, has reinforced a thousand strong military contingent it has in the country. It says it is ready to evacuate some 1,500 French nationals if the situation gets worse.
Full story EuroNews 13 Apr 2006.
Meanwhile, France, Chad's former colonial ruler, has reinforced a thousand strong military contingent it has in the country. It says it is ready to evacuate some 1,500 French nationals if the situation gets worse.
Full story EuroNews 13 Apr 2006.
French Mirage fighter dropped bomb near Chadian rebels heading for N'Djamena
Report just in from Bloomberg (Update 3) April 13, 2006 - excerpt:
A French Mirage fighter dropped a bomb near a column of Chadian rebels heading for the capital N'Djamena as a "warning" to insurgents seeking to overthrow President Idriss Deby, a French official said. The bomb fell "in the sand" yesterday and didn't cause any casualties, a French Defense Ministry spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said by telephone today.
Rebels of the United Front for Democratic Change, or FUC, battled government forces in N'Djamena beginning at dawn today before being repelled, President Deby said in an interview with Radio France International. The attack was "suicidal," he said.
"The situation in N'Djamena is under the control of the defense and security forces,'' Deby told RFI.
Attacks by the FUC rebels who are based along the eastern border with Sudan have increased in advance of presidential elections scheduled for next month. Deby, who seized power in 1990, is standing for re-election in polls that most opposition parties are boycotting. The main rebel forces are about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from N'Djamena, the French spokesman said.
Possible Coup
"I hope we're not in a situation where you've got a coup and an overthrow of the government,'' U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said today in Washington.
Deby is a Zaghawa, an ethnic group that represents about 1.5 percent of Chad's 10 million people, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported on its Web site. His grip on power has been weakened by defections of former allies in recent months.
"It's dissatisfied elements of former Deby allies who are powerful figures in this rebellion," Jason Mosley, Africa editor at the Oxford Analytica, said in a telephone interview today.
Deby's nephew General Abakar Youssouf Mahamat Itno, who was Chad's senior army officer, died last month in fighting against rebels operating along the Sudanese border.
Deby may not remain in power beyond next week, Mosley said.
"The speed with which the rebel advance has moved towards N'Djamena indicates that their objective is to take Deby out," Mosley said. "They are not going to stop just because they didn't take the National Assembly this morning.''
Refugee Camps
A major concern amid the turmoil is the safety of camps in eastern Chad that house refugees from Sudan's Darfur region, Zoellick said following a speech at the Brookings Institution, a policy study group.
"The most up-to-date information I have is that the situation in the camps is stable and OK," Zoellick said. "We have to try to make sure that the people who are in the refugee camps are safe and can feed their babies."
Landlocked Chad produces about 170,000 barrels of oil a day and ships it in a pipeline that runs through Cameroon to the Atlantic Ocean. Exxon Mobil Corp. owns 40 percent of the project Petroliam Nasional Bhd. 35 percent and Chevron Corp. the rest.
In January, the World Bank cut off $124 million in loans to Chad after the central African nation changed its laws that ensured revenue from its oil pipeline would boost spending on education, health care, social services and rural development.
The changes, approved on Dec. 29 by Chad's parliament, will weaken the country's ability to reduce poverty, the World Bank said. The government has argued it needed to amend its Petroleum Revenue Management Law to boost revenue.
Casualty Claim
Yesterday's air attack by French planes caused an unknown number of casualties, said the FUC rebel representative in France, former Chad Foreign Minister Laona Gong, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We deplore numerous civilian victims of French bombings in the towns of Adre and Moudeina," AFP cited Gong as saying.
Jean-Francois Bureau, the chief French Defense Ministry spokesman, denied that there had been any attack on towns.
"here were no casualties," Bureau said. "We are not involved in any military action. We are there to protect our nationals."
About 1,500 French nationals live in Chad, a former French colony, and the French army has 1,250 soldiers in the country, the Defense Ministry said.
Deby came to power in 1990, when he successfully ousted then-President Hissene Habre after an offensive on N'Djamena from bases in Sudan.
In recent months, Deby has accused the Sudanese government of backing the rebels who have operated from Sudan's western region of Darfur.
