Sudanese FM Lam Akol says only parties to the DPA could agree any changes and amend the deal when reality on ground dictates

Sudan's foreign minister on Monday rejected suggestions by SRSG Jan Pronk to make additions to the Darfur Peace Agreement, Reuters' Opheera McDoom reported today - excerpt:

U.N. special envoy Jan Pronk wrote in his June 28 weblog that many things needed to added to the May 5 peace deal such as more transparency in disarming pro-government militias and international security guarantees, which were key demands of the rebels who refused to sign the deal.

But Foreign Minister Lam Akol dismissed Pronk's statement. "An addition is an amendment," he told reporters in Khartoum, adding only the parties to the deal could agree any changes to the deal. "We will never accept an amendment because Pronk says ... we will amend the peace deal when the reality on the ground dictates (and) it does not," he added.

Pronk called this a "new political fact" that required additions to the deal. But Akol said Pronk was in no position to say that. Calling Pronk "junior", he said: "Do I believe Pronk or do I believe (U.N. Secretary-General) Kofi Annan?" he said, adding Annan had not echoed his envoy's words when he met him on Sunday.

I say, do you think Mr Pronk would use his personal weblog to suggest how to put new life into Darfur's Peace Agreement, without clearance from his employers? I don't think he would. If you want to break an impasse, float an idea, open up dialogue, start a debate, shake a few trees, use a weblog! I'd like to see President Bashir start one. I'm serious, it would be great to learn more about life in Khartoum and what his colleagues, family and friends think about the millions of Sudanese people without homes, food, water, medics, education and gainful employment. I wonder what Mr Akol means when he says "... we will amend the peace deal when the reality on the ground dictates."



Photo: Sudan's National Assembly. Sudan Tribune article Sudanese parliament ratifies Darfur Peace Agreement July 1, 2006.

Displaced people in Mornei, West Darfur



Photo: Displaced persons rallying in camp Mornei, 30 miles South of El Geneina, West Darfur. The people demonstrate for peace, but against the Darfur Peace Agreement and against the cut in the food rations which had been announced shortly after the signing of the agreement. Caption: Jan Pronk - Weblog June 26, 2006. Photo: Paula Souverijn-Eisenberg

Romeo Dallaire says Darfur "is not a genocide but it is a (case of) massive crimes against humanity"

Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian senator (Liberal) who once commanded the UN mission in Rwanda, says AMIS needs "a second wave of reinforcements" to be able to wait out the arrival of UN troops, which won't be until sometime next year, Ottawa Citizen Laura Payton reported July 3, 2006. Excerpt:

Darfur has been the focus of much of Dallaire's public statements recently, and last week brought him the opportunity to make some progress as part of a UN committee on genocide prevention, which met for the first time to discuss its mandate.

The committee will focus on gathering intelligence and giving advice to the UN secretary general and the Security Council, the body at the UN that decides when to begin military action. Dallaire said the committee hopes to prevent future genocides like the 1994 massacre in Rwanda.

Besides watching out for genocide specifically, the committee wants to look at human rights abuses that don't qualify as genocide, like Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge or the ongoing violence in Sudan. "Cambodia killed a couple of million (people) but it wasn't a genocide because it was politically motivated, (involving people of) the same ethnicity," he said. Likewise, Darfur "is not a genocide but it is a (case of) massive crimes against humanity."

Note, the Canadian government (Conservative) pledged $20 million to the African union mission in Sudan last month. Canada has contributed $190 million to the mission since 2004, including money, equipment and military and civilian experts.

Bashir tells AU summit Chadian officers and soldiers fighting alongside rebels in Darfur and calls for protection of Sudanese refugees in Chad camps

July 3, 2006 Sudan Tribune report - Sudan expresses readiness to normalize bilateral ties with Chad - excerpt:

Addressing the African Summit on Sunday, President Omar al-Bashir stressed that Sudan has no interest to undermine the security of Chad, especially that its was working to boost the security in Darfur, which is related to the conditions in Chad.

He said that the implementation of the recently signed Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) would be difficult, unless comprehensive stability in Chad is achieved. He indicated that Sudan has made several attempts for normalization of its relations with neighbour Chad, despite the Chadian interventions in Darfur.

Al-Bashir denied in his speech Chadian accusations, adding that it was not true to claim that all the incidents in Chad were the creation of Sudan. He said that Chadian officers and soldiers are fighting alongside the rebels in Darfur.

He called for protection of the camps of the Sudanese refugees in Chad and halting the recruitment of children by elements who aim to abort DPA.

