US presses Sudan to accept UN force

Coalition for Darfur points to a Reuters report today saying US Presses Sudan to Accept UN Force - the US pressed Sudan's government on Wednesday to accept UN peacekeepers in Darfur where "experts" say momentum for peace is fast slipping away while Khartoum balks at a UN force - excerpt:

US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said it was in Sudan's own interests to accept a UN force to back up about 7,000 underequipped African Union troops struggling to keep the peace in Darfur, an area the size of France.

"As long as violence continues in Darfur, the Sudanese government is going to be held responsible, regardless of the circumstances," [US State Department spokesman] Ereli told reporters.

"So the Sudanese government has a strong interest in a more effective security force in Darfur not only to be on the right side of the issue and to be seen as doing the right thing, but also to provide for better security for its own citizens."

Ereli said the United States was working closely with the European Union and others to press Sudan to "recognise the reality" it needed a UN force in Darfur, where tens of thousands have been killed and 2 million have fled their homes in three years of conflict.

[edit]

Sudan experts are critical of the United States, the EU and the African Union for not doing enough to put pressure on Khartoum.

They argue that momentum built up after the signing of a peace agreement last month between Darfur's main rebel group and Sudan's government is fast dissipating because of Khartoum's reluctance to accept a UN force.

Princeton Lyman, of the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Darfur agreement was fragile and the prospect of a UN force not being allowed in would encourage more violence.

"This is a very serious situation and it requires actions sooner rather than later. The first step ought to be to call a meeting of the UN Security Council," he said.

Lyman urged the United States and others, including Arab nations, to be tougher on Sudan and impose sanctions on Khartoum outside of the UN Security Council if they refused to cooperate.

"For example, companies could be forbidden from doing any business in Sudan," he said.

A report this week by the International Crisis Group, a think tank, said the Darfur deal had serious flaws and only an urgent, robust UN peacekeeping mission could save it.

The United States has labelled the violence in Darfur genocide and religious and human rights groups have piled pressure on the Bush administration to act.

The New York-based Elie Wiesel Foundation and more than 60 Nobel Prize winners announced on Wednesday the formation of a Commission of Nobel Laureates to monitor Darfur and recommend urgent actions to governments and international agencies.

"We express compassion with the victims and our anger at world leaders who are timorous, complacent and unwilling to take risks," said Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and recipient of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize.

Sudan opposes UN in Darfur because it fears too many of its allies will end up in an international criminal court - Turabi

UN troops are equipped to restore peace in Darfur, a rebel representative said Wednesday. "As far as security is concerned, I think they are the most capable forces," Mohamed al-Tigani Eltayeb, of the SLM, told The Associated Press. "UN forces are already in Sudan everywhere," he added, during a break in talks on reconstruction efforts in Darfur being hosted by the Dutch government in The Hague. "What is the reason for not having them in Darfur?" he asked [as if he doesn't know the answer - read on].

Associated Press reported today that Sudan accuses Jewish groups of pushing for UN troops in Darfur and a leading government opponent [Hassan Turabi] has said the government opposes the UN in Darfur because the UN has vowed to prosecute all those involved in war crimes. "They are afraid of the UN's efficiency. The government fears that too many of its allies will end up in an international criminal court," said Turabi, who is believed to be influential with one of the Darfur rebel groups. Excerpt from above AP/ST report:

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has escalated his rejection of the UN deploying peacekeepers in Darfur, saying they would be neo-colonialists and accusing Jewish organizations of pushing for their deployment.

His comments, made while a joint UN and African Union team is in Sudan to plan for such a deployment, is likely to increase tension with the UN Security Council and provoke an angry response from US legislators.

"This shall never take place," al-Bashir told reporters at a press conference with South African President Thabo Mbeki Tuesday. "These are colonial forces and we will not accept colonial forces coming into the country." "They want to colonize Africa, starting with the first sub-Saharan country to gain its independence. If they want to start colonization in Africa, let them chose a different place," he said.

When journalists pressed al-Bashir on his objection to UN troops in Darfur, he replied: "It is clear that there is a purpose behind the heavy propaganda and media campaigns" for international intervention in Darfur. [Sudan Watch ed: I agree with Mr Bashir here - see previous entry June 21, 2006 "Activists in US rally for war in Darfur" - not to mention propagandists Kristof, Powers, USAID-Garang-SLM-Nur-loving Reeves et al]

"If we return to the last demonstrations in the US, and the groups that organized the demonstrations, we find that they are all Jewish organizations," al-Bashir said.

The president was referring to the rallies held in New York and Philadelphia earlier this year which were addressed by figures such as actor George Clooney and former basketball star Manute Bol, a Sudanese.

The comments were al-Bashir's strongest rejection of a UN peacekeeping role in Darfur. At one point he said he himself would lead the "resistance" to such a force.

Activists in US rally for war in Darfur

While Save Darfur.org and other American activisits innanly push for a UN force in Darfur, why do they refuse to address the glaringly obvious issue raised by people such as Nurradin Mannan, a retired Sudanese diplomat, who sensibly points out Khartoum is afraid of a Chapter Seven mandate that would accompany a UN operation, a mandate that has the power to use armed force to protect civilians and to confront combatants accused of committing atrocities?

"These people [Khartoum] are worried about chapter seven because this is going to drag them to the International Criminal Court. There are 51 [people] accused of war crimes in Sudan and this will give the UN the power, the right, to investigate those who are accused," he said.