Mosley of Oxford Analytica said that while the crisis in Chad distracts international attention away from the civil war in Darfur, there is no hard evidence that the government in Khartoum is arming the Chadian rebels.
"Just because they are able to set up shop in Darfur doesn't mean the Sudanese government is arming them," Mosley said. "Operating in Sudan doesn't make you a Sudanese proxy."
To contact the reporter on this story:
Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net;
Joe Bavier in Abidjan, Ivory Coast through Johannesburg at (27) prichardso10@bloomberg.net
See Update 4 for above report.
Further reading
Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby
Apr 11 2006 BBC Chad rebels attack refugee camp - 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 11 2006 BBC Chadian rebels raid central town
Apr 11 2006 Propaganda war in Chad aimed at sowing fear and panic
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.
Apr 13 2006 EU calls for calm in Chad
Apr 13 2006 UNHCR alarmed over possible impact of Chad violence on refugees
Apr 13 2006 The Times Analysis: Conflict in Chad has roots in Darfur
A French Mirage fighter dropped a bomb near a column of Chadian rebels heading for the capital N'Djamena as a "warning" to insurgents seeking to overthrow President Idriss Deby, a French official said. The bomb fell "in the sand" yesterday and didn't cause any casualties, a French Defense Ministry spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said by telephone today.
Rebels of the United Front for Democratic Change, or FUC, battled government forces in N'Djamena beginning at dawn today before being repelled, President Deby said in an interview with Radio France International. The attack was "suicidal," he said.
"The situation in N'Djamena is under the control of the defense and security forces,'' Deby told RFI.
Attacks by the FUC rebels who are based along the eastern border with Sudan have increased in advance of presidential elections scheduled for next month. Deby, who seized power in 1990, is standing for re-election in polls that most opposition parties are boycotting. The main rebel forces are about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from N'Djamena, the French spokesman said.
Possible Coup
"I hope we're not in a situation where you've got a coup and an overthrow of the government,'' U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said today in Washington.
Deby is a Zaghawa, an ethnic group that represents about 1.5 percent of Chad's 10 million people, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported on its Web site. His grip on power has been weakened by defections of former allies in recent months.
"It's dissatisfied elements of former Deby allies who are powerful figures in this rebellion," Jason Mosley, Africa editor at the Oxford Analytica, said in a telephone interview today.
Deby's nephew General Abakar Youssouf Mahamat Itno, who was Chad's senior army officer, died last month in fighting against rebels operating along the Sudanese border.
Deby may not remain in power beyond next week, Mosley said.
"The speed with which the rebel advance has moved towards N'Djamena indicates that their objective is to take Deby out," Mosley said. "They are not going to stop just because they didn't take the National Assembly this morning.''
Refugee Camps
A major concern amid the turmoil is the safety of camps in eastern Chad that house refugees from Sudan's Darfur region, Zoellick said following a speech at the Brookings Institution, a policy study group.
"The most up-to-date information I have is that the situation in the camps is stable and OK," Zoellick said. "We have to try to make sure that the people who are in the refugee camps are safe and can feed their babies."
Landlocked Chad produces about 170,000 barrels of oil a day and ships it in a pipeline that runs through Cameroon to the Atlantic Ocean. Exxon Mobil Corp. owns 40 percent of the project Petroliam Nasional Bhd. 35 percent and Chevron Corp. the rest.
In January, the World Bank cut off $124 million in loans to Chad after the central African nation changed its laws that ensured revenue from its oil pipeline would boost spending on education, health care, social services and rural development.
The changes, approved on Dec. 29 by Chad's parliament, will weaken the country's ability to reduce poverty, the World Bank said. The government has argued it needed to amend its Petroleum Revenue Management Law to boost revenue.
Casualty Claim
Yesterday's air attack by French planes caused an unknown number of casualties, said the FUC rebel representative in France, former Chad Foreign Minister Laona Gong, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We deplore numerous civilian victims of French bombings in the towns of Adre and Moudeina," AFP cited Gong as saying.
Jean-Francois Bureau, the chief French Defense Ministry spokesman, denied that there had been any attack on towns.
"here were no casualties," Bureau said. "We are not involved in any military action. We are there to protect our nationals."