Al-Bashir pointed out that Sudan has did its best to implement the Tripoli declaration, which it has signed with Chad, through the concerned mechanisms and committees, but the Chadian government did not dispatch its envoys in accordance with the declaration.

The February 8 agreement signed by Chadian and Sudanese leaders in Tripoli came after N’Djamena declared itself in a state of war with Khartoum in December amid growing violence on the border.

Meanwhile, he stressed the importance of establishing relations between Sudan and Chad, which are to be based on good neighbourliness and cooperation to realize stability at the area and to maintain security at the joint border.

Darfur holdout rebels to meet Libyan leader

Darfur holdout rebels are to meet Libyan leader in the coming days in a bid to explain their position and persuade him to plead their cause with GoS. - ST (unsourced article Khartoum) July 2 2006.

Bashir and Deby meeting at AU summit brokered by Gaddafi

Local Arab-language media reported a meeting between Presidents Bashir and Deby at the AU summit, in Banjul, Gambia on 1 June. The meeting was reportedly brokered by President Gaddafi of Libya. - UN Sudan Situation Report 02 July 2006.

Also, see July 3 2006 UPI report Gadhafi sponsors Chad-Sudan reconciliation:

Moammar Gadhafi has sponsored a reconciliation agreement between Sudan and Chad as part of the Libyan leader's efforts to iron out conflicts in Africa.

Libyan news agency JANA said Gadhafi sponsored a tripartite meeting with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and Chad's Idriss Debby in the Gambian capital, Banjul, during which the reconciliation was sealed early Monday.

It said the reasons for the conflicts between Sudan and neighboring Chad were reviewed and debated, and at the end Bashir and Debby agreed to set up a joint committee to prepare arrangements for normalizing relations between their two countries.

The two presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the "Tripoli Declaration," which they signed in February in a summit meeting hosted by Gadhafi during which they agreed to normalize diplomatic relations and ban the presence of rebels using their territories to launch attacks against each others' countries.

JANA reported that "Gadhafi expressed to the Sudanese and Chadian presidents his appreciation of their responsible attitude and positive response to his reconciliation initiative and their keenness to preserve peace, security and stability in the black continent."

The conflict between Sudan and Chad broke out last December, when Chad declared that it was in a state of war with Khartoum following an attack by Sudanese rebels against a Chadian village on the shared eastern border.

Gadhafi announced an initiative to settle the conflict in January, including shifting 3,000 African Union troops deployed in Darfur to the border between Chad and Sudan to monitor possible violations.

United Nations Sudan Situation Report 02 July 2006

Here is a summary of political events since 28 June 2006, the date when SRSG Jan Pronk published his blog entry on how to breathe life into the Darfur Peace Agreement. Excerpt from UN Sudan Situation Report 02 July 2006 by UN Country Team in Sudan:

On 28 June, SRSG Pronk published comments about the DPA on his weblog. He emphasized the need to implement the Agreement, to broaden its 'circle of support', and to support the transition to a UN peacekeeping operation.

Local Arab-language press gave extensive coverage to the SRSG's comments. The reports emphasized the SRSG's comments that the opposition rebel issues should be addressed in the DPA, that further dialogue was required and that more compensation was required for affected persons.

On 30 June, the SRSG, accompanied by PDSRSG Zerihoun, went to Juba to launch the UN Radio "Miraya" together with the First Vice President Salva Kiir. Speaking at the ceremony, FVP Salva Kiir stated that he had no objection to a transition to the UN force in Darfur. After the ceremony, the SRSG and the PDSRSG held discussion with VP Kiir on Eastern Front, LRA and implementation of the CPA issues. On 30 June, in Juba, FVP Salva Kiir stated that he had no objection to a transition to the UN force in Darfur.

Local Arab-language media reported a meeting between Presidents Bashir and Déby at the AU summit, in Banjul, Gambia on 1 June. The meeting was reportedly brokered by President Gaddafi of Libya.

Meanwhile, local Arab-language press reported that the AU withdrew 30 Chadian AMIS monitors from Darfur at the request of Sudan's Foreign Ministry. The Peace and Security Council (PSC) heard Sudan's request at their meeting in Banjul on 27 June.

On 30 June, SLA-Minawi faction's External Relations Secretary Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim issued a statement supporting the suspension of the DPA. Meanwhile, a delegation of SLA-Minawi remains in Khartoum for talks with the Government of Sudan on DPA implementation.

