UN News Centre May 23, 2006 reports that Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown welcomed the Group members into their new positions and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland briefed them on how the CERF had been used since its 8 March launch.
Note, to date, allocations have been or are being considered for 15 emergencies, nearly all in Africa.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Blair meets with Konare at Number 10 to talk about Darfur: Joint statement issued re formal request from AU to NATO
Tony Blair met with European Commission President Barroso in Downing Street today, before holding talks with the chair of the African Union, Alpha Konare.
The PM invited Mr Konare to Number 10 to talk about the vital Darfur peace agreement, before speaking to journalists.
In a joint statement, the two leaders said the peace agreement signed earlier this month was a "triumph" for the African Union.
"It is good for the people of Darfur and brings the real prospect of peace. President Konare and I strongly urge other rebels to sign (it) before the AU's deadline of 31 May."
See transcript of their joint doorstep - Joint press conference with Alpha Konare 24 May
Copy of Joint Statement
The UK has been working to support the African Union's successful work in Darfur over the last two years. The African Union Monitoring Mission in Darfur has improved security within a very difficult environment indeed. The Darfur Peace Agreement signed earlier this month was a triumph for the African Union. It is good for the people of Darfur and brings the real prospect of peace.
President Konare and I strongly urge other rebels to sign the Agreement before the AU's deadline of 31 May. If they do not do so, and they impede the implementation of the Agreement, then the AU and the UN have agreed that sanctions should be applied to them.
We call on the Government of Sudan to respect the recent decisions of the AU and the UN Security Council and agree to allow a UN technical assessment mission to enter Darfur in order to plan for a transition from the current AU force in Darfur into a UN peacekeeping mission.
President Konare and I have been discussing today how the UK can further assist the AU in implementation of the Peace Agreement, bilaterally and as a member of NATO and the EU.
The AU has said that is wants to strengthen its force in Darfur in order to implement the Peace Agreement. African nations are considering what additional troops they can provide.
The UK has committed a further GBP 20 million to the mission, bringing our total contribution to over GBP 52 million.
The EU and NATO, through airlift co-ordination and training, have made a valuable support contribution to the AU mission. We stand ready to do more.
NATO has offered to provide substantial support to the AU to help strengthen its effectiveness throughout Darfur. President Konare and I have discussed this and I hope that a formal request will be coming from the AU to NATO shortly, to enable this assistance to be provided as soon as possible.
- - -
Darfur needs UN peacekeeping force within two months, official says
British officials said a small NATO delegation could be sent to Darfur to provide leadership, support and airlift capability for African Union troops before the arrival of a UN force, Pravda reported May 23, 2006.
The PM invited Mr Konare to Number 10 to talk about the vital Darfur peace agreement, before speaking to journalists.
In a joint statement, the two leaders said the peace agreement signed earlier this month was a "triumph" for the African Union.
"It is good for the people of Darfur and brings the real prospect of peace. President Konare and I strongly urge other rebels to sign (it) before the AU's deadline of 31 May."
See transcript of their joint doorstep - Joint press conference with Alpha Konare 24 May
Copy of Joint Statement
The UK has been working to support the African Union's successful work in Darfur over the last two years. The African Union Monitoring Mission in Darfur has improved security within a very difficult environment indeed. The Darfur Peace Agreement signed earlier this month was a triumph for the African Union. It is good for the people of Darfur and brings the real prospect of peace.
President Konare and I strongly urge other rebels to sign the Agreement before the AU's deadline of 31 May. If they do not do so, and they impede the implementation of the Agreement, then the AU and the UN have agreed that sanctions should be applied to them.
We call on the Government of Sudan to respect the recent decisions of the AU and the UN Security Council and agree to allow a UN technical assessment mission to enter Darfur in order to plan for a transition from the current AU force in Darfur into a UN peacekeeping mission.
President Konare and I have been discussing today how the UK can further assist the AU in implementation of the Peace Agreement, bilaterally and as a member of NATO and the EU.
The AU has said that is wants to strengthen its force in Darfur in order to implement the Peace Agreement. African nations are considering what additional troops they can provide.