About 1,500 French nationals live in Chad, a former French colony, and the French army has 1,250 soldiers in the country, the Defense Ministry said.
Deby came to power in 1990, when he successfully ousted then-President Hissene Habre after an offensive on N'Djamena from bases in Sudan.
In recent months, Deby has accused the Sudanese government of backing the rebels who have operated from Sudan's western region of Darfur.
Mosley of Oxford Analytica said that while the crisis in Chad distracts international attention away from the civil war in Darfur, there is no hard evidence that the government in Khartoum is arming the Chadian rebels.
"Just because they are able to set up shop in Darfur doesn't mean the Sudanese government is arming them," Mosley said. "Operating in Sudan doesn't make you a Sudanese proxy."
To contact the reporter on this story:
Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net;
Joe Bavier in Abidjan, Ivory Coast through Johannesburg at (27) prichardso10@bloomberg.net
See Update 4 for above report.
Further reading
Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby
Apr 11 2006 BBC Chad rebels attack refugee camp - 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 11 2006 BBC Chadian rebels raid central town
Apr 11 2006 Propaganda war in Chad aimed at sowing fear and panic
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.
Apr 13 2006 EU calls for calm in Chad
Apr 13 2006 UNHCR alarmed over possible impact of Chad violence on refugees
Apr 13 2006 The Times Analysis: Conflict in Chad has roots in Darfur
Sudan's president calls on all Sudanese to say no to "foreign" troops in Darfur
Addressing a conference of the Sudanese Youth National Union on Wednesday, the president called on all Sudanese to say no to foreign troops in Darfur, Xinhua reported 13 Apr 2006 - excerpt:
"Attempts to intervene in Sudan's affairs would continue unless all Sudanese decided that no foreign soldier would be allowed to set a foot on the Sudanese soil whatever be the justification," said al-Bashir.
"Foreign intervention is but the old colonization cloaked in the new cloth of the suspicious organizations and arms dealers," al-Bashir added.
International non-governmental aid organizations have repeatedly accused the Sudanese authorities of "imposing greater restrictions on relief operations."
Al-Bashir reaffirmed Khartoum's commitment to finding a peaceful and comprehensive political solution to the question of Darfur through negotiations.
In an interview with the Saudi Al-Ekhabariya TV Channel on Wednesday, al-Bashir denounced the suspicious Western attempts to fuel and prolong the conflict in Darfur in order to realize special agenda.
Al-Bashir lauded the role being played by the Arab countries with respect to supporting peace and rehabilitation in Sudan.
"Attempts to intervene in Sudan's affairs would continue unless all Sudanese decided that no foreign soldier would be allowed to set a foot on the Sudanese soil whatever be the justification," said al-Bashir.
"Foreign intervention is but the old colonization cloaked in the new cloth of the suspicious organizations and arms dealers," al-Bashir added.
International non-governmental aid organizations have repeatedly accused the Sudanese authorities of "imposing greater restrictions on relief operations."
Al-Bashir reaffirmed Khartoum's commitment to finding a peaceful and comprehensive political solution to the question of Darfur through negotiations.
In an interview with the Saudi Al-Ekhabariya TV Channel on Wednesday, al-Bashir denounced the suspicious Western attempts to fuel and prolong the conflict in Darfur in order to realize special agenda.
Al-Bashir lauded the role being played by the Arab countries with respect to supporting peace and rehabilitation in Sudan.
Analysis: Conflict in Chad has roots in Darfur
Apr 13 2006 analysis by Jonathan Clayton, Africa correspondent of The Times, says today's attempted military coup in Chad is a result of the blind eye turned to the troubles in Darfur - excerpt:
The Sudanese and Chadian governments have armed the rival militias and in doing so they have let the genie out the bottle. Now, even if they wanted to do so, it is unlikely they could get it back in. At the same time the Sudanese government has prevented the UN from establishing a credible force in the area.
The east of Chad and the Darfur region of western Sudan are effectively the same place - the border between them is arbitrary and the same tribes live on both sides. They have no allegiance to either country, only to their clans.
Why is Sudan accused of backing the rebels?
The Zagawa tribe, the tribe to which Chad's President Deby belongs, was one of the three main tribes involved in the fighting against the Sudanese Government in the early days of the Darfur conflict.