On 30 June, in Asmara, Darfur rebel leaders founded the National Redemption Front (NDF). The NRF's Founding Declaration flagged a forthcoming statement on its position regarding the DPA. The signatories include Dr Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of JEM, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige (Chairman) and Dr Sharif Harir of the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance and Khamis Abdalla Abakar, formerly SLA-Abdul Wahid Deputy Chairman. Abdul Wahid, the leader of the SLA-Abdul Wahid faction, did not sign the declaration.

On 1 July, the National Legislature ratified the DPA. According to the official Sudanese news agency, the Legislature called on the international community to provide support and assistance for Darfur's reconstruction and urged parties that did not sign the agreement to join the peace process.

On 1 July, the Ceasefire Political Commission (CPC) met in Khartoum, with the SRSG [Jan Pronk], DSRSG and Force Commander in attendance. The meeting was briefed on the status of formation of Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) by the Co-Chairs and Technical Committee of the Joint Defense Board, JIU Commander (SAF) and Deputy Commander (SPLA).

THINK PIECE: Anti-UN sentiment in Darfur lighting rod for African nationalism (William Church)

An opinion piece in today's Sudan Tribune 'Anti-UN sentiment in Darfur lighting rod for African nationalism' by William Church is so good, it is difficult to choose excerpts, so I am copying the piece here in full. Mr Church is Director of the London based Great Lakes Centre for Strategic Studies and can be reached at wchurch@glcss.org

The battle over United Nations troops replacing African Union troops in Darfur has scratched the long festering wound of outside influences controlling the destiny of Africa. Darfur is a lighting rod of anti-United Nations sentiment because it contains the seeds of African hope, frustration, lack and desires.

Anyone who thinks the solution to Darfur's humanitarian crisis is as simple as UN troops replacing African Union (AU) peacekeepers has failed to understand that the battle is not about peacekeeping in Darfur-or even Africa. Darfur is about Africans finding an African solution and the end of outside, political interference in Africa.

There maybe a good reason why the government of Sudan does not trust the United Nations, despite the AU official position on the transfer of peacekeepers to the UN. The story of Darfur is similar to the story of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. A permanent member of the UN Security Council aided a situation that developed into genocide in one case and in the second example it may be complicit although not directly involved. In essence, Sudan is asking the question if the Security Council can be an honest peace broker if one of its members is political involved in the situation. This question also holds true with the situation in Somalia, where there are allegations of United States involvement in the current struggle.

The following examples are not meant to indict or criticize any one member of the Security Council. Instead, they are meant to demonstrate that the government of Sudan may have valid concerns about United Nations involvement.

It is a matter of public record that French paratroopers trained and supported the military of the genocidal government of Rwanda's President Habyarimana. Later that same Rwandan military executed, along with the Interahamwe, the devastating 1994 Rwandan genocide. In addition, French-paratroopers, in the eyes of the current Rwandan government, played a dubious role at the end of the 1994 genocide when they blocked the pursuit of the genocidal forces. This event and others have long colored the relationship between Rwanda and the United Nations and is a lesson, well-remembered in Africa.

French involvement in Chad also raises similar concerns. International Crisis Group (ICG) and other organizations have reported that Chad's French-backed army allegedly exploited the social and political instability in Darfur when it supported factions of the Sudan Liberation Army in their rebellion against the Khartoum government. The suspected or real Chadian involvement adds to the level of distrust and this week culminated in Khartoum expelling Chadian peacekeepers with the AU force in Darfur.

Sudan also understands there are questions about the lack of due process in examining the evidence reported by the UN Panel of Experts. These Expert Panels are used to shape Security Council policy and develop the basis for sanctions against governments and individuals, and rightly, the government of Sudan is concerned about the Security Council's abuse of these Expert Panels.

In 2005, a consultant to a UN Expert Panel called for a public review of the evidence in a DRC arms embargo report. He charged that the Experts did not conduct a complete investigation, violated their own standards of evidence, and intentionally misrepresented their evidence in their official report to the Security Council.

The ex-UN Expert Panel consultant was joined by the governments of South Africa, Rwanda, and Uganda, which also disputed the methodology of the Experts and their evidence. These governments, like the ex-consultant, called for a public review of the evidence. The Security Council responded by conducting a vicious slander campaign against the ex-consultant, and then refused calls for a public review and conducted a closed door, non-transparent review of the evidence. In the end, they issued a press release stating they fully supported the Experts, ignoring calls from African states for a public hearing. This case, like the others, adds to Sudan's concern if the Security Council can be an honest broker of peace and if sanctions will be used against it as a form of regime change.

However, there is a much larger principle at stake. Darfur is a lighting rod for African Nationalism because it hits to the heart of two key African issues: capacity building and sustainability.