Note the heading of this entry. I have changed it from "Activists in US rally for peace in Darfur" to "Activists in US rally for war in Darfur" because I believe they are playing with fire and are not stupid or uninformed, which makes me question their motives. I am at a loss to understand why, after Khartoum has signed a peace agreement, they don't apply pressure on Darfur rebels and tribal leaders to provide unstinting efforts to widen popular acceptance of DPA and improve prospects for IDPs to return home.

As if there weren't enough factions stoking the flames of war in favour of the Darfur insurgents, Save Darfur.org continues to join the fray by circulating an email, copied here below in full, to its supporters [I am not one of them] imploring them to press for a solution and ask for a special US envoy to Darfur, plus a UN force in Darfur no later than October:

Dear Supporter,

By taking action right now, you can help turn a potential setback to the effort to stop the genocide in Darfur into an opportunity!

Yesterday, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick - who personally helped negotiate a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups - resigned.

Zoellick served as an advocate for Darfur within the Bush Administration. With him now gone, we must keep the pressure on President Bush to act. And since today is World Refugee Day - created by the UN in 2001 to recognize the millions of refugees and displaced people around the globe - there is no better opportunity.

Click here to send a message to President Bush. Remind him on World Refugee Day to appoint a coordinator of US policy in Darfur and to push for creation of a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur.

Last month, Deputy Secretary Zoellick aided in brokering a peace agreement - an important first step. Yet with hundreds of thousands in Darfur already dead, millions more displaced and many at risk every day, we must continue to press for a solution.

That is why we are asking President Bush to appoint a special US envoy to the region and to press for a UN peacekeeping force to be on the ground in Darfur no later than October. We cannot wait any longer!

Join us in asking President Bush:

To push for a UN force for Darfur;
To strengthen African Union troops already in Darfur until the UN arrives;
To continue supporting humanitarian assistance programs in Darfur; and
To appoint a special envoy to coordinate US policy in the region.
Click here to email President Bush today. Today is World Refugee Day today - a day set aside to remember the millions of refugees around the globe - and now is the time to remind President Bush of the plight of Darfur's 2.5 million refugees.

Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

P.S. Would you consider making a tax deductible contribution to support our work? Click here to make a secure, online donation.

If the Rubensteins of America believe peace can be restored in an African country through uninvited military action and occupation, why don't they first sort out their own back yard and make a start with the Klu Klux Klan? Jerry Fowler has a good blog but I don't agree with his warmongering stance either. In his blog entry June 20, 2006 he provides an excerpt from a briefing yesterday by the International Crisis Group that says:

Fighting between rebel and government forces is down somewhat but violence is worse in some areas due to clashes between SLA factions, banditry, and inter-tribal feuds, while the Chad border remains volatile. If the DPA [Darfur Peace Agreement] is not to leave Darfur more fragmented and conflict-prone than before, the international community must rapidly take practical measures to shore up its security provisions, improve prospects for the displaced to return home, bring in the holdouts and rapidly deploy a robust UN peacekeeping force with Chapter VII authority.

And he goes on to say:

ICG calls for five steps to be taken urgently: 1) targeted sanctions on anyone who violates the ceasefire; 2) unstinting efforts to widen popular acceptance of the DPA; 3) strengthening of the AU force; 4) UN Security Council authorization under Chapter VII of the UN Charter of a force to take over from the AU by October 1; and 5) efforts by the EU and NATO to insure that the UN force has the capability to respond effectively to ceasefire violations.

I say, why not put the onus on the three main rebel groups? They are the ones creating most of the trouble and violence right now. 4) and 5) should not be necessary if rebels and tribal leaders abide by ceasefire agreements. Pressure should be put on them to stop their violence, robbing and killing sprees, not for the international community to supply weapons and troops requested by the thugs and gangsters! Surely the only solution is for the warring parties to adhere to ceasefire agreements, denounce violence and fight for what they want using non-violent means.

One of my favourite bloggers, a Sudanese student in Malaysia, who goes by the name of Drima at The Sudanese Thinker, blogs his take on Darfur: the Situation So Far and concludes by saying

"I'm really getting p*ssed off and mad at the amount of garbage so called self-proclaimed professionals are churning out about the Darfur conflict. I have no idea where on earth they get their so called facts. They're on a mission to marginalize the former terrorism harboring Sudanese government as much as possible. They're using this conflict and blowing it out of proportions to pin every single tiny problem on the Sudanese government [edit] why not marginalize it the proper way? Why spread and market such garbage?"

- - -

Jun 22 2006 Darfuris living in the US hope to move the US to take new action

Jun 22 2006 SPLM nominated Dr Akec Khoc, a Dinka tribesman living in Minnesota USA, for position with new government

Sudan's Misariyah tribe sees Abyei Report as a call for war and seeks 'traditional' settlement to border row

An Arab tribe in Sudan wants to resolve a territorial dispute over the southern Abyei region through tribal elders rather than a border commission, a tribal leader said Sunday. Sudan Tribune report June 19, 2006:

The Misariyah and Dinka Ngok tribes have been locked in a heated dispute with each claiming ownership of the territory, and the Misariyah have angrily rejected boundaries proposed in a report by an international commission for the district.

"This report is a call for war. It is rejected in total and in detail," Sadek Abu Nimir, a senior leader of the Misariyah tribe, said.

Nimir's comments came in response to statements by Carlo Kojgor, head of the Dinka Ngok community in north Sudan, that an administration should be formed to oversee the boundary issues -- but excluding the Masiriyah tribe.