Now the Sudanese has started backing the anti-government rebels in Chad in retaliation. At best, they say that since coming to power in 1990 President Deby has turned a blind eye to anti-Sudan movements in Chad, at worst he supported them and fuelled the conflict.
What is the United Force for Change (FUC)?
The FUC consists of other eastern tribes opposed to the Zagawa tribe of the Chadian President. This is a part of the world which hasn't changed for centuries, so there is historic enmity dating back for centuries, making it an easy recruiting ground for rebels.
They are very keen on deposing President Deby before the election in May. They know perfectly well that he will win - if you are the incumbent you always win - and things will become even more entrenched. Since the President's army is not particularly effective, the militias, presumably with the help of the Sudanese army, have swept across Chad in rapid time to reach the capital.
What would happen if President Deby is overthrown?
It would be very much business as usual. In a way, things in Chad can't get much worse. It will be bad news for the refugees who fled Sudan, they will find themselves under a Government supported by the same figures from whom they initially fled. The major problem is that increased instability in the area would make the aid efforts that are underway even more difficult.
Will the West intervene?
The only joker in the pack is France. It does have quite a large military detachment in Chad and a couple of airstrips. The French may decide that they want to keep President Deby in power, but I don't imagine any other countries will get involved. President Deby is no hero but it maybe a question of "better the devil you know".
The Sudanese and Chadian governments have armed the rival militias and in doing so they have let the genie out the bottle. Now, even if they wanted to do so, it is unlikely they could get it back in. At the same time the Sudanese government has prevented the UN from establishing a credible force in the area.
The east of Chad and the Darfur region of western Sudan are effectively the same place - the border between them is arbitrary and the same tribes live on both sides. They have no allegiance to either country, only to their clans.
Why is Sudan accused of backing the rebels?
The Zagawa tribe, the tribe to which Chad's President Deby belongs, was one of the three main tribes involved in the fighting against the Sudanese Government in the early days of the Darfur conflict.
Now the Sudanese has started backing the anti-government rebels in Chad in retaliation. At best, they say that since coming to power in 1990 President Deby has turned a blind eye to anti-Sudan movements in Chad, at worst he supported them and fuelled the conflict.
What is the United Force for Change (FUC)?
The FUC consists of other eastern tribes opposed to the Zagawa tribe of the Chadian President. This is a part of the world which hasn't changed for centuries, so there is historic enmity dating back for centuries, making it an easy recruiting ground for rebels.
They are very keen on deposing President Deby before the election in May. They know perfectly well that he will win - if you are the incumbent you always win - and things will become even more entrenched. Since the President's army is not particularly effective, the militias, presumably with the help of the Sudanese army, have swept across Chad in rapid time to reach the capital.
What would happen if President Deby is overthrown?
It would be very much business as usual. In a way, things in Chad can't get much worse. It will be bad news for the refugees who fled Sudan, they will find themselves under a Government supported by the same figures from whom they initially fled. The major problem is that increased instability in the area would make the aid efforts that are underway even more difficult.
Will the West intervene?
The only joker in the pack is France. It does have quite a large military detachment in Chad and a couple of airstrips. The French may decide that they want to keep President Deby in power, but I don't imagine any other countries will get involved. President Deby is no hero but it maybe a question of "better the devil you know".
UNHCR alarmed over possible impact of Chad violence on refugees
UNHCR says its High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres expressed alarm Thursday over violence in Chad and the possible consequences for the security and welfare of some 200,000 refugees from Darfur in camps in the east of the country.
"I urgently appeal to all sides in this political upheaval to respect the civilian character of the refugee camps and to leave in peace those who have already fled the terrors of Darfur," said Guterres.
"I urgently appeal to all sides in this political upheaval to respect the civilian character of the refugee camps and to leave in peace those who have already fled the terrors of Darfur," said Guterres.
Arab League accused of backing Khartoum
The Arab League is partly to blame for Khartoum's opposition to a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur, according to political analysts and Sudanese NGOs based in Western countries.
Although both sides are Muslim, the victims are non-Arab Africans, and a group of civil society organizations charges that for this reason, the Arab League is unconcerned about the carnage. Full report by Stephen Mbogo CNS 13 Apr 2006.