Sudan is suspicious of the Security Council's motives since the UN has never articulated the reason why properly equipped and mandated AU peacekeepers are less effective that properly equipped and mandated UN peacekeepers. Sudan's doubt increases especially when it knows that there are 26,000 well-equipped African UN peacekeepers already serving in Africa that could just as easily serve the AU if properly supported and mandated. In addition, there are over 7,000 AU peacekeepers in Darfur that are more than capable if properly supported and mandated.

There is a lingering suspicion that the overarching UN view is that Africans can not manage their own affairs unless there is a foreign overseer. This is supported by the everyday experience of African leaders and Africans.

International donors talk about capacity building and sustainability and then push contrary policies. African leaders ask themselves why they can not decide themselves how wide their roads must be or whether it is tarmac or another surface. Instead those decisions are made thousands of miles away at international donor headquarters.

Africans are asking about the gap between rhetoric of sustainability and capacity building and the reality of international donor policy. African leaders are asking if the goal is African capacity building and sustainability then why is it that the international donors require contracts for their funds to be dispense to companies owned by foreign nationals, which represent the international donor community, and not Africans.

For some members of the international community, aid to Africa is either a jobs program for their own citizens or disguised subsidies for their national industries. African leaders in Rwanda and Uganda have been widely criticized for exercising their sovereign right to control the international National Government Organizations (NGOs) in their countries.

African leaders are asking why international donors place more weight on foreign think-tank reports about corruption or human rights than reports from African human rights organizations which may directly contradict an organization like US-based Freedom House, which admits that it has never visited some of the countries it evaluates. The same questions are being asked about the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development) Peer Review process. African leaders are asking why foreign governments and organizations give more weight to assessments by international organizations and not the NEPAD findings.

It is important to note that this question echoes the current situation assessment in Darfur. The government of Sudan maintains a view that the problems are being resolved with the current force and with the current peace agreement. The United Nations disagrees with that assessment. Once again, it raises the question of who is better able to assess and develop a solution to an African problem. What is implied in the automatic assumption that the United Nations' view is correct?

The answer to this question demonstrates a general African suspicion about the international community and a growing rebellion against foreign intervention. Uganda's President Museveni has been quoted recently as saying that he will no longer allow foreigners to tell him how to run his government. Rwanda President Kagame has consistently fought for Rwanda's right to manage and define itself, and in a telling manner, this has been greeted with hostile response by some members of the international community.

Sudan's President al-Bashir is echoing those same African concerns when he stresses his belief that this is an African problem and it must have an African solution. If the international community truly wants to have a new partnership with Africa then it should listen to these concerns. This does not mean that the world should ignore the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. It means the quickest solution to the humanitarian crisis is to work with the government of Sudan to find an African solution that builds long-term capacity and allows Africans to demonstrate their leadership skills.

[Pity the piece did not address the fears re UN/ICC list of 51 Darfur war crime suspects. I've yet to find any report addressing Khartoum's fears of UN troops arresting suspects]

SLA-Minnawi welcomes UN Pronk call to amend Darfur deal

SLA rebel leader Minni Minawi praised a blog entry authored by the UN envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk in which he outlined how to put life into the Darfur Peace Agreement - Minnawi spokesperson, Esam Edin al-Haj, renewed the demand - of the wing opposed to the DPA within the movement - to suspend Abuja deal signed on 5 May. Full report Sudan Tribune July 3, 2006.

AU Mission in Darfur mandate extended until end of 2006

The African Union has agreed to a UN request to extend the mandate of its military mission in Darfur by three months until the end of 2006, its chairman Denis Sassou Nguesso said, Reuters [via The Age] reported July 3, 2006:

"On the request of the secretary general, the African Union will continue to fulfil its mission until the end of the year," said Congo Republic president Sassou Nguesso, who holds the revolving AU presidency.

Photo: Kofi Annan, Secretary General of U.N, seated centre, speaks to journalists at the venue of the African Union Summit AU in Banjul, Gambia Sunday, July 2, 2006. Annan held talks with Sudan's president Sunday and said he was hopeful U.N. peacekeepers would eventually be deployed to Darfur. (AP Photo/George Osodi/Yahoo)

Eastern Sudan rebels (Beja Congress) call for UN humanitarian intervention in their region

Beja Congress Europe press release calls for "UN humanitarian intervention" in Eastern Sudan. It is signed, on behalf of the Beja doctors and intellectuals, by Dr Abu Amna, Beja paediatrician, Schoeffenstrasse 26, 65933 Frankfurt, Germany, 2 July 2006.