An administration "as provided for in the Abyei Protocol should be set up immediately", but "Misariyah participation in this administration is absolutely rejected", Kojgor was quoted as saying in the Sudanese newspaper Al-Sudani.

The Misariyah are Arab nomads who formed pro-government militias during the two-decade war between Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), while the Dinka Ngok are mainly farmers who sided with the SPLA in the conflict.

Under a January 2005 peace deal between the government and the SPLA, the district is one of three granted special status during six years of interim autonomy in the south, leading to a referendum on independence.

Nimir argued that a traditional method of tribal mediation was more suitable to solving the border dispute, which he believes threatens the peace agreement.

"Abyei can be a poisoned knife in the side of the (peace agreement) ... if it is not tackled with wisdom, leaving it to the leaders and elders from the Misariyah and Dinka Ngok who are capable of agreeing on a solution," Nimir said.

He said the reconciliatory meeting should include elders of the two tribes "who actually live in Abyei, and without sponsorship by the government or the SPLA (who) should leave the decision making to the two parties".

Abyei's fate was one of the main stumbling blocks in years of tortuous negotiations between the government and the SPLA that culminated in the peace deal.

Under an agreement reached in May 2004, a formula was established for sharing out oil revenues from the district and providing for a referendum in 2011 on whether the district should join the north or the south.

Abyei was heavily depopulated during Sudan's civil war, Africa's longest-running conflict.

May 30 2006 Interview with Dr Douglas H Johnson, expert on the Abyei Boundary Commission - Hofre Nahas area; part of Bahr El Ghazal transferred to Darfur in 1960s

For further reports, click on Abyei label here below.

Could Sudan create peace and mass employment with a $20 billion "Great Man Made River Project" like Libya's?

If the African Union Mission in Darfur costs the international community $1 billion per year, imagine the cost of even more troops (in addition to the 10,000 UN peacekeepers in southern Sudan) year after year, all because a small minority of gangsters and thugs in Sudan feel unable to lay down their guns and fight for what they want using non-violent means.

What if such vast sums of money spent on war were used instead to create jobs to engineer the flow of drinking water to the people, animals and farmland in Sudan? With enough water for all of the people in Sudan, there is no limit to what they could achieve. They would not have to fight over watering holes and arable land.

When does a gainfully employed person have time to roam around robbing, murdering and creating mayhem? People are usually too tired for such things after a good days work.

Here's an idea. Could Sudan bring peace and gainful employment for all of its citizens with a $20 billion "Great Man Made River Project" like Libya's? Surely a charismatic leader could persuade the Sudanese people to lay down their arms in exchange for the billions of dollars donors are being asked to expend on peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid?

Oh, and while I am dreaming: I wish for Khartoum to separate religion from government and set up its countrywide administration to mirror the systems of other large countries like Canada and the USA.

Today's Sudan reminds me of the American wild west, 250 years ago. Cowboys fighting indians. Sudan sure has a lot of catching up to do. Water and education for all of the children in Sudan are key to the country's unity and survival.

LIBYA'S $20 BILLION "GREAT MAN MADE RIVER PROJECT"

The following is a copy of a fascinating BBC World Service report by John Watkins, March 18 2006.

Libyans like to call it "the eighth wonder of the world". The description might be flattering, but the Great Man-Made River Project has the potential to transform Libyan life in all sorts of ways.



Photo: Phase III is now nearing completion (BBC)

Libya is a desert country, and finding fresh water has always been a problem. Following the Great Al-Fatah Revolution in 1969, when an army coup led by Muammar Al Qadhafi deposed King Idris, industrialisation put even more strain on water supplies. Coastal aquifers became contaminated with sea water, to such an extent that the water in Benghazi (Libya's second city) was undrinkable.

Finding a supply of fresh, clean water became a government priority. Oil exploration in the 1950s had revealed vast aquifers beneath Libya's southern desert. According to radiocarbon analysis, some of the water in the aquifers was 40,000 years old. Libyans call it "fossil water".

After weighing up the relative costs of desalination or transporting water from Europe, Libyan economists decided that the cheapest option was to construct a network of pipelines to transport water from the desert to the coastal cities, where most Libyans live.

Proud nation

In August 1984, Muammar Al Qadhafi laid the foundation stone for the pipe production plant at Brega. The Great Man-Made River Project had begun.

Click here to see a map of the pipeline network.

Libya had oil money to pay for the project, but it did not have the technical or engineering expertise for such a massive undertaking.

Foreign companies from South Korea, Turkey, Germany, Japan, the Philippines and the UK were invited to help.



Photo: It is impossible not to be impressed with the scale of the project (BBC)

In September 1993, Phase I water from eastern well-fields at Sarir and Tazerbo reached Benghazi. Three years later, Phase II, bringing water to Tripoli from western well-fields at Jebel Hassouna, was completed.

Phase III which links the first two Phases is still under construction.

Adam Kuwairi, a senior figure in the Great Man-Made River Authority (GMRA), vividly remembers the impact the fresh water had on him and his family.

"The water changed lives. For the first time in our history, there was water in the tap for washing, shaving and showering," he told the BBC World Service's Discovery programme.

"The quality of life is better now, and it's impacting on the whole country."

To get an idea of the scale of the Great Man-Made River Project, you have to visit some of the sites.



Photo: The Grand Omar Mukhtar will be Libya's largest man-made reservoir (BBC)

Libya is opening up, but it's still hard for foreign journalists to get visas. We had to wait almost six months for ours; but once we arrived in Libya, Libyans were eager to tell us about the project.

