EU urges Darfur rebels to agree truce or face sanctions

The European Union said it welcomed the draft peace deal for Dafur and urged the rebels to reach a final agreement with the Sudanese Government or face travel bans to UN member countries and a freeze on assets held in those states, Reuters Estelle Shirbon reported May 3, 2006 - excerpt:

"Failing to do so would be irresponsible in the light of the immense human suffering of the people in Darfur, and any party standing in the way of an agreement would have to face the consequences outlined in the UN Security Council Resolution 1591," a statement from current EU president Austria said.

Mediators have started the grim task of planning for defeat

Canadian Press report May 3, 2006 excerpt:

A Canadian government source close to the talks said the American and British delegations are now effectively steering the talks and have "streamlined'' the negotiations.

They included only a handful of advisers from Canada and the African Union, leaving representatives from various European and African nations on the outside.

"The U.K. and U.S. decided working with the large community of nations was too cumbersome at this stage and the African Union approach had been exhausted,'' said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If this (new) strategy succeeds, it could break the logjam.''

The current U.S.-British strategy is to split up the rebel concerns between them, and come up with amendments to the peace deal the rebels might accept. They've seen progress on the issue of security, but are still stuck on power-sharing within the Sudanese government.

And so, negotiators have started the grim task of planning for defeat, the senior source said.

That Plan B would include a ceasefire, safe access to the country for humanitarian workers, and protection for camps of displaced persons.

"If they don't agree, the results will be nothing short of catastrophic,'' said the Canadian source.

US proposals for Darfur peace not enough: rebels

US proposals to save the Darfur peace talks do not go far enough Sudan Tribune reported May 3. Excerpt:

A spokesman for the SLA Seif Haroun said that unless the peace deal included a proposal to turn the devastated western Sudanese region of Darfur into a unitary administrative unit - it is currently divided into three states - it would fail.

"The US government’s initiative is a good step forward for negotiations. We are happy about it, but it still falls short of our expectations because it has left out our crucial demand for a Darfur region," he said.

"The Darfur region issue is the main issue in our demand. The issue of region is not something we are going to negotiate away because that is where our key interest is," he said.

Under the African Union plan, the people of Darfur would be allowed to hold a referendum on coming together as one autonomous region once fighting has halted and national elections are held, perhaps in several years’ time.

Sudan’s government has already accepted the AU peace plan and has made positive noises about the US version. A second rebel group, the JEM, has yet to make its position clear.

Reuters report by Estelle Shirbon May 3, 2006 tells us senior Sudanese diplomat said the U.S. ideas were "interesting" but Khartoum would only agree on measures it considered "workable and cost-effective". He said he was optimistic that a deal would be reached.

Sudan may make concessions on Darfur peace deal

Sudanese government spokesman Abdulrahman Zuma told Associated Press May 3, "Through this so-called American initiative, it seems that the government is going to make some concessions, especially about reintegration and disarmament."

AU, UK, US prepare new Darfur peace proposal

AU mediators joined by senior US and British officials are preparing a substantially changed Darfur peace proposal after rebels rejected the original draft, said two Sudanese close to the negotiations who saw the new document Wednesday.

The two Sudanese, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the new proposal was not yet official, said it was aimed at meeting rebel demands for a greater share of power and wealth.

Full report AP/ST May 3, 2006.

Note, the report says that earlier, Jaffer Monro, spokesman for SLM, said if the initial proposal was not significantly changed, the rebels would press for the UN or another body to take over the peace talks from the AU. [This is what the rebels have wanted all along over the past two years - they are anti AU troops and mediators]



Photo: US Deputy Secretary of State, Robert B. Zoellick, center, and US Charge d'Affaires in Khartoum, Cameron Hume, left, meet with leaders of the JEM, one of the Darfur rebel factions, at Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

When asked late Tuesday what would happen if there is no agreement by Thursday, chief AU mediator Salim Ahmed Salim said: "There will be continued killing, continued suffering, and all the destruction that has been going on."