Note, June 9 2006 Abu Amna, press release Beja Congress calls for UN participation in Eastern Sudan talks

Annan and Bashir agree on need to strengthen AU mission in Darfur and to consolidate the Darfur Peace Agreement

At the AU summit today, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan failed to persuade Sudanese leader Omar Hassan al-Bashir to allow a UN force into Darfur Reuters reported 2 July 2006.

Mr Annan expressed confidence that UN troops will one day deploy in Darfur and said he is meantime working on extending the presence of the AU force in Darfur until the end of the year, Daily Telegraph reported July 3, 2006:

Mr Annan said continuing discussions with Khartoum on the deployment of international peacekeepers could yield positive results.

"We are dealing with a leader who might have genuine difficulties and genuine reasons for the position he is taking ... but I think we had constructive conversation this morning," he said.

"I, of course, continue to press for the eventual deployment of UN forces in Darfur ... (and) we agree (with al-Beshir) the dialogue has to continue," Mr Annan said.

He said the planning for deployment "is very well advanced ... we do hope still to deploy the troops."

He said Mr al-Beshir had promised to submit to him before the end of July his "plan for the next six months" on easing the crisis in Darfur.

Meantime Mr Annan asked the African leaders at the AU summit in Gambia to maintain "flexibility" over their original plan to pull their forces out of Darfur by September 30.

In talks with Mr al-Beshir, Mr Annan said they "agreed on the immediate need to strengthen the African Union mission in Darfur and also to consolidate the Darfur peace agreement."

Photo: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (C) is applauded July 01 at the opening session of an African Union summit of more than 50 African heads of state. (AFP/File/Issouf Sanogo)

AU to withdraw troops from Darfur? Gaddafi leaves hall before AU summit opens

Libyan leader, Col Gaddafi was absent from the hall at the opening session of AU summit, AngolaPress reported today:

Although the Libyan leader entered the hall before most of his counterparts, he left the premises just before the opening ceremony began, leaving the rest of the Libyan delegation there.

No official reason was given for the hurried departure, and neither the Gambians nor officials of the African Union Commission could offer an explanation.

However, some Libyan sources hinted that the Libyan leader's departure had been to protest a possible decision by African Union to withdraw its troops from Sudan next September.

SABC says earlier today, UN SG Annan met with Sudan's president, to discuss Darfur. Mr Annan and President Thabo Mbeki were supposed to meet earlier today but the meeting was postponed until later today.

Washington Post continues to publish propaganda on Darfur

The Washington Post continues to have no qualms about publishing propaganda on Darfur. "Sudan's dictator gets nastier," the Washington Post tells its readers today in an editorial (author not cited) entitled Backtracking in Darfur. I wonder who wrote it and why their name was not revealed. On reading the editorial closely, I saw no fact based news but a piece of activism calling for UN troops in Darfur and the isolation of Khartoum regime. Clearly it states, quote:

"This year, Sudan's government declared that it would allow United Nations peacekeepers into the western region of Darfur."

I challenge the Washington Post to please explain exactly when and where GoS agreed to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur. From what I have gathered here at Sudan Watch, Khartoum never once agreed to such a force. Please correct me if I have missed something. The peace deal in southern Sudan is quite different from that in Darfur, western Sudan. South Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement had a UN peackeeping force built into it before it was signed, the Darfur Peace Agreement had no such force written into it. Apart from talk about the "extermination of Muslims", the last line of the piece I find most revealing, quote:

But if Mr. Bashir's shameless outpourings are not enough to solidify diplomatic efforts to isolate his regime, it's hard to know what would be.

Diplomatic efforts to isolate the regime eh? Sounds like Darfur rebel talk.

More activism being passed off as hard news

See June 22 2006 Sudan Watch - Human Rights Watch incorrectly says Khartoum is backtracking - excerpt:

In an interview June 22, 2006, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Deputy Director for Africa, Georgette Gagnon tells Voice of America English to Africa reporter Howard Lesser: "There seems to be some disconnect. Obviously, we must remember that when the Darfur peace agreement was being negotiated, the Khartoum government said that it would accept UN troops to come in and monitor a peace agreement. Now, it's backtracking." This is not true.

Jan Pronk's blog entry picked up by the press: UN envoy calls for changes to Darfur peace plan (Reuters); UN envoy attacks Darfur agreement (BBC)

Mainstream media has taken three days to pick up on Jan Pronk's blog entry published here at Sudan Watch June 29.

It's the first time I've seen the press pay attention to any of Jan Pronk's blog entries. Not even when there were threats on his life. I wonder what's taken them so long. I guess it goes to prove a lot of journalists aren't on the ball, even when it comes to a superb source by an outstanding author with excellent photos.