They took us to see a reservoir under construction at Suluq. When it's finished, the Grand Omar Mukhtar will be Libya's largest man-made reservoir.

Standing on the floor of such a huge, empty space is an awesome experience. Concrete walls rise steeply to the sky; tarring machines descend on wires to lay a waterproof coating over the concrete.

Further west along the coast is the Pre-Stressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe factory at Brega. This is where they make the 4m-diameter pipes that transport water from the desert to the coast.



Photo: Libyans are gaining experience and know-how, and now more than 70% of the manufacturing is done by Libyans - Ali Ibrahim, Brega pipe factory (BBC)

It's a modern, well-equipped factory, built specially for the Great Man-Made River Project. So far, the factory has made more than half a million pipes.

The pipes are designed to last 50 years, and each pipe has a unique identification mark, so if anything goes wrong, engineers can quickly establish when the pipe was made.

The engineer in charge of the Brega pipe factory is Ali Ibrahim. He is proud that Libyans are now running the factory: "At first, we had to rely on foreign-owned companies to do the work.

"But now it's government policy to involve Libyans in the project. Libyans are gaining experience and know-how, and now more than 70% of the manufacturing is done by Libyans. With time, we hope we can decrease the foreign percentage from 30% to 10%."

Opening markets

With fossil water available in most of Libya's coastal cities, the government is now beginning to use its water for agriculture.

Over the country as a whole, 130,000 hectares of land will be irrigated for new farms. Some land will be given to small farmers who will grow produce for the domestic market. Large farms, run at first with foreign help, will concentrate on the crops that Libya currently has to import: wheat, oats, corn and barley.

Libya also hopes to make inroads into European and Middle-Eastern markets. An organic grape farm has been set up near Benghazi. Because the soil is so fertile, agronomists hope to grow two cereal crops a year.



Photo: Water is seen as key to the country's future prosperity. The quality of life is better now, and it's impacting on the whole country, Adam Kuwairi, GMRA (BBC)

It is hard to fault the Libyans on their commitment. The country has spent almost $30bn (GBP 17bn) on the Great Man-made River Project. That money has bought 5,000km of pipeline that can transport 6.5 million cubic metres of water a day from over a thousand desert wells.

As a result, Libya is now a world leader in hydrological engineering, and it wants to export its expertise to other African and Middle-Eastern countries facing the same problems with their water.

Through its agriculture, Libya hopes to gain a foothold in Europe's consumer market.

But the Great Man-Made River Project is much more than an extraordinary piece of engineering.

Adam Kuwairi argues that the success of the Great Man-Made River Project has increased Libya's standing in the world: "It's another addition to our independence; it gives us the confidence to survive."

Of course, there are questions. No-one is sure how long the water will last. And until the farms are working, it's impossible to say whether they will be able to deliver the quantity and quality of produce for which the planners are hoping.

But the combination of water and oil has given Libya a sound economic platform. Ideally placed as the "Gateway to Africa", Libya is in a good position to play an increasingly influential role in the global economy.

All Darfur's tribes must be brought into the peace process - Janjaweed are one of the keys to a lasting settlement

"It's time to say it, loud and clear: The newborn Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) is on its death bed. Without determined action to save it, the war in Darfur will continue," writes Julie Flint in her latest commentary at The Daily Star June 20, 2006. Excerpt:

Darfurians have to be shown that this peace, although flawed, can work for them. This means meeting deadlines, forming committees, stopping Khartoum's security officials from taking them over and, above all, shouting from the rooftops every time a signatory steps out of line. It is not enough to slap wrists behind closed doors. The people of Darfur need to hear the "peacemakers" being called to account or they will never have any faith in the peace.

If the DPA is to survive, those who forced it across the finish line must turn their attention to the commanders who, unlike Minawi, have popular support. Rather than antagonize them, they must help them unite, organize and join an inter-communal dialogue that can put right some of what is wrong with the DPA. Without this, the DPA will be what Zaghawa are already calling it: "the Ila Digen peace" - the peace of Minawi's clan.

My view is the onus to protect millions of defenceless women and children in Sudan and Chad ought to be put on ALL of the warring parties to agree a ceasefire, disarm and fight for what they want using non-violent means.

Surely there is a limit to what can be done to force help on people who don't want help. It is up to the Sudanese people to make peace, or get out. Leave the country. That's all I can think of to say right now. My feelings are that momentum has been lost, Sudan has missed a golden opportunity for peace and cannot be helped much more. The rebels have missed their big chance. You can draw a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. There are worse things happening in DR Congo and northern Uganda.

Jerry Fowler in his blog entry at Voices on Genocide Prevention, comments on Julie Flint's piece saying she'd denounced Darfur rebel leader Minni Minnawi as a war criminal and criticised the U.S. for thinking that an agreement between the Khartoum government and Minni could bring peace to Darfur.

Jerry quoted the following extract from Julie's piece:

The United States must increase confidence in the peace agreement by fiercely rebuking the Khartoum government - and Mr Minnawi - for every violation of the agreement and every deadline they fail to meet. All Darfur's tribes must be brought into the peace process - most important, the Arab tribes that had no place at the Abuja table, even though the vast majority of them did not join the janjaweed. And no regional dialogue would be complete without the involvement of the janjaweed themselves, who despite their atrocities are one of the keys to a lasting settlement.