Photo: UK Minister Hilary Benn speaks in Khartoum after a visit to Darfur, February 2006. (AFP/Salah Omar)

Sudanese tribal leaders at Darfur peace talks, Abuja

Photo: Sudanese tribal leaders attend the Darfur talks at the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria,Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP/ST)



Photo: Sudanese tribal leaders (from L to R) Ibrahim Abdalla Mohamed, Saeed Mahmoud Madibo, Mostafa Omer Ahmed, Ahmed Alsamani and Mohamed Adam Rijal wait to participate in a meeting with rebel groups during negotiations on a peace plan for Darfur in Abuja, Nigeria May 2, 2006. The government of Sudan has accepted an 85-page draft settlement but three Darfur rebel factions refused to sign, saying they were unhappy with the proposals on security, power-sharing and wealth-sharing. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

First batch of Sudanese refugees back home from Uganda

The first convoy of 160 Sudanese refugees in Uganda repatriating to South Sudan left Tuesday from the northern district of Moyo to Kadjo Keji, some 30 kilometres north of the Ugandan border, Sudan Tribune reported May 3, 2006.



Photo: A Sudanese refugee woman waits to embark in a bus in Kakuma refugee camp in northwest Kenya December 17, 2005 to return into south Sudan.

Sudan's SLA rebel attacks on aid workers in North Darfur breaks international humanitarian law

Jan Pronk, UN SGSR in Sudan, called on Darfur rebel group SLA to stop attacks on aid workers in Darfur.

Over the past few weeks, aid workers have come under continuous attacks and harassment by armed groups in the Shangil Tobayi, Tawilla and Kutum areas of North Darfur, with several reports indicating that SLA factions were behind the attacks:

"Armed robbery and hijacking have endangered humanitarian workers assisting over 450,000 vulnerable people living in the area," Pronk said in a statement. "Moreover, credible information points to the use of hijacked vehicles for military purposes by these armed groups. This is unacceptable and contrary to international humanitarian law."

Full report (IRIN) Government offensive raises fears of attack on Darfur's Gereida May 2, 2006.

Darfur peace talks extended for second time

A new deadline of 48 hours has now been set. It expires on Thursday night.

The original deadline for signing the deal expired on Sunday, prompting a new extension - till Tuesday - and a flurry of diplomatic activity.



Photo: US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B Zoellick, 3rd from left, and US Charge d'Affaires in Khartoum Cameron Hume, 2nd from left, meet with leaders of Darfur rebel factions at Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Meanwhile, AU mediator Salim Ahmed Salim urged the black African rebels "to show leadership and make the compromises necessary for peace, for the sake of the people of Darfur".



Photo: SLA commander at Darfur peace talks in Abuja May, 2006 (AP/BBC)

Reuters news agency quoted a diplomat involved in the mediation as saying that the rebels would be discredited if they reject the deal.

The BBC's Alex Last in Abuja says mediators hope that the proposed deal can be amended to increase the number of rebels integrated into the army, while dropping the provision that the Janjaweed disarm before the rebels.

The government is unhappy at this provision, even though it has signed the deal.

But the rebels are also said to be unhappy about arrangements concerning power-sharing and wealth distribution in the vast desert region. They are also reportedly concerned that the peace deal may not be properly implemented.

"The extension of the deadline does not have any meaning for us," said Saifaldin Haroun, spokesman of the main SLM faction, according to the AFP news agency.

"The AU peace proposal does not address our crucial concerns."



Photo: Darfur rebels in western Sudan (AP/BBC)

UN's Egeland to visit Sudan Saturday to meet senior officials and visit Darfur.

Bush tells Bashir to accept UN force backed by NATO

AP report says US President GW Bush called Sudanese President el-Bashir on Monday night about the importance of peace in Darfur, according to the official Sudan Press Agency and Frederick Jones, a spokesman for Bush's National Security Council - excerpt:

During the call, Bush urged al-Bashir to send his Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha, who left Abuja Monday, back to the peace talks, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. The president told al-Bashir to accept a U.N. peacekeeping mission backed by NATO logistics and training for Darfur.