The UK has committed a further GBP 20 million to the mission, bringing our total contribution to over GBP 52 million.
The EU and NATO, through airlift co-ordination and training, have made a valuable support contribution to the AU mission. We stand ready to do more.
NATO has offered to provide substantial support to the AU to help strengthen its effectiveness throughout Darfur. President Konare and I have discussed this and I hope that a formal request will be coming from the AU to NATO shortly, to enable this assistance to be provided as soon as possible.
- - -
Darfur needs UN peacekeeping force within two months, official says
British officials said a small NATO delegation could be sent to Darfur to provide leadership, support and airlift capability for African Union troops before the arrival of a UN force, Pravda reported May 23, 2006.
Blair and Bush to hold US talks - Darfur on agenda
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is to fly to Washington for talks on Thursday with US President George W Bush.
On the agenda would be "supporting the new Iraqi government, preventing Iran from acquiring the means to build nuclear weapons, bringing peace to the Middle East, ending the violence in Darfur, and promoting free trade", said Mr Bush's spokesman Tony Snow. - BBC
On the agenda would be "supporting the new Iraqi government, preventing Iran from acquiring the means to build nuclear weapons, bringing peace to the Middle East, ending the violence in Darfur, and promoting free trade", said Mr Bush's spokesman Tony Snow. - BBC
Sudan falling 'far short' on many of its human rights commitments - UN report
Sudanese authorities are failing to uphold many of the human rights commitments made last year, especially in the Darfur conflict, where the Government is unable and unwilling to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable, and the killing of civilians, raping of women and girls, and pillaging of entire villages continues, according to a United Nations report released today.
Full story UN News Centre May 23, 2006.
Full story UN News Centre May 23, 2006.
Canada raises Darfur aid by C$40m on top of C$170m pledged
Canada is increasing aid to Darfur by $40m, Toronto Star reported May 23:
May 23 2006 Reuters report: Canada promises aid but no more troops for Darfur
Peace is still possible in Darfur, Prime Minister Stephen Harper predicted as he announced the aid on Tuesday.- - -
Half of the new aid money will be spent on food aid, water and sanitation, basic health care, and protecting refugees in Sudan and in neighbouring African countries.
Canada has been providing military and technical assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan, including sending Mounties to train civilian police forces.
Other Canadian military and civilian experts have assisted with strategic planning, logistics and air operations, training, information support, and communications.
Prior to Tuesday's announcement, Canada had allocated $170 million since 2004 to support the African Union mission, making it one of the top three international donors.
May 23 2006 Reuters report: Canada promises aid but no more troops for Darfur
Zoellick ready to quit White House
Financial Times today says a friend of Mr Zoellick said he told the White House in February of his intention to leave but that his departure was delayed because of his involvement in the Darfur peace negotiations.
Rebels' rivalry subverts hope for Darfur peace
TINA, Sudan -- A grisly new battle between rebel factions is raging here in Darfur, casting doubts on the future of a peace agreement to end the war, writes Lydia Polgreen for New York Times News Service May 21, 2006. Full report via Chicago Tribune - copy:
The tactics of the rebels have grown so similar to those of their enemies that an attack on this dusty village on April 19 bore all the marks of the brutal assault that first forced its people to flee their homes three years ago. Soldiers in uniform, backed by men toting guns on camels, stormed the village, burning huts, shooting, looting and raping.
Only this time, the soldiers were not government troops, as they had been before. Nor were the men on camels and horseback the fearsome janjaweed, who often destroy villages alongside government forces in a campaign of murder and rape that the Bush administration has called genocide.
Instead, last month's attack came from a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, the same rebel movement that says it wants to liberate the non-Arab people of Darfur from the yoke of Arab domination. Alongside the rebels were armed nomadic herdsmen from the Zaghawa, a non-Arab tribe that is supposedly fighting for the people of Darfur against the government.
"It was the Zaghawa who did this," said Ismail Rahman Ibrahim, one of Tina's sheiks. "We used to fear the Arab janjaweed. Now we have another janjaweed."