Several months ago, I noticed a typo on the date of a post at the blog and emailed a short note to the contact address. A few days later I was surprised to receive a charming email from Mr Pronk himself, one that I shall treasure. I'm a fan of his and think he does a great job for the UN and works very hard to help broker peace in the Sudan. Excerpts from Reuters and the BBC:

July 1 2006 (Reuters Opheera McDoom) UN envoy calls for changes to Darfur peace plan:

Sudan's top U.N. official has said the Darfur peace deal should be amended to meet key rebel demands to save the foundering agreement, in an apparent shift from his previous statements.

Jan Pronk, on his Internet blog, said international guarantees of security, a more visible disarmament of the Arab militia and more compensation for war victims needed to be added to the pact. All these have been demanded by two rebel factions who refused to sign the May 5 deal. Angry protests have erupted in some Darfur refugee camps against the agreement.

"None of the deadlines agreed in the text of the agreement has been met. The African Union is in charge but it clearly lacks the capacity to lead the process of implementation," Pronk said in his blog, seen by Reuters on Saturday and dated June 28. Pronk has been mostly silent in the weeks since the deal, which two U.N. sources said was because he feared angering the AU, the lead player in Darfur. Pronk signed the May 5 deal as a witness and expressed his support for the text immediately after the signing ceremony. AU and U.N. officials declined to immediately comment on the blog. Pronk's comments are likely to cause friction between the pan-African body and the New York-based United Nations.

July 1 2006 (BBC) UN envoy attacks Darfur agreement:

The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, has said the Darfur peace agreement is in danger of collapse and needs re-writing. Writing his weblog, Mr Pronk called for security guarantees, more disarmament, and more compensation for victims. He said the pact does not resonate with the people of Darfur, describing it as "severely paralysed".

July 2 2006 (AP Lauren Frayer) via Washington Post UN: Darfur Peace Deal on Brink of Collapse:

CAIRO, Egypt -- The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan said on his personal blog that the Darfur peace agreement "does not resonate with the people" and is in danger of collapse. But Jan Pronk also wrote last week that the pact was still salvageable if revisions were made, calling it "a good text, an honest compromise." And he urged its quick implementation, saying, "it meets more and more resistance" as time passes.

July 2 2006 (inthenews.co.uk) Annan: Darfur out of control:

The AU's mandate in Darfur ends in the autumn, but the situation was today confused by the head of the UN's mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, who has criticised the Darfur peace agreement (DPA) signed earlier this year, despite originally being one of its main proponents. 'It is no wonder that the people in Darfur get the idea that the DPA is just another text without substance, like earlier ceasefire agreements, and is not meant to be kept,' he said on his personal website.

AU Summit news reports - AU chair calls for co-operation between AU, UN

Alpha Omar Konare, the African Union (AU) commission chairperson, has called for co-operation between the AU and the UN to ensure peace in conflict areas such as Somalia, Chad and Sudan. He was addressing the opening ceremony of the AU Heads of State Summit under way in the Gambian capital Banjul, SABC reported July 1, 2006.



Snippets from some other news reports on the summit (more to be added here later, as and when I find them):

From AP's Heidi Vogt:

Even if resolutions are passed, African Union members aren't beholden to them and the body has little funding to pursue independent action.

"We think the African Union could be supported," rather than replaced, said Taj Elsir Mahjoub, a Sudanese delegate in Banjul.

From SABC/Reuters:

Konare said the Darfur situation was strongly influenced by tensions between Chad and Sudan, which have accused each other of supporting rebels on their territories. Chad said it was expelling all the Chadian members of an AU-peacekeeping force in Darfur.

Obstacles facing the AU

Konare said the AU should give "large-scale support" to Somalia's weak interim government, and encourage dialogue with Islamists now controlling Mogadishu and a large swathe of the country after defeating secular, US-backed warlords.

Despite the strong desire of African leaders to deal with Somalia and Darfur, it was clear after the preparatory meeting of foreign ministers earlier this week that there are big obstacles to a breakthrough on either issue.

In Darfur, the AU wants to hand over peacekeeping duties from its own under-resourced force of 7 000 troops to UN soldiers by September 30. But on Thursday, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, who is attending the summit, issued the latest in a series of uncompromising rejections of a UN deployment.

No leverage to pressure Bashir

Meanwhile, Western and African diplomats have said that despite widespread revulsion over massacres, rape and pillage in Darfur, the international community had hardly any leverage to pressure Bashir, whose consent is needed for a UN force.