Although both sides are Muslim, the victims are non-Arab Africans, and a group of civil society organizations charges that for this reason, the Arab League is unconcerned about the carnage. Full report by Stephen Mbogo CNS 13 Apr 2006.
EU calls for calm in Chad
In a statement released in Austria, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the 25-nation bloc, the EU urged all states in the area, in particular Chad and Sudan, to "take the necessary steps to restore calm as soon as possible."
"The Presidency of the European Union also sharply condemns the recent incursion by armed rebels into the refugee camp Goz Amer close to the Sudanese border," the statement said.
In the statement, the EU also reminded all parties of the importance of ongoing peace talks and said it would "monitor with close interest the possible effects of events in Chad in these negotiations." Full report Pravda 13 Apr 2006.
"The Presidency of the European Union also sharply condemns the recent incursion by armed rebels into the refugee camp Goz Amer close to the Sudanese border," the statement said.
In the statement, the EU also reminded all parties of the importance of ongoing peace talks and said it would "monitor with close interest the possible effects of events in Chad in these negotiations." Full report Pravda 13 Apr 2006.
Difficult journey for displaced Dinkas in Darfur returning home to Sudan's Northern Bahr El Ghazal province
Concern is growing at the fate of thousands of displaced Dinka tribes people attempting to return to their homes in Sudan's Northern Bahr El Ghazal province from South Darfur, International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 11 Apr 2006 - excerpt:
Photo: IOM assists displaced Dinkas in Kiir Galama, Northern Bahr El Ghaszl province (Louis Hoffman/IOM 2006)
With the assistance of community leaders, IOM has to date registered some 4,500 stranded internally displaced Dinkas in the locality of Kiir Galama, on the southern banks of the river Kiir.
"Their living conditions are desperate," said IOM's Louis Hoffmann. "They are stranded without potable water, adequate food or health care and have no money to move on. Their situation is set to worsen as more displaced people arrive in Kiir Galama on a daily basis."
In response to a request from the governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal and in coordination with the UN, IOM yesterday organized the first land convoy from Kiir Galama to assist a group of 321 displaced Dinkas to return to their places of origin in the region of Jaac, some 40 kilometres south in the central highlands of Northern Bahr El Ghazal province.
While many had walked from South Darfur to the KiirRiver, the remaining group was too distressed to make the last part of the voyage on foot. They are part of a much larger group of tens of thousands of fellow tribes people who were displaced by conflict and drought in South Sudan to South Darfur 19 years ago and who were again displaced by the fighting in Darfur in 2003.
Since the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement between Khartoum and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement in January 2005, more and more internally displaced people have been making their way home to South Sudan.
With little wealth after having lost their possessions in their initial flight to Darfur and again deprived of any assets by the conflict in Darfur, their journey home is proving to be long and difficult as they are forced to sell whatever they can to pay for train and truck fees to take them home.
This week IOM will open a way station at Samaha to provide basic facilities such as water, sanitation, and shelter for the displaced Dinkas.
"We are running against time as many more displaced people will want to return to Northern Bahr El Ghazal province before the onset of the rainy season," added IOM's Louis Hoffmann. "Once the rains begin, roads will increasingly become impassable, and reintegration at a community level will prove too difficult to support returns until later in the year when the rains end."
IOM has also opened an office at Ed Daein in order to track the spontaneous returns and to monitor the vulnerability of groups travelling home, information which will also be used for planning return and reintegration programmes for the displaced upon arrival at their final destinations.
As part of a wider assistance programme to help internally displaced people (IDPs) who wish to return to their homes in South Sudan, IOM has already established a way station in Kadugli in South Kordofan province which is providing clean water, sanitation, shelter, hygiene and emergency health care and referral.
For further information, please contact Louis Hoffmann, Tel: +882 16433 38260: Email: lhoffmann@iom.int
Feb 9 2006 The Dinka's epic trek across South Sudan continues - 250,000 cattle have arrived so far in 34 cattle camps around Bor
- - -
Displaced to Darfur, Dinkas fall victim to 2 Sudan wars
Excerpt from Dec 19 2004 article in Boston Globe by Raymond Thibodeaux, Globe Correspondent provides some background to the Dinkas displaced to Darfur, from southern Sudan:
In southern Sudan, the pro government Arab militias were called Murahaleen. They were predecessors to the Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, who are terrorizing Darfur today.