Carnage's origins complex
The carnage in Darfur has often been described as a fight between Arabs and Africans or a battle between herders and farmers. But neither captures the complexity of the ethnic and economic tensions in the region that have fueled the new hostilities between the rebels.
The leader of the largest rebel faction, Minni Minnawi, signed a peace agreement with Sudan's government on May 5 to end the conflict in Darfur, in the face of mounting pressure from international diplomats.
But the leader of a second faction, Abdulwahid Al Nur, refused, saying the agreement did not meet basic requirements on issues like power-sharing and disarmament of the janjaweed militias. He has remained unwilling to sign, but the African Union is so keen on bringing him on board it has extended the deadline for him to sign until the end of the month.
The split between the leaders was initially dismissed as irrelevant by diplomats negotiating the peace agreement to end the Darfur war. But the depth of that rift now threatens to undermine the shaky new accord, which the Bush administration has hailed as a hard-won diplomatic victory.
In an interview, Al Nur said he had no regrets about not signing, because, he said, the accord failed to address the root causes of the conflict.
"I refused to sign the agreement because it forgot that the crisis in Darfur was first a political crisis, before it developed into a military crisis and now humanitarian crisis," he said. "So, if you really want to address the crisis and put a real end to the crisis, you have to go back to the root, which is political."
Al Nur, who founded the SLA, and Minnawi, his rival, both come from non-Arab tribes. But Al Nur is from the Fur, farmers who make up the largest ethnic group in Darfur, while Minnawi comes from the Zaghawa, a much smaller group of non-Arab nomadic herdsmen who also live in Chad and Libya.
Marriage of opportunity
Initially they fought side by side with the same aim -- forcing the government in Khartoum to grant greater autonomy and a larger share of the nation's wealth to the impoverished region of Darfur. It was a partnership that made sense. The Fur are the largest ethnic group in Darfur, but they lacked tactical expertise. The Zaghawa had plenty of military experience and access to money and weapons from the military in neighboring Chad, which is led by Zaghawas.
But tensions soon emerged between the groups. The Fur grew suspicious of the Zaghawa, believing that they wanted to form a Zaghawa nation in Darfur and dominate the other tribes living here, a suspicion some analysts believe was fomented by the government in Khartoum in an effort to force a split between the rebels.
In the area around Tina, Fur villagers were forced from their homes by the thousands as the rebels and the government battled for control over every inch of territory in pitched battles. But the rebels took firm control last year, so much so that farmers who had fled to camps around Tawila returned to their fields to plant their crops.
The brief tranquillity came to an abrupt end with an assault by Minnawi's fighters on several towns held by Al Nur's faction.
Tiger Muhammad, a commander in Al Nur's faction, said the attack on Tina and other towns his faction controlled was unprovoked.
"It seemed to be the only objective was to displace the civilians," Muhammad said.
In nearby Susuwa, where the Minnawi faction has its base, commanders denied attacking civilians. Sounding very much like the government in Khartoum, which has blamed tribal conflicts for the violence in Darfur and has denied playing a role in arming militias, the Susuwa commanders said the conflict between the Fur and the Zaghawa here was simply a matter of stolen property.
"The conflict is due to the stealing of animals," said Muhammad Daoud, a commander of the force, arguing that Fur villagers steal animals, so Zaghawa herders go looking for them in their villages.
That explanation does not sit well with the thousands of villagers huddled in a makeshift camp with scant water, food or health services that has sprung up next to the African Union base in Tawila. Most of the people living in grass huts here arrived as a result of the recent violence between the rebel factions.
"First it was the janjaweed and the government, now it is the rebel factions," said Abubakar Moussa, who fled Tina after the April 19 attack. "Separation is the nature of humanity. We don't care much whether it is Abdulwahid or Minni. We need one nation under peace in Darfur."
The tactics of the rebels have grown so similar to those of their enemies that an attack on this dusty village on April 19 bore all the marks of the brutal assault that first forced its people to flee their homes three years ago. Soldiers in uniform, backed by men toting guns on camels, stormed the village, burning huts, shooting, looting and raping.