From AP/NDTV:

African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare directed delegates' attention to the desperate situation in Darfur in Sudan, and Somalia, where a hard-line Islamist regime is increasingly holding sway. He blamed rampant poverty for Africa's crises. [Sudan Watch ed: Is poverty really the reason or is it more to do with poor management and no legal/land rights among the poor? See Exclusive interview with Peruvian economist, Hernando de Soto: The poor are not the problem but the solution -- and What's Missing in the Darfur Sudan Debate: Addressing Property Rights Could Help Bring Peace]

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is from the West African nation of Ghana, told the leaders assembled in Gambia that the Darfur crisis is 'one of the worst nightmares in recent history.'

From Garowe /Somali news wires:

The President of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, which the world recognizes as northwest Somalia, will not be attending the African Union heads of state summit currently being hosted by Gambia.

Photo: Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, left and his wife arrive at the African Union summit in Banjul, Gambia Saturday, July 1 2006. (AP) Full report UN Annan, Africa leaders tackle Sudan, poverty via Sudan Tribune July 2, 2006.



Photo: Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (R) walks down a corridor after a meeting during the African Union summit in Gambia's capital Banjul July 1, 2006. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly/Yahoo News)

AU want former Chad pres Hissene Habre to stand trial

The African Union heads of state that have gathered in Gambia for a summit have called for former Chadian President Hissene Habre - accused of massive human rights violations - to stand trial for the allegations against him. - African News Dimension 1 July 2006.



Photo: Hissene Habre (VOA file)

Chad rights victims expect justice from African Leaders

VOA News Joe Bavier, Banjul, 1 July 2006 - excerpt:

The AU established a panel of judicial experts to review the facts. But the identities of panel members were not released. And their report on how, where, and, even, if Habre should be tried has not been made public. However, outside the [AU] summit venue Friday, a lawyer for Habre, El Hadj Diouf, spoke to journalists holding a photocopy of what he said was the panel's report.

He said the report rejects the option of extradition to Belgium. It opted first for a trial in Senegal, but if that fails Habre could be brought to back to Chad, something seen as an impossibility for both the former president's supporters and opponents. Finally, if the other solutions fail, a special ad hoc court, similar to that established in Sierra Leone, could try him.

UPDATE: 2 July 2006 Lydia Polgreen NYT/IHT - Ex-Chad dictator to be tried in Senegal: A court in Senegal must try the former dictator of Chad for human rights violations that he is accused of committing during his eight year rule, an African Union panel said Sunday. President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal said at an African Union summit meeting here Sunday that he would comply with the request.

Tension mounts within Darfur SLM-Minawi streams - Better the devil you know, than the one you don't

Pinpointing the truth of what's behind the slippery marauding gangs of guerillas in the Sudan is like trying to nail down mercury. No doubt there will be more news of gun toting poseurs in the Sudan jockeying for media limelight this weekend as the AU summit begins. I am sick of reading about people who love making war and killing. They stink! Lock them up!

Excerpt from unsourced article at Sudan Tribune (Paris) June 30, 2006 Tension mounts within Darfur SLM-Minawi streams:

The SLM political advisor and external relations Secretary Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, supported Friday the suspension of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) announced by the SLM spokesperson Esam Edin al-haj earlier this week.

Ibrahim said this suspension does not imply dissidence within the SLM except if the supporters of signed deal - within the movement - decide not to respect the point of view of Darfur people, SLA forces and members of the movement.

Some SLM delegation members in Khartoum disapproved al-Haj statement issued on 27 June. The SLM spokesperson announced the suspension of the DPA implementation saying SLM institutions not concerned by decision taken by those who are favourable to the peace deal.

Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, was the head of the SLA's conference organising committee held at the end of October last year. He played a key role at Haskanita conference in the enthronization of Minni Minaw as SLM chairperson.

Slowly but surely cleavage is taking shape within the SLM-Minawi group, the anti-peace deal group says representing the main stream within the movement. Nonetheless, they insist on the necessity to maintain the unity of the rebel group.

Ibrahim underlines that since the day of the signing of DPA in Abuja it was agreed to hold an extraordinary conference to discuss the signed deal and determine a common position but the meeting is never held and advance delegations went to Khartoum to implement the DPA.

The SLM political advisor warned that the day where people will start to implement the security arrangements in the DPA they will verify who is really control the ground.

This development came in the same day where three Darfur rebel groups inked in Asmara the founding declaration of a new rebel National Redemption Front (NRF). Sudan Tribune has learned that the new group discusses with the SLM-Minawi mainstream how they can join the newly created platform.