Bush phones Bashir to send Taha back to Darfur peace talks

President George W Bush telephoned Sudanese President Umar Hasan al-Bashir to urge him to commit to reaching a peace accord with rebel groups in Darfur, as Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick met with all sides in Nigeria in a bid to keep the talks alive, Bloomberg reported today. Excerpt:

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters today that in the call, Bush told Bashir he sent Zoellick to foster a breakthrough, and asked the Sudanese leader to send his vice president, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, back to the negotiations as a signal of Sudan's desire to end the fighting.

"We will be looking for the government of Sudan to follow through on what the president brought up in the call," McClellan said.

Note, the report says AU mediator Sam Ibok was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that a further two-day extension of the talks was under consideration.

EU's Solana speaks on phone with 3 Darfur rebel leaders

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke on the phone with three rebel leaders on Tuesday and urged them to seize the opportunity in Abuja.



"I will be here tomorrow (Wednesday), beyond that I don't know," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick told reporters on Tuesday evening.

Zoellick declined to say how long the talks might now last, noting his role was to try to bridge gaps between the sides.

"I will only continue to do that if I see we are in a position to try and accomplish that," he said.



Archive photo: Robert Zoellick (2nd L) talks with an unidentified Rwandan Army officer belonging to the AU (African Union) force in Darfur, upon his arrival in El-Fasher, Sudan, 2005. See Apr 17 2005 New US envoy for Sudan Robert Zoellick lays out priorities for Sudan's crisis

UPDATE: May 2 Brussels/ST EU urges Sudanese parties to sign Darfur peace agreement - According to Solana's office, Solana spoke on Tuesday with the leaders of the rebel groups, Abdul Wahid Mohamed El Nour (SLM), Minni Arkoi Minnawi (SLM) and Khalil Ibrahim (JEM), to urge them to do their utmost to conclude the negotiations. Solana would also be in contact with Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, said the statement.

SLM/A Open letter to the World on Darfur Peace Agreement

SLM/A Open letter to the world. Excerpt:

" ... we are hesitant to sign a peace treaty that drafted by the African Union on 1 May 2006. We believe that to reach a comprehensive peace agreement, we need an autonomous region that shall unify Darfur and carry more political weight than the current existing three states. Also, we require a fair representation that shall realize a third vice president, from Darfur. Compensation is crucial for our victimized people. So, individual victims of genocide should be compensated.

Finally, we ask for guarantees that those who have been displaced by government forces and its Janjaweed militias will be safe when they return back to their homes and guarantees that the government will disarm its militias that have been unleashed on our civilian population in Darfur."

signed by Jaffer Monro, Spokesman & Press Secretary, SLM/A
Email: monro_77@hotmail.com
Abuja GSM - +234-806-591-4551

Darfur peace talks deadline extended 24 hrs to May 3

African Union mediation at the Abuja negotiations on Darfur has given the parties 24 hours more, while the Chairman of AU and the head of AU executive are heading to Abuja.

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick is expected to meet the chairman of the government side in the negotiations, Dr Magzoub Al-Khalifa, Tuesday, Sudan Tribune reported today.

Russian peacekeepers to fly out to Sudan May 3

A new group of Russian peacekeepers will fly to Sudan May 3 to join a UN force, the Air Force said Tuesday. Two planes would deliver some 60 tons of technical cargo and some 20 people on May 5.



Maj. Gen. Viktor Ivanov, head of the Air Force Army Aviation Directorate, said earlier that the peacekeepers would not be involved in combat missions.

Before the first group of Russian peacekeepers was sent to Sudan, UNMIS included 14 Russian military observers and 19 civilian police officers. Photo and report RIA Novosti

Chad war could restart as May 3 election day looms

As election officials report that everything is in place for Wednesday's presidential poll, fears of more rebel attacks are sending residents of the Chad capital N'djamena over the river into neighbouring Cameroon, IRIN reported via Reuters -

"We are going to put ourselves into a safe haven for now. The war could restart at any moment," said a French citizen and N'djamena resident waiting in the line at the Ngueli Bridge that links N'djamena's suburbs to Cameroon.