Only this time, the soldiers were not government troops, as they had been before. Nor were the men on camels and horseback the fearsome janjaweed, who often destroy villages alongside government forces in a campaign of murder and rape that the Bush administration has called genocide.
Instead, last month's attack came from a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, the same rebel movement that says it wants to liberate the non-Arab people of Darfur from the yoke of Arab domination. Alongside the rebels were armed nomadic herdsmen from the Zaghawa, a non-Arab tribe that is supposedly fighting for the people of Darfur against the government.
"It was the Zaghawa who did this," said Ismail Rahman Ibrahim, one of Tina's sheiks. "We used to fear the Arab janjaweed. Now we have another janjaweed."
Carnage's origins complex
The carnage in Darfur has often been described as a fight between Arabs and Africans or a battle between herders and farmers. But neither captures the complexity of the ethnic and economic tensions in the region that have fueled the new hostilities between the rebels.
The leader of the largest rebel faction, Minni Minnawi, signed a peace agreement with Sudan's government on May 5 to end the conflict in Darfur, in the face of mounting pressure from international diplomats.
But the leader of a second faction, Abdulwahid Al Nur, refused, saying the agreement did not meet basic requirements on issues like power-sharing and disarmament of the janjaweed militias. He has remained unwilling to sign, but the African Union is so keen on bringing him on board it has extended the deadline for him to sign until the end of the month.
The split between the leaders was initially dismissed as irrelevant by diplomats negotiating the peace agreement to end the Darfur war. But the depth of that rift now threatens to undermine the shaky new accord, which the Bush administration has hailed as a hard-won diplomatic victory.
In an interview, Al Nur said he had no regrets about not signing, because, he said, the accord failed to address the root causes of the conflict.
"I refused to sign the agreement because it forgot that the crisis in Darfur was first a political crisis, before it developed into a military crisis and now humanitarian crisis," he said. "So, if you really want to address the crisis and put a real end to the crisis, you have to go back to the root, which is political."
Al Nur, who founded the SLA, and Minnawi, his rival, both come from non-Arab tribes. But Al Nur is from the Fur, farmers who make up the largest ethnic group in Darfur, while Minnawi comes from the Zaghawa, a much smaller group of non-Arab nomadic herdsmen who also live in Chad and Libya.
Marriage of opportunity
Initially they fought side by side with the same aim -- forcing the government in Khartoum to grant greater autonomy and a larger share of the nation's wealth to the impoverished region of Darfur. It was a partnership that made sense. The Fur are the largest ethnic group in Darfur, but they lacked tactical expertise. The Zaghawa had plenty of military experience and access to money and weapons from the military in neighboring Chad, which is led by Zaghawas.
But tensions soon emerged between the groups. The Fur grew suspicious of the Zaghawa, believing that they wanted to form a Zaghawa nation in Darfur and dominate the other tribes living here, a suspicion some analysts believe was fomented by the government in Khartoum in an effort to force a split between the rebels.
In the area around Tina, Fur villagers were forced from their homes by the thousands as the rebels and the government battled for control over every inch of territory in pitched battles. But the rebels took firm control last year, so much so that farmers who had fled to camps around Tawila returned to their fields to plant their crops.
The brief tranquillity came to an abrupt end with an assault by Minnawi's fighters on several towns held by Al Nur's faction.
Tiger Muhammad, a commander in Al Nur's faction, said the attack on Tina and other towns his faction controlled was unprovoked.
"It seemed to be the only objective was to displace the civilians," Muhammad said.
In nearby Susuwa, where the Minnawi faction has its base, commanders denied attacking civilians. Sounding very much like the government in Khartoum, which has blamed tribal conflicts for the violence in Darfur and has denied playing a role in arming militias, the Susuwa commanders said the conflict between the Fur and the Zaghawa here was simply a matter of stolen property.
"The conflict is due to the stealing of animals," said Muhammad Daoud, a commander of the force, arguing that Fur villagers steal animals, so Zaghawa herders go looking for them in their villages.