Michael Garang is a lanky, 42-year-old Dinka who, like Deng, is from Bahr al-Ghazal. He and the other Dinkas who fled to Darfur from southern Sudan survived on jobs as day laborers for the Arabs and the Fur, Darfur's largest tribe. His wife, like most Dinka women, found jobs cleaning houses, doing laundry, or collecting water and firewood.
"When the Janjaweed came to our village, they wanted to kill the Furs and the Dinkas. Even though we were neighbors and friends, the Arabs living among us never raised a gun to protect us," Garang said.
The reason most of the 7,500 Dinkas refused to leave the Otash camp is that few of them had registered for food rations and were forced to remain near Nyala to find jobs to earn enough money to feed themselves. The Dinkas also were protected by the aid workers at the Otash camp, as police and Arab militias rarely harassed residents in their presence.
The camp is crowded with thousands of families squeezed into tiny, fragile huts. They live on the edge of starvation, made worse by the recent upsurge in violence that has halted food relief by the United Nations and many nongovernmental aid agencies. On the other side of Nyala is the Beliel camp, where 5,000 Dinkas have lived since years before the Darfur crisis broke out.
As the aid coming into Beliel fizzled, many of the Dinkas were absorbed by Nyala's labor-intensive job market, spurred by both Arab and African business leaders who have come to depend on the low wages for which the Dinkas are willing to work.
For the more than 1.5 million people forced off their land by the fighting in Darfur, the Dinkas' predicament is an ominous forecast for their own lives in the coming years, especially as the crisis in western Sudan shows signs of escalating.
In much of Africa, where land confers identity and status, Darfurians, like the Dinkas before them, are becoming landless and increasingly vulnerable to attacks by progovernment militias, mostly drawn from nomadic Arab herding tribes with a centuries-old legacy of antagonism toward African farmers.
"The situation here is so miserable that most of us just want to go back home to southern Sudan to be buried on our own land," said Roberto Dimo, a 99-year-old Dinka who lives in a tiny, sand-dusted hut in Otash. "But the Arabs have taken our land, so we can't even do that."
Further reading
Mar 30 2004 IRIN Fighting reported in Bahr al-Ghazal between different Dinkas groups
Apr 9 2004 Eric Reeves The lesson of the Darfur truce accord IRIN reports on the fate of Dinkas from southern Sudan caught up in the racially/ethnically animated destruction of Darfur: "Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state of Southern Darfur, western Sudan, say their camp was looted and burned by Arab militiamen on 4 April [ ]. The camp, home to thousands of Dinkas -- an ethnic group from southern Sudan -- is located on the edge of Abu Jura, a village about 40 km from Nyala. Almost all of it was burned by Janjawid -- Arab militias -- several of the IDPs told IRIN in Nyala. 'We are targeted because we are black,' a Dinka teacher claimed. 'The Janjawid said: "We don't want any black skin here." (IRIN Nyala, Darfur, April 8, 2004)
Oct 19 2004 Emily Wax, Beliel Camp, Sudan Sudan's Dinkas, displaced by past conflict, fear violence in Darfur. Note, Beliel is less than five miles from Kalma, South Darfur.
Feb 10 2006 Sudan's identity and the notion of broken promises - In 1964 and 1965, Al Misseriya massacred Dinkas and other Southern Sudanese in El Muglad and Babanusa. Some members of Al Misseriya, who would want to rewrite history of the area, currently claim that the conflict in question was between Al Misseriyia and the rebels.
Jan 21 2006 Juba Declaration is meaningless without ratification - The recent nomination of under-secretaries for GOSS demonstrates that Salva Kiir is uncompromising Dinka tribalist. Out of 18 under-secretaries, nine are Dinkas. There is only one Nuer from the list. The nomination is an insult to SSDF's negotiating team in Juba and it is tribalism as usual. What will be the work of "political committee" stipulated in the Juba Declaration if Salva Kiir is continuing to fill the GOSS with Dinkas from Bahr-El Ghazal?