And he went on to say:

Julie has previously argued for the importance of getting Abdul Wahid, Minni's rival, to accept the DPA. She may be giving up on Abdul Wahid, because now she's talking about "assist[ing] rebel commanders critical of Mr. Minnawi to convene a conference and elect a leadership that would cross tribal lines and have popular support." I've heard from other sources that there is an effort underway in both the Abdul Wahid faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to elect new leaders who would sign the DPA. As things stand now, it certainly appears that support for the DPA inside Darfur is very narrow.

Sudanese President Bashir rejects international military intervention in Darfur

One may as well take the following quote as the final word in the matter of international troops with a Chapter 7 mandate in Darfur:

"I swear that there will not be any international military intervention in Darfur as long as I am in power," Mr Bashir was quoted as telling a meeting of his ruling National Congress late on Monday.

"Sudan, which was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence, cannot now be the first country to be re-colonised," he said.

Full report BBC 20 June 2006.

Denmark backs transition to UN force in Darfur

"Denmark supports a UN takeover of the peacekeeping mission in Sudan," said Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, adding that the Government would "positively consider a military contribution if the UN requests so." - UN News Centre 19 June 2006.

Access for aid getting worse in Sudan despite accord - UN

Snippets from UN News Centre report June 19, 2006:

"In the last three months we have had deterioration in getting access in Darfur. There are at least 250,000 people we cannot reach, they are mainly in western Darfur, but they are also in North Darfur, reasons for the lack of access are mainly due to infighting," said Mr da Silva [Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator].

Apart from the increased political infighting among rebel groups, and banditry of the past three weeks in the Darfur region, Mr da Silva said there had however been a "clear reduction of clashes" between the Government and the Sudan Liberation Army forces, but he added that there was "tension in the IDP (internally displaced people) camps," related to the fact that people there do not recognize last month's peace agreement.

"It is the Government's responsibility to take care of its own people, but we cannot be held responsible for what happens to people we cannot reach," Mr da Silva concluded.

Khartoum, eastern rebels sign truce

The Sudanese government and east Sudan rebels have signed a ceasefire deal following talks in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, Aljazeera reported June 19, 2006:

The two sides on Monday also agreed on a set of principles for negotiating a full peace agreement.

The deals were signed by Mustafa Osman Ismail, a Sudanese presidential adviser, and Musa Mohamed Ahmed, the head of the Eastern Front.

"We are only at the beginning of the road, we have a long way to go," Ismail said.

"The Eastern Front will continue discussions for a lasting peaceful settlement," added Ahmed.

The talks began on June 13 after Omar al-Beshir, the Sudanese president, and his Eritrean counterpart, Assaias Afeworki, held a rare meeting in Khartoum, which analysts believe boosted the chances of a truce.

Sudan's FM Akol denies opposition to UN forces

Akol: The Sudanese government has categorically rejected a role by the UN under Chapter 7. But it is possible for the UN to play a role in supervising the implementation of the peace agreement after holding negotiations with us.

Full report Sudan Tribune June 18, 2006.

Darfur rebels arrive in Khartoum amid high security

Reuters report by Opheera McDoom, June 18, 2006, excerpt:

Darfur rebels arrived in Khartoum on Sunday for the first time since a peace agreement was signed last month amid tight security as they begin to implement the deal, rejected by many in Sudan.

The African Union-mediated May 5 deal was signed by only one of the three of the negotiating factions despite intense global pressure. The two groups who are holding out say the accord did not address their basic demands.

The advance team of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by Minni Arcua Minnawi who did sign will form a transitional authority for Darfur to oversee implementation of the deal and development of the remote western region, ravaged by more than three years of conflict.

"It is important to have the signatories of the Darfur peace agreement here because ... their presence will be extremely important for the good will of the implementation," said African Union spokesman Noureddine Mezni in Khartoum.

Minnawi did not return with the delegation despite a presidential decree granting all those who have signed the deal an amnesty to allay suspicions the government may arrest him. He remains in his rebel-controlled areas in Darfur.

Minnawi said earlier this month in an interview with Reuters he did still did not fully trust his partners in peace.

His advance team refused to meet waiting journalists at the airport, preferring to speed off to their government hotel.

Implementation of the deal has already fallen behind schedule as a Darfuri presidential adviser has not been appointed and the transitional regional authority has yet to be formed.

"Now we will start the real business with them to implement the Darfur peace agreement which is highly important," Mezni said.

The most important upcoming deadline is June 22, by when the government has to present a plan to the African Union to disarm the proxy Arab militias they used to quell the revolt and are blamed for much of the current violence.

- - -

Jun 11 2006 Sudan Tribune report: Sudan's al-Bachir to issue amnesty decree for Darfur deal signatories

SLA's Minnawi threatens to quit Darfur peace deal

The only rebel leader to have endorsed the Darfur Peace Agreement threatened to pull out of the deal geared at ending three years of war if the international community does not move to support him fast, AP/ST reported June 17, 2006 - excerpt:

"The responsibility for the peace cannot remain on my sole shoulders," Minawi said in an Associated Press interview late Friday. He warned that the peace agreement could "collapse soon" if the international community failed to send a United Nations peacekeeping force to this remote region of western Sudan.

"If I don't see support from the international community, I will return to the bush and the fighting will continue," Minawi said. He declined to specify when this could occur.

He accused the government of neighboring Chad of supporting the Darfur rebel groups that refused the peace deal and attack his troops since.

"The (Sudanese) government, all the embassies in Khartoum, have evidence that Chad is sending funds, equipment and troops to north Darfur, it is unacceptable," Minawi said.

Abdelwahid al-Nur the leader of the second SLM faction - along with the Justice and Equality Movement, another guerrilla group - refused to sign accord, saying it did not fairly compensate refugees.