That explanation does not sit well with the thousands of villagers huddled in a makeshift camp with scant water, food or health services that has sprung up next to the African Union base in Tawila. Most of the people living in grass huts here arrived as a result of the recent violence between the rebel factions.
"First it was the janjaweed and the government, now it is the rebel factions," said Abubakar Moussa, who fled Tina after the April 19 attack. "Separation is the nature of humanity. We don't care much whether it is Abdulwahid or Minni. We need one nation under peace in Darfur."
AU, rebels delegation to Khartoum to discuss peace implementation
Sudan Tribune report May 22, 2006 says Chief negotiator of the Sudanese government delegation at Darfur peace talks Majzoub al-Khalifa told reporters that a delegation of the AU, headed by Ambassador Sam Ebok, and other delegations of the rebel groups are expected to arrive in Khartoum on Wednesday to begin the practical implementation of the peace agreement.
Sudan govt violates humanitarian law: Annan
EUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned the Sudan government that its restrictions on vital supplies and relief workers distributing them in Darfur constituted a violation of international humanitarian law, Reuters's Evelyn Leopold reported May 23, 2006 - excerpt:
In a report sent to the UN Security Council on Monday, Annan also said atrocities, including rape, pillaging and driving people from their homes, were swelling the population in squalid camps, now about 2.5 million.
Humanitarian access has been limited by the Khartoum government's refusal to allow foreign aid groups to hire national staff. Officials have also harassed U.N. staff about travel documents, especially in areas held by the rebel Sudanese Liberation Army in south Darfur.
"At the same time, government-imposed embargoes on certain essential items, including fuel, foodstuffs and other humanitarian assistance entering SLA-held areas in South Darfur, have prevented the access of civilians to vital goods and constitute a violation of international humanitarian law," Annan wrote in the 10-page report.
While he put much of the blame on the government and Arab militia supporting it, the rebels, who have broken into splinter groups, have hijacked relief trucks and forced four assistance groups to suspend food distribution.
Monday, May 22, 2006
AU concerned about janjaweed "massing" near Kutum, North Darfur
"The AU patrol saw a massing of about 1,000 Arab militia for about two days now," Moussa Hamani, spokesman for the African Union Mission in Sudan told Deutsche Presse-Agentur from Khartoum today.
Rebels say the government attacked their positions in northern Darfur while the government says it is undertaking a campaign to flush out "bandits."
Rebels say the government attacked their positions in northern Darfur while the government says it is undertaking a campaign to flush out "bandits."
Darfur's new UN force could be same troops in different hats
"We are against a UN presence," said Abdallah Jouzou, mayor of Kouma in pro-government territory 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Al-Facher.
"The African Union has helped to settle the conflict in Darfur and it remains the only solution," he said.
But when an AU officer explained to him that the new UN force would be mainly African, Jouzou looked relieved.
"In that case, it's fine," he agreed.
Full report AFP via ReliefWeb 22 May 2006.
"The African Union has helped to settle the conflict in Darfur and it remains the only solution," he said.
But when an AU officer explained to him that the new UN force would be mainly African, Jouzou looked relieved.
"In that case, it's fine," he agreed.
Full report AFP via ReliefWeb 22 May 2006.
Sudan denies breaking peace deal
The Sudanese authorities have denied rebel accusations that they have broken this month's peace deal by attacking and looting a village in Darfur, BBC reported today:
May 21 2006 Shearia, South Darfur: 60 killed in clashes
The region's largest rebel group, which signed the deal with the government, said the army and Arab militias had launched the raid in North Darfur.May 21 2006 Jan Pronk's Weblog: "What about the Janjaweed? Will the peace agreement stop them?" - Militias kill dozens despite Darfur peace-rebels - Darfur rebels who signed a peace deal said on Sunday the government has already breached the agreement by attacking their areas in North Darfur.
North Darfur governor Osman Mohamed Kibir told the BBC that the accusations of army involvement were groundless.
But our correspondent says that aid agencies working in the region have backed up the rebel claims.