The SLM led by Abdelwahid al-Nur refused to ink the NRF declaration because the secular al-Nur group rejects any alliance with the Islamist Khalil Ibrahim.

Would you vote any of these gun runners into government in order for them to work intelligently, efficiently, fairly on your behalf and spend your taxes honestly and wisely in your best interests? Me neither.

An old saying springs to mind here: "Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know." Khartoum regime appears to work hard at holding Sudan together. It can't be easy. Sudan is the size of Europe. For sure, Messrs Bashir and Taha have nerves of steel and work extremely hard in their jobs. It's astonishing to read how much they deal with. The experience they've gained in government over the years cannot be surpassed. Surely it is in the best interests of Sudan and its neighbouring countries for the current regime to remain in power and make the most of the opportunities it now has to get the country out of debt. Sudan has so much going for it and could have a great future ahead. I'd like to see it make more of its history, culture, climate and weather and, given enough flowing water, create mass employment by expanding its agricultural base and not be so reliant on oil.

Sudanese parliament ratifies Darfur Peace Agreement

Sudanese parliament ratifies Darfur peace deal - July 1, 2006 Sudan Tribune:

The Sudanese federal parliament today ratified the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed between Sudanese government and one rebel faction last may with crushing majority.

The National Assembly in a session headed by the speaker, Ahmed Ibrahim Tahir, ratified the African Union brokered DPA with all members saying yes to the exception of one who voted nay, the state-run SUNA reported.

The National Assembly reaffirmed its support and backing for the agreement and called on the international community and the world organizations to fulfill their pledges of providing material support and assistance for the reconstruction of the region.

The Legislature has urged the parties that did not sign the agreement to join the Darfur-Darfur peace process, urging Sudanese people to come up with their assistance for the rehabilitation of the areas affected by the war.

The May 5 peace deal for Sudan’s western region was signed by only one of three rebel negotiating factions in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

The MPs have stressed during their deliberation their unequivocal support for the DPA.

Majzoub Khalifa, the Assistant to the President of the Republic and head of the government delegation to the peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, has stressed that the DPA has now entered the full implementation phase with the security arrangements committee and the committee for the release of the detainees having begun their activities.

Yasser Arman the head of the parliamentarian group of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement has stressed that the movement backs the agreement, calling for opening the door of dialogue and reconciliation with all parties.

On 26 June in addressing a pro-ruling National Congress demonstration, the Speaker of the Assembly, al-Tahir, renewing Sudan’s rejection to any foreign troops.

He referred to the unanimous decision issued by the National Assembly in last February, which affirmed that it incarnated the unity of Sudan, saying that the independence of Sudan was declared from the Parliament "Once more, the parliament records a historic stance in rejecting any foreign troops in Darfur," al-Tahir told the crowds.

Sudan expels Chadian military from Darfur AU force

Reuters report says Sudan has ordered Chadian military personnel working with African Union truce monitors in Darfur to leave, the AU said today:

"Today all the Chadian representatives are gathered in el-Fasher and will leave," AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said. "We regret this decision ... and urge all sides to use dialogue to resolve their differences peacefully," he added.

Chad mediated a ceasefire signed by the rebels and the government in April 2004 but the truce has been widely ignored by all sides. Under that deal a Chadian representative, as well as one from each of the two main rebel groups and a government official must accompany investigations of ceasefire violations.

Around 30 Chadians were to leave Darfur, Mezni said.

See June 30 2006 (Paris) unsourced article at Sudan Tribune July 1 - Chad is ready for dialogue with Sudan - FM - Chad and Sudan trade accusation of transgressing Tripoli agreement. Chad says Sudan continues to support Chadian rebel groups while Khartoum says N'djamena refused to deploy military observers though long the border as it is agreed.

Sudan's SPLM distances itself from Darfur UN rejection

July 1 2006 Sudan Tribune report (unsourced) Khartoum - Sudan's SPLM distances its self from Darfur UN rejection - Persistent rumours in Khartoum say that the Second Vice President Ali Osman Taha who is since two weeks in “holidays” in Turkey is angry on the handling of Darfur file by al-Bashir.

July 1 2006 Aljazeera report (Agencies) - Sudan squabbles over UN troops - SPLM has sharply criticised the National Congress Party, its partner in the national unity government, for rejecting UN peacekeepers in the country. Yasser Arman, SPLM spokesman, said his movement had not been consulted over the government stance rejecting the deployment of UN troops in Darfur region. He pointed out that the SPLM have no objections to the deployment of UN troops in Darfur.