Al-Nur belongs to the Fur tribe, as do most of the refugees, and opposition to the peace agreement has lead to increased tension in the camps.

Many refugees call Minawi - who belongs to another large tribe, the Zaghawas - a traitor. Aid workers say they are worried interethnic strife could occur in some refugee camps where people have begun to regroup along tribal lines.

Humanitarian and UN workers who operate in North Darfur say SLM factions loyal to al-Nur are repeatedly breaching the ceasefire there and gaining significant ground on Minawi's troops.

A UN report earlier this week also said that the Minnawi faction apparently retaliated in an attack on rival SLM factions, the first largescale offensive since the peace agreement.

Minawi strongly denied this, stating that groups who broke the ceasefire did not belong to his movement. He said his troops only fought defensively. "We are soldiers, it is normal for us to defend ourselves if were are under attack," Minawi said.

The rebel leader blamed increased violence in North Darfur on the support his adversaries were getting from Chad, and possibly Khartoum. He said Chadian mercenaries and even regular troops were known to operate in the north of the region, but did not specify in what numbers.

Mazjoub Khalifa, the special adviser to the Sudanese president, who signed the Darfur peace agreement on behalf of the government, denied any meddling from Sudan in the rebel infighting.

"The government of Sudan has signed a peace agreement and will loyally support Minni Minawi in implementing it," Khalifa told the AP of the telephone from Khartoum.

He said Khartoum was aware of possible Chadian incursions in Darfur. "We intend to make sure the border is closed, and have sent a very firm message to the Chadian government," Khalifa said. He did not elaborate.

The UN security council voted last month to send a peacekeeping force into Darfur to replace an African Union mission that has proved largely unable to return stability to the area.

A joint assessment team of UN and AU officials is touring the region to see how the takeover could take place, and Security Council members have said the transition could occur in early 2007. But Khartoum has shown little enthusiasm.

Minawi said UN troops should come soon, or the ongoing violence would make the peace agreement impossible to implement.

He said refugees hostile to the peace deal were being manipulated by Al-Nur's faction, but that his movement would not be able to win them over to peace if the near daily killing, raping and looting of refugees continued.

Humanitarian workers say over 100,000 people have been cut off from international aid in North Darfur because of inter-rebel fighting.

Sudan: We are fully mandated to conclude peace, Ismail - blaming non-tapping of Sudan's resources on conflict

Sudan Vision June 16, 2006 via ANDnetwork.com:

The Eastern Sudan peace talks between the Government of National Unity (GoNU) and Eastern Sudan Front opened yesterday in the Eritrean Capital, Asmara. The Government delegation is headed by the President's Advisor, Dr Mustafa Osman Ismail, while the Front delegation is led by Mussa Mohammed Ahmed.

"One of the parties of the GoNU is to realize peace in all parts of Sudan," said Dr. Ismail in his address to the inaugural session, adding that no sustainable peace would be achieved unless peace is realized all over Sudan.

"The government strategy to address problems does not lie in the use of arms, but by resorting to dialogue," Ismail added. The head of Government delegation stressed the importance of building a new Sudan on the core justice, equality, the equitable distribution of wealth, power and democratic transformation.

"The government delegation has come with heart and mind, mandated by the President and the Vice-President, in addition to the Council of Ministers to conclude a comprehensive peace acceptable to all parties and capable of bringing stability and realizing development to Eastern Sudan," Ismail Said.

The Presidential Advisor stated that the negotiations could be difficult, but, according to him they have the resolve to transcend these difficulties with the help of Eritrea. The head of the delegation blamed non-tapping of Sudan's resources on conflict.

Darfur governor warns against deploying UN forces

The governor of Sudan's West Darfur state warned Thursday against deploying "international" troops in Darfur, saying the African Union peacekeeping force already there should do the job. Sudan Tribune report June 15, 2006 (Khartoum) - excerpt:

Jaafar Abdel Hakim Ishaq, quoted by the official SUNA news agency, also said a "disaster would befall Darfur if international forces entered the region without the consent of the Sudanese government."

Ishaq, speaking in the state capital of Geneina with a visiting delegation from the United Nations and the African Union, did not elaborate on what the disaster might be.

The team of high-ranking officials has been in Sudan since last week to study the possibility of a handover of AU peacekeeping responsibilities to the UN.

UN officials have made it clear they want to replace the embattled AU forces with better-equipped troops mandated by the world body.

But Ishaq warned against "the grave consequences of international forces entering the state" and called for "reliance on the African forces mission and supporting it so as to fully discharge its responsibilities."

Meanwhile, despite everything that has been reported lately (scroll down the last month of posts here) Eric Reeves in his latest opinion piece (June 16, 2006 "The UN Security Council and a Final Betrayal of Darfur: No willingness to confront Khartoum on the need for civilian and humanitarian protection") manages to write a whole page without mentioning JEM and SLM-Nur's activities in the Sudan.

French officials travel to Chad to urge Deby to engage in political dialogue

VOA report (via Sudan Tribune June 15 2006) reveals two senior French officials flew to Chad to convince President Deby to open a dialogue with leaders of the political opposition:

A French official contacted by VOA in Paris said the purpose of the diplomatic visit was to strongly insist that President Deby renew dialogue with the country's legal opposition.

That message will be delivered to President Deby by French Cooperation Minister Brigitte Girardin and senior French official Michel de Bonnecorse, known in the government as Mr Africa.