The African Union, which brokered the peace deal, also says there has been a spate of deadly attacks in the past week.
"The problem seems to be that everyone wants to maximise their territory before the truce and disarmament actually come into effect," AU spokesman Moussa Hamani told the AP news agency.
May 21 2006 Shearia, South Darfur: 60 killed in clashes
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Fears Janjaweed will turn on Sudanese government if they try to take their arms by force
May 21, 2006 Observer report by Xan Rice in Um Jalbakh, Darfur - excerpt:
The Janjaweed is not an army,' said Eltayeb Hag Ateya, director of the Peace Research Institute at Khartoum University. 'It's more dangerous than that. It's a concept, a blanket. Some are pro-government, some are bandits, and some are mercenaries.[via CFD via POTP with thanks]
'The peace agreement says the government should disarm them all, but that's impossible. Not all are under its control - some are even against it.'
'They [the Janjaweed] have major psychological problems with this disarmament issue and perhaps they are right,' said an African Union commander at a briefing last week, as a government representative listened uncomfortably. 'They were given arms by the government and killed on its behalf. If they put down their weapons now while the rebels are still armed, then what will happen to them?"
There is a very real fear that the Janjaweed, whose tribes were equally marginalised by Khartoum in the past, will turn on the government if they try to take their arms by force.
Shearia, South Darfur: 60+ killed in clashes
A new surge of inter-ethnic and militia violence has killed at least 60 people in separate attacks in Darfur in the past few days, said the AU and the UN on Sunday, News 24.com reported May 21, 2006 - excerpt:
May 21 2006 Jan Pronk's Weblog: "What about the Janjaweed? Will the peace agreement stop them?": In the last two weeks in Khor Abeche, Labado and around Kutum many people have been killed. These attacks took place after the agreement. In West Darfur, even in the city El Geneina itself, bandits related with the Janjaweed have become blatantly aggressive, not only towards civilians but also towards the police and the military, governmental as well as African Union military.
May 21 2006 Gulf Times - Many slain in Shearia, South Darfur, say rebels.
Most of the recent attacks were launched by the so-called Janjaweed.- - -
The UN said on Sunday it had received unconfirmed reports that the Sudanese army had fought a Janjaweed group in southern Darfur on May 18, killing six and arresting two. Sudanese authorities were not available to comment on the incident.
The UN said the Sudanese army and police had stated they would disarm armed bandits in the zone. Nazir Tigani, a local militia leader, warned he would resist such a move, said the UN.
Anticipating a possible increase in violence, the UN's security assessment office in Sudan advised UN workers and international non-governmental organisations to limit their movement in the area and to update possible evacuation plans.
Darfur rebel groups affiliated to leaders who refused the May 5 peace agreement have also executed some of the latest deadly raids, said the UN and the AU.
"We've been witnessing a stiff rise of attacks in the last week," said Moussa Hamani, the chief information officer for the 7 300-strong AU mission to Darfur.
"The problem seems to be that everyone wants to maximise their territory before the truce and disarmament actually come into effect," he said from Khartoum.
May 21 2006 Jan Pronk's Weblog: "What about the Janjaweed? Will the peace agreement stop them?": In the last two weeks in Khor Abeche, Labado and around Kutum many people have been killed. These attacks took place after the agreement. In West Darfur, even in the city El Geneina itself, bandits related with the Janjaweed have become blatantly aggressive, not only towards civilians but also towards the police and the military, governmental as well as African Union military.
May 21 2006 Gulf Times - Many slain in Shearia, South Darfur, say rebels.
Jan Pronk's Weblog: "What about the Janjaweed? Will the peace agreement stop them?"