Photo: IOM assists displaced Dinkas in Kiir Galama, Northern Bahr El Ghaszl province (Louis Hoffman/IOM 2006)
With the assistance of community leaders, IOM has to date registered some 4,500 stranded internally displaced Dinkas in the locality of Kiir Galama, on the southern banks of the river Kiir.
"Their living conditions are desperate," said IOM's Louis Hoffmann. "They are stranded without potable water, adequate food or health care and have no money to move on. Their situation is set to worsen as more displaced people arrive in Kiir Galama on a daily basis."
In response to a request from the governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal and in coordination with the UN, IOM yesterday organized the first land convoy from Kiir Galama to assist a group of 321 displaced Dinkas to return to their places of origin in the region of Jaac, some 40 kilometres south in the central highlands of Northern Bahr El Ghazal province.
While many had walked from South Darfur to the KiirRiver, the remaining group was too distressed to make the last part of the voyage on foot. They are part of a much larger group of tens of thousands of fellow tribes people who were displaced by conflict and drought in South Sudan to South Darfur 19 years ago and who were again displaced by the fighting in Darfur in 2003.
Since the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement between Khartoum and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement in January 2005, more and more internally displaced people have been making their way home to South Sudan.
With little wealth after having lost their possessions in their initial flight to Darfur and again deprived of any assets by the conflict in Darfur, their journey home is proving to be long and difficult as they are forced to sell whatever they can to pay for train and truck fees to take them home.
This week IOM will open a way station at Samaha to provide basic facilities such as water, sanitation, and shelter for the displaced Dinkas.
"We are running against time as many more displaced people will want to return to Northern Bahr El Ghazal province before the onset of the rainy season," added IOM's Louis Hoffmann. "Once the rains begin, roads will increasingly become impassable, and reintegration at a community level will prove too difficult to support returns until later in the year when the rains end."
IOM has also opened an office at Ed Daein in order to track the spontaneous returns and to monitor the vulnerability of groups travelling home, information which will also be used for planning return and reintegration programmes for the displaced upon arrival at their final destinations.
As part of a wider assistance programme to help internally displaced people (IDPs) who wish to return to their homes in South Sudan, IOM has already established a way station in Kadugli in South Kordofan province which is providing clean water, sanitation, shelter, hygiene and emergency health care and referral.
For further information, please contact Louis Hoffmann, Tel: +882 16433 38260: Email: lhoffmann@iom.int
Feb 9 2006 The Dinka's epic trek across South Sudan continues - 250,000 cattle have arrived so far in 34 cattle camps around Bor
- - -
Displaced to Darfur, Dinkas fall victim to 2 Sudan wars
Excerpt from Dec 19 2004 article in Boston Globe by Raymond Thibodeaux, Globe Correspondent provides some background to the Dinkas displaced to Darfur, from southern Sudan:
In southern Sudan, the pro government Arab militias were called Murahaleen. They were predecessors to the Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, who are terrorizing Darfur today.
Michael Garang is a lanky, 42-year-old Dinka who, like Deng, is from Bahr al-Ghazal. He and the other Dinkas who fled to Darfur from southern Sudan survived on jobs as day laborers for the Arabs and the Fur, Darfur's largest tribe. His wife, like most Dinka women, found jobs cleaning houses, doing laundry, or collecting water and firewood.
"When the Janjaweed came to our village, they wanted to kill the Furs and the Dinkas. Even though we were neighbors and friends, the Arabs living among us never raised a gun to protect us," Garang said.
The reason most of the 7,500 Dinkas refused to leave the Otash camp is that few of them had registered for food rations and were forced to remain near Nyala to find jobs to earn enough money to feed themselves. The Dinkas also were protected by the aid workers at the Otash camp, as police and Arab militias rarely harassed residents in their presence.
The camp is crowded with thousands of families squeezed into tiny, fragile huts. They live on the edge of starvation, made worse by the recent upsurge in violence that has halted food relief by the United Nations and many nongovernmental aid agencies. On the other side of Nyala is the Beliel camp, where 5,000 Dinkas have lived since years before the Darfur crisis broke out.
As the aid coming into Beliel fizzled, many of the Dinkas were absorbed by Nyala's labor-intensive job market, spurred by both Arab and African business leaders who have come to depend on the low wages for which the Dinkas are willing to work.