Jun 15 2006 Sudan seeks France help to restore relations with Chad - FM

Jun 16 2006 France would join any international operation in Chad - UK says camps in Chad need police protection

Jun 16 2006 In Tine, along Sudan-Chad border, residents attribute violence to Darfur rebel group JEM

Oil Fuels displacement in South Sudan - report

Refugees International said in a report published Wednesday that South Sudan has seen a rapid increase in oil exploration initiatives since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005.

The new investment potentially threatens the safety of Sudanese living in oil-rich South Sudan and displaced people returning home to these areas. In Upper Nile State in south Sudan there are reports of forced migration and violence in the areas of oil exploration. - Sudan Tribune June 16, 2006.

In Tine, along Sudan-Chad border, residents attribute violence to Darfur rebel group JEM

Somewhere in my blog archives are reports of oil to be found along the Chad-Sudan border. Copied here below is a report from Deutsche Presse Agentur by Noel King in Tine, Chad-Sudan, 15 June 2006. It reminds us of JEM's attack on Tine in July 2003 and JEM's occupation of the Sudanese Embassy in April, around the time of the failed attempts to kill and/or overthrow Chadian President Deby.

Up until recently, JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim used Chad, President Deby is a tribal ally, as a base. A few months ago, Deby told Ibrahim if he did not sign the Darfur Peace Agreement by May 31, he must leave Chad as the AU and UN are sanctioning non-signatories.

Ibrahim has political asylum in France and, it seems, went to Libya after his forced departure from Chad in April - Chad expelled him after his occupation of the Sudanese embassy (see further reading below). Recently, Ibrahim returned from Slovenia. Some news reports on the eastern Sudan peace talks indicate he is now in Asmara. Here is the DPA report:

Tine, near Sudan's border with Chad is a ghost town. Houses are overgrown with weeds, their brick walls crumbling, their thatched roofs torn open.

The silent streets wind past a graveyard where the dead, who were killed by a Sudanese government airstrike, were hastily honoured with crude stone markers before the residents of the Darfuri town fled.

His wife and children gone, Zubeir Ismail tries to retain some sense of normalcy, offering visitors stale peanuts and dates.

Ismail has painful memories of the violence that trimmed the population of Tine from more than 3,000 people to fewer than 300.

"On July 9, 2003 the rebels attacked Tine and people started fleeing," Ismail told Deutsche Presse Agentur dpa.

"Then the government started an airstrike and everyone left. My wife and children went to the refugee camps in Chad."

Ismail is a relative of the village leader and has stayed to look after the man's house.

In most Darfuri villages, residents tell horror stories of attacks by militias known as Janjaweed.

But in Tine, which straddles the Sudan/Chad border, residents attribute the violence to the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which attacked government positions three years ago.

After an aerial bombardment by the government, the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) then occupied the town for four tumultuous months.

Today, Tine, Sudan is relatively secure, patrolled regularly by Sudan government soldiers who appear to have a friendly relationship with the people here.

But in Tine, Chad, less than one kilometre away, an attack on June 4 left some twenty rebels and Chadian soldiers dead, thousands of residents on edge, and observers saying they expect more violence from Chadian rebels based in Sudan.

In April, rebels swept across Chad from Darfur, attacking the capital of Ndjamena in an attempt to unseat President Idris Deby. The rebellion was put down, but Deby immediately cut ties with Sudan, claiming his neighbour had helped to arm and harbour the rebel United Front for Change (FUC).

Since then, there have been sporadic attacks along the common border that is blithely ignored by the people who have family on both sides of the border.

"When the gunfire started I ran across the border to get my children," says Hawa Hamid of the recent attack.

"They live with their grandmother in Tine, Chad, because the school in Tine, Sudan, closed down."

Hamid managed to run with her three children to safety but says she will send them back to Chad to continue their schooling.

The mother of three is in a very difficult position in this family-oriented region and says that she still makes her children their school lunches and sends them across the border whenever she can.

African Union troops based in Tine were equally unnerved by the recent attack. They could see and hear heavy arms fire across the valley which marks the border, but the AU mandate forbids them to cross over to Chadian soil.

"The rebels came in from Sudan. I am sure of that. They attacked the Chadian armed forces and then retreated back into Sudan," says Siddiq Sherif, a Chadian mediator working with the AU in Darfur.

Unlike most AU troops, Sherif is allowed to cross into Chad because of his position as a mediator in the region.

"These are the same rebels that launched the April 13th attack," Sherif told dpa. Sherif says he believes the Chadian rebels have the support of the Sudan government.

While the AU would not comment on reports that the government of Sudan is arming the rebels, the continental body said intelligence reports suggest the rebels who attacked Tine, Chad, were members of the United Front for Change (FUC).

The few men and women left in Tine, Sudan, say they will not leave anytime soon, though there are no aid agencies present due to the town's tiny population.

Many residents say they do not have enough food and water.

Halima Abdel Omer sums up the position of those who have their choices limited to one war zone or another.

"I am Sudanese," she says. "I'll stay in my own country and wait for the others to return."

- - -

The President of Sudan has denied supporting rebels who are trying to topple the President in neighbouring Chad:

Mar 15 2006 IRIN - Chad" Coup attempt foiled, government says: A 15 March government statement named seven military officers who allegedly "aimed to shoot down" Deby's plane as he returned from a summit of central African leaders in Equatorial Guinea. Since October 2005 waves of Chadian soldiers and military officers have deserted their posts and joined rebels in the eastern part of Chad bordering Darfur. Several rebel groups in December formed an alliance, including the Platform for Change, National Unity and Democracy (known by its French acronym SCUD) formed by Chadian army deserters and led by Yaya Dillo Djerou, and the Rally for Democracy and Liberty led by Mahamat Nour.