UN SGSR Jan Pronk in his blog entry May 19, 2006 points out that despite the fact that Abdul Wahid did not yet sign the Abuja peace agreement, he had signed earlier cease fire agreements, he is still bound by his signature and can be taken to task. Note also this excerpt:
Militias kill dozens despite Darfur peace-rebels
May 20 2006 Reuters - Dozens were killed in a major attack by government-backed militias on Shearia town in Sudan's Darfur region, the latest in a wave of raids since a peace deal was signed earlier this month, rebels said on Saturday. A spokesman for the main rebel faction group who signed the deal on May 5 told Reuters from the field in Darfur that despite the agreement, heavy attacks have continued on the ground. "The attack on Shearia was yesterday -- the Janjaweed have attacked many many places in South Darfur despite the peace deal," al-Tayyib Khamis said. Shearia is in South Darfur. "There are about 20-25 dead and many injured but it's unclear as yet how many," he said.
May 21 2006 Reuters' Opheera McDoom: Darfur rebels who signed a peace deal with Khartoum in early May said on Sunday the government has already breached the agreement by attacking their areas in North Darfur. "In the evening yesterday Janjaweed began the attack with some of the government army with them," said al-Tayyib Khamis, spokesman for the SLA. "They went in and took the civilians' money and possessions and then left again."
In the last two weeks in Khor Abeche, Labado and around Kutum many people have been killed. These attacks took place after the agreement. In West Darfur, even in the city El Geneina itself, bandits related with the Janjaweed have become blatantly aggressive, not only towards civilians but also towards the police and the military, governmental as well as African Union military. This was the main question asked by all commanders and all displaced persons alike, irrespective of the rebel faction they felt associated with: "What about the Janjaweed? Will the peace agreement stop them?"- - -
In Abuja that question had never been asked by Abdul Wahid himself. From the beginning he was more interested in questions of power: whether the Darfurians would get a Vice-President in Sudan (a position which he claimed for himself), whether Darfur would become one region or would remain three states, whether Darfurians would get an adequate number of posts in the national government and in the assembly, and whether the SLM would get the majority in Darfur and become stronger than the governmental party, the NCP. These are relevant questions. However, whether or not to contain and disarm the Arab militia and the Janjaweed is for his people a matter of life and death. The people behind Minie Minawi and Abdul Wahid will only believe in the peace agreement if they see that the government and the international community together are serious and successful in stopping the Janjaweed. Then they might press their leaders to reconcile. This also may be the most effective way to bring Abdul Wahid aboard.
Militias kill dozens despite Darfur peace-rebels
May 20 2006 Reuters - Dozens were killed in a major attack by government-backed militias on Shearia town in Sudan's Darfur region, the latest in a wave of raids since a peace deal was signed earlier this month, rebels said on Saturday. A spokesman for the main rebel faction group who signed the deal on May 5 told Reuters from the field in Darfur that despite the agreement, heavy attacks have continued on the ground. "The attack on Shearia was yesterday -- the Janjaweed have attacked many many places in South Darfur despite the peace deal," al-Tayyib Khamis said. Shearia is in South Darfur. "There are about 20-25 dead and many injured but it's unclear as yet how many," he said.
May 21 2006 Reuters' Opheera McDoom: Darfur rebels who signed a peace deal with Khartoum in early May said on Sunday the government has already breached the agreement by attacking their areas in North Darfur. "In the evening yesterday Janjaweed began the attack with some of the government army with them," said al-Tayyib Khamis, spokesman for the SLA. "They went in and took the civilians' money and possessions and then left again."
Pope calls for swift action to end Darfur hunger
Pope Benedict called on Sunday for "concrete and swift" action to stop world hunger and in particular save hundreds and thousands of people from starvation in Darfur, Reuters (via ST) reported May 21, 2006:
Photo: Pope Benedict XVI gestures from his studio window overlooking St Peter's Square during his traditional Sunday blessing, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 21, 2006. The pontiff called Sunday for "contributions from everyone'" to help overcome the scourge of world hunger, and made a special mention of Darfur. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)
"I am thinking particularly of the urgent and dramatic situation in Darfur, in Sudan, where great difficulties continue in satisfying the most basic food needs of the population," he said in his weekly address to pilgrims in St Peter's Square.
Media organisations had a responsibility to publicise hunger in order to mobilise governments and public opinion, he added.