MAY 2 2006 INTERVIEW-U.N. must back any Darfur peace deal -Chad

May 2 2006 Reuters report by Pascal Fletcher Chad's Deby will talk if rebels accept polls

May 2 2006 Planes with Suspected Rebels Land in CAR - Two aircraft each carrying around 50 armed men suspected of links to a rebellion in neighbouring Chad have landed illegally in Central African Republic's lawless north, a senior official said on Thursday.

150 Janjaweed attack Chadian villagers nr UNHCR camp Goz Amir - 4 killed, 5 wounded

Yesterday, a group of 150 armed men, described by locals as Janjaweed surrounded Chadian villagers near the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camp of Goz Amir and opened fire on them, killing four and wounding five. They also stole about 1,000 head of cattle.

See full report UN News Centre UN agency calls for increased security near Sudanese refugee camps in Chad May 2 2006.

Diplomats say SLA Minnawi and his Chad chums one of main stumbling blocks to Darfur Peace Agreement

Estelle Shirbon's latest report just in via Reuters - excerpt:

Observers say failure to get a deal would be disastrous.

"Nobody will look good, the AU, the government or the (rebel) movements, but the real victims will be the people on the ground," said Sam Ibok, head of the AU mediation team.

"They will not be able to return to their homes to cultivate their lands. They will have to spend more time in camps. Security will deteriorate. Women will continue to be exposed to rape and children will continue to suffer," he said.

The top two AU officials -- Chairman Denis Sassou Nguesso, the president of Congo Republic, and commission head Alpha Oumar Konare -- are due to arrive in Abuja on Wednesday. Diplomats said this could indicate that the 2300 GMT deadline, already put back by 48 hours, will slip again.

Diplomats said one of the main stumbling blocks to a peace agreement was that Minni Arcua Minnawi, leader of the most powerful of the three rebel factions, was being undermined by some of his former allies because of a crisis in Chad.

Minnawi is a tribal ally of Chadian President Idriss Deby, who is battling an insurrection by fighters he accuses of fronting for Sudan. But Minnawi's friends in Chad accuse him of abandoning Deby and selling out to Khartoum, which makes it difficult for him to sign any deal.

Is there a law to protect Sudanese children? USA and Somalia not part of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Here's a thought: couldn't a law be found to force the warring parties at the Darfur peace talks to agree a ceasefire in order to immediately protect the basic rights of Sudanese children - the right not to be cold or hungry and the right to be protected from harm?

The idea occurred to me as I read an email just in from Jen Tabbal at SOS Children's Villages asking us to help spread the word about the effort to protect children's rights around the world.

SOS Children's Villages is an international nonprofit organisation nominated 14 times for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to help orphaned and abandoned children.

They are gathering petition signatures to urge the U.S. government to ratify a UN document that protects the safety and well-being of children. Every day, children around the world suffer from hunger and homelessness, diseases and abuse, neglect and exploitation. All children deserve basic rights - the right not to be cold or hungry and the right to be protected from harm.

Will you consider linking to or posting on SOS Children's Villages - USA? You can also put up one of their banners which can be found by clicking here.




Just to give you a little background, the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international agreement that requires signing countries to protect the basic rights of children.

SOS Children's Villages - USA Mission's goal is to gather 25,000 petition signatures to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging the U.S. to join the 192 countries that have already ratified the Convention (it's shameful that the only countries yet to ratify the Convention are the United States and Somalia).

With your help, they can achieve our goal of 25,000 signatures and move in the right direction to protect the rights of children.

SLM rebels waiting to leave Darfur peace talks

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick headed into a conference room with African Union mediators and delegates from the warring parties, AP reported today - excerpt:

Zoellick, who was joined in Abuja by a top British official, Hilary Benn, later shuttled among the groups, listening to complaints and making suggestions for compromise, according to a member of the U.S. delegation.

A delegate from one insurgent group suggested his side would leave without an agreement. "There's no solution yet," said Calfaddin Aroun of the SLM. "We're waiting to go home."