Apr 17 2006 Aegis Trust - Chad coup failure: Implications for Darfur: On 13 April, rebels widely believed to have been backed by Sudan launched an assault in Ndjamena in an attempt to topple the Government of Idris Deby. They were swiftly crushed by Government forces. In the wake of the failed coup attempt, Chad has severed diplomatic relations with Sudan and withdrawn from its role as mediator at talks in Abuja between the Government of Sudan and Darfur's African rebels.

Apr 21 2006 Sudan Tribune - Chad expels JEM rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim after occupation of Sudanese embassy: Khalil Ibrahim has political asylum in France and, it seems, went to Libya after his forced departure from Chad.

May 18 2006 JEM leader will have to leave Chad if he does not sign Darfur peace deal by May 31: Deby told Ibrahim if he does not sign by May 31, he must leave Chad as the AU and UN are sanctioning non-signatories.

May 29 2006 JEM's Ibrahim and SLM/A faction travel to Slovenia in an attempt to get their demands met

May 31 2006 Slovenia says JEM needs to stay in the Darfur peace process - JEM leadership will have to make a decision in Slovenia

Jun 2 2006 Darfur's JEM rebel leader says "We're going to have our own country"

Jun 4 2006 Chadian army, rebels battle near Sudan border - Is RDL/FUC leader Mahamat Nour dead or alive?

Jun 5 2006 Drnovsek and Prince Albert II agree on resolving Darfur crisis - JEM leader in Slovenia

Jun 9 2006 AU says four Darfur faction leaders back peace agreement: Ustaz Abdel Raheem Adam Abdel Raheem Abu Risha (general secretary for JEM, Southern Darfur)

Jun 8 2006 AFP report via Middle East Times - Darfur Islamists emerge as key to east Sudan peace: While the Eastern Front has similar aims to its counterparts in Darfur - autonomy and greater control over their region's resources - their newfound allies in the JEM demand a seat on the presidency, key to eventual national power.

Jun 13 2006 Reuters and Sudan Tribune - Darfur's JEM rebels threaten to topple eastern Sudan peace talks - SPLA hands over Hamesh Koreb to Kassala State

MSF: Over 10,000 people flee violence in Chad

MSF press release Um Dukhun, West Darfur confirms more than 10,000 people have fled violence and insecurity in southeastern Chad and crossed the border to take refuge in Darfur.

In the second week of May, refugees in search of security started arriving in Um Dukhun, a small town in the southwestern corner of Darfur located at a junction with the borders of Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). Most of the new arrivals are Chadian, but a significant minority is Sudanese who initially fled the conflict in Darfur and entered Chad as long as three years ago and now have been displaced again.

France would join any international operation in Chad - UK says camps in Chad need police protection

Reuters report by Evelyn Leopold June 16, 2006. Excerpts:

France asked the United Nations on Thursday to consider ways to protect refugee camps in Chad, where rebels forcibly recruit Darfur survivors of murderous attacks by Sudanese militia.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere and his British counterpart, Emyr Jones Parry, addressed the U.N. Security Council on the 15-member body's recent trip to Sudan and Chad, aimed at convincing the Khartoum government to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force in its western region of Darfur.

"It is appropriate for the secretary-general (Kofi Annan) to consider this question of international protection of the camps and make recommendations to us," de la Sabliere told the council. "Personally I can only see advantages of this."

He did not elaborate on what kind of protection, such as troops, police or guards, he had in mind.

Chadian president Idriss Deby had told the diplomats, after they visited camps near Goz Beida, about 60 miles (100 km) from the Sudan border, that he was unable to care for the homeless and asked for international help.

"If nothing is done in this area, we will see a deterioration in all respects," de la Sabliere said.

France, which has about 1,000 airmen stationed in its former colony, has said it would not provide protection for the Chadian camps but would join any international operation.

Jones Parry, during the visit, was more noncommittal about U.N. security for Chad, saying the camps needed police protection rather than the kind of U.N. troops envisioned for Darfur.

Jones Parry said that Sudan's President Omar Hassan Bashir made "clear that he did not think external troops should be mandated to attack Sudanese."

"We looked to them to fulfill that responsibility now."

The Khartoum government, however, has not accepted U.N. peacekeepers for Darfur and has objected to a robust mandate the council wants so the troops can protect civilians.

However, Jones Parry said, "By the end of our visit, the mission felt we had edged further toward the probability of the government accepting a U.N. force."

Tanzanian ambassador, Augustine Mahiga, noted that the African Union, now fielding troops in Darfur, firmly supported U.N. peacekeepers and was "waiting for expeditious deployment."

The council mission, from June 5 to June 12, went to Khartoum, Darfur, Juba, the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to talk to African Union officials, and visited refugee camps in Chad as well as the capital, N'Djamena. The trip ended in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

- - -

Jun 15 2006 Sudan Tribune and LA Times - Sudan seeks France help to restore relations with Chad - FM

Jun 15 2006 UN press release and UN News Centre report - UN Security Council told that Sudan Government is closer to agreeing on UN Darfur force

Jun 15 2006 UN and Reuters - International Criminal Court Prosecutor briefs UN Security Council on Darfur, says will not draw conclusions on genocide until investigation complete

Jun 16 2006 BBC - UN moves to transfer Taylor trial