Photo: Pope Benedict XVI gestures from his studio window overlooking St Peter's Square during his traditional Sunday blessing, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 21, 2006. The pontiff called Sunday for "contributions from everyone'" to help overcome the scourge of world hunger, and made a special mention of Darfur. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
UN Security Council meeting in Khartoum next month
UN Security Council Ambassadors will head to Sudan next June for a rare meeting outside New York aimed at pressing for an end to Sudan's three year Darfur crisis, Sudan Tribune reported May 20, 2006 - excerpt:
Diplomatic sources told the London based Asharq al-Awsat, the UN Security session in Khartoum intends to hold a special session on the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005.
Members of the Security Council will hold also meetings with Sudanese official related to the Darfur peace deal.
This meeting will be the fifth time since 1952 that the council will hold a formal meeting outside UN headquarters in New York. The Security Council held an extraordinary session in Nairobi in November 2004 to press for an end to South Sudan's 21 years civil war.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Next few weeks to be 'make or break' for millions with lives at stake in Darfur, Chad, Under-Secretary-General Egeland
IRIN report on today's UN Security Council briefing. Excerpt:
UN Security Council report on today's briefing by Jan Egeland:
In his presentation to the UN Security Council following a recent visit to Sudan and Chad, Egeland outlined five goals that needed to be achieved immediately: implementing the Darfur peace agreement; bringing on board those who have not signed it; substantially strengthening the African Union Mission in Sudan [AMIS]; accelerating the transition of AMIS to a UN operation; and securing and funding the humanitarian lifeline to more than three million people.In Darfur and Eastern Chad, humanitarian relief constitutes a lifeline for close to 4 million people
UN Security Council report on today's briefing by Jan Egeland:
The Governor of South Darfur had agreed that the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) could return to Kalma as camp coordinator, a decision also confirmed by Second Vice-President Taha.
Regarding access restrictions, both the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Kosti, and Vice-President Taha had provided assurances that the moratorium on humanitarian access restrictions for Darfur would be fully implemented.
The Vice-President had issued a policy statement, declaring the Government's intention to ensure full humanitarian access to Darfur, he said. Also, NGOs were invited to work with the Government in drafting the rules and regulations to ensure that national and international NGOs could carry out their activities freely and effectively, and in accordance with international human rights standards.
He [Jan Egeland] said he returned from his mission with an even greater sense of admiration for the thousands of humanitarian and AMIS personnel on the ground. "Their commitment to work in the most difficult conditions, and under constant threat to their personal safety, is truly awe-inspiring."
In Darfur and Eastern Chad, humanitarian relief constituted a lifeline for close to 4 million people, he said.
Annan dispatches Brahimi and Annabi to Khartoum
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has decided to dispatch Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister who stepped down from active UN service last December, to Khartoum next week to press Sudan's government to allow UN military planners into Darfur, UN officials said on Friday.
Mr Brahimi is to be accompanied on the trip by senior UN peacekeeping official Hedi Annabi, UN chief spokesman Stephanie Dujarric told Reuters today.
Photo: Lakhdar Brahimi (AFP/Prakash Singh)
May 19 2006 UN News Centre: UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland has said that once host country approval is given, it would take up to six months or more to get a more numerous UN force fully operational. Meanwhile, it was vital that the AU force receive a more robust mandate to protect the civilian population and that its number at least double, he added.
Mr Brahimi is to be accompanied on the trip by senior UN peacekeeping official Hedi Annabi, UN chief spokesman Stephanie Dujarric told Reuters today.
Photo: Lakhdar Brahimi (AFP/Prakash Singh)
May 19 2006 UN News Centre: UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland has said that once host country approval is given, it would take up to six months or more to get a more numerous UN force fully operational. Meanwhile, it was vital that the AU force receive a more robust mandate to protect the civilian population and that its number at least double, he added.
Accidental fire sparks explosions at Juba, Sudan arms dump
A fire at a munitions dump sparked a wave of explosions outside the southern Sudanese capital of Juba on Friday, injuring several people and rattling nerves in the region that suffered two decades of civil war. 10 injured. Reuters.
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