For the more than 1.5 million people forced off their land by the fighting in Darfur, the Dinkas' predicament is an ominous forecast for their own lives in the coming years, especially as the crisis in western Sudan shows signs of escalating.
In much of Africa, where land confers identity and status, Darfurians, like the Dinkas before them, are becoming landless and increasingly vulnerable to attacks by progovernment militias, mostly drawn from nomadic Arab herding tribes with a centuries-old legacy of antagonism toward African farmers.
"The situation here is so miserable that most of us just want to go back home to southern Sudan to be buried on our own land," said Roberto Dimo, a 99-year-old Dinka who lives in a tiny, sand-dusted hut in Otash. "But the Arabs have taken our land, so we can't even do that."
Further reading
Mar 30 2004 IRIN Fighting reported in Bahr al-Ghazal between different Dinkas groups
Apr 9 2004 Eric Reeves The lesson of the Darfur truce accord IRIN reports on the fate of Dinkas from southern Sudan caught up in the racially/ethnically animated destruction of Darfur: "Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state of Southern Darfur, western Sudan, say their camp was looted and burned by Arab militiamen on 4 April [ ]. The camp, home to thousands of Dinkas -- an ethnic group from southern Sudan -- is located on the edge of Abu Jura, a village about 40 km from Nyala. Almost all of it was burned by Janjawid -- Arab militias -- several of the IDPs told IRIN in Nyala. 'We are targeted because we are black,' a Dinka teacher claimed. 'The Janjawid said: "We don't want any black skin here." (IRIN Nyala, Darfur, April 8, 2004)
Oct 19 2004 Emily Wax, Beliel Camp, Sudan Sudan's Dinkas, displaced by past conflict, fear violence in Darfur. Note, Beliel is less than five miles from Kalma, South Darfur.
Feb 10 2006 Sudan's identity and the notion of broken promises - In 1964 and 1965, Al Misseriya massacred Dinkas and other Southern Sudanese in El Muglad and Babanusa. Some members of Al Misseriya, who would want to rewrite history of the area, currently claim that the conflict in question was between Al Misseriyia and the rebels.
Jan 21 2006 Juba Declaration is meaningless without ratification - The recent nomination of under-secretaries for GOSS demonstrates that Salva Kiir is uncompromising Dinka tribalist. Out of 18 under-secretaries, nine are Dinkas. There is only one Nuer from the list. The nomination is an insult to SSDF's negotiating team in Juba and it is tribalism as usual. What will be the work of "political committee" stipulated in the Juba Declaration if Salva Kiir is continuing to fill the GOSS with Dinkas from Bahr-El Ghazal?
Cambodian mine-clearing soldiers join UN mission in Sudan
Good luck to a group of 109 Cambodian soldiers who leave Phnom Penh on Saturday to join the UN demining mission in southern Sudan. Twenty-six of the 135 soldiers chosen were already in place in Sudan with 25 vehicles, 70 mine detectors and six trailers, as well as other different types of logistical equipment.
A seeing-off ceremony was held Wednesday presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. "It is the first time in the history of Cambodia to take part in an international UN peacekeeping mission. This is our pride and the great honor for our military, nation and the people," the premier said.
He went on to say that "it is a humanitarianism mission, so it is our obligation to participate the mission and play more and more important role in the regional and international affairs."
Photo: Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen walks past a demining unit, during a ceremony before the departure of the Cambodian humanitarian demining unit for the UN peace keeping operation in Sudan, in Phnom Penh April 12, 2006. (Reuters) Full report Xinhua/ST 12 Apr 2006.
A seeing-off ceremony was held Wednesday presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. "It is the first time in the history of Cambodia to take part in an international UN peacekeeping mission. This is our pride and the great honor for our military, nation and the people," the premier said.
He went on to say that "it is a humanitarianism mission, so it is our obligation to participate the mission and play more and more important role in the regional and international affairs."
Photo: Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen walks past a demining unit, during a ceremony before the departure of the Cambodian humanitarian demining unit for the UN peace keeping operation in Sudan, in Phnom Penh April 12, 2006. (Reuters) Full report Xinhua/ST 12 Apr 2006.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)