Pronk on DPA: It's non-implementation of the text which is creating a problem, not the text - See the agreement as a step towards further agreements

Jan Pronk, the top UN envoy in Sudan on Thursday said fighting in Darfur has continued despite the peace deal, and key deadlines, including receiving Khartoum's crucial plan to disarm pro-government militias by June 22, have been missed with no repercussions, Reuters reported 6 July 2006 (via Sudan Tribune) excerpt:

Pronk said more needed to be done to address peace deal violations, and defended the peace agreement, which he had signed as a witness and helped broker by urging rebels to agree to the text.

"A peace agreement which is not getting the support of the majority ... is not sustainable. But then the technical question is, should you wait until everybody is in agreement? Or can you see the agreement as a step toward further agreements?" he said.

"The first priority is implementation, implementation, implementation ... It's non-implementation of the text which is creating a problem, not the text," he added.

Aegis rally in London against Sudanese minister Alzubeir Beshir Taha allegedly involved in Darfur killing

In London today, refugees from Darfur will rally outside the Royal United Services Institute from 10:00am to 2:00pm, activist group Aegis Trust said in a press release July 5, 2006. The rally is against the visiting Sudanese minister of Interior who is allegedly one of 17 names recommended by a UN report for his support to Arab militia in Darfur. Excerpt:

"While it is important that all parties to the conflict strive for a peaceful settlement, it is unethical to give a platform to a man such as [Alzubeir Beshir] Taha, liable to have the blood of hundreds of thousands of people on his hands," says Dr James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust for genocide prevention, which coordinates the 'Protect Darfur' campaign. "If the British Government shares the UN view that Taha is an obstacle to peace, surely it's wrong to allow him the chance to grandstand at an international conference."

Photo: Alzubeir Beshir Taha

Note, the Sudanese government signed the Darfur Peace Agreement. The rebel holdouts are the obstacle to peace in Darfur, choosing to attack and kill their own people instead of fighting to get what they want using non-violent means. Why are suspected criminals and others connected to criminal elements in the Sudan permitted entry to the UK?

Eritrea denies supporting Darfur rebel holdouts in Asmara waiting to meet Salva Kiir

Eritrea has denied supporting Darfur rebels who attacked Hamrat al-Sheikh locality in north Kordofan; an Eritrean official said Darfur rebels are waiting to meet Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir in the coming days, Sudan Tribune reported July 5, 2006.

Note, the report points out the Eritrean official did not elaborate which rebel group would meet Kiir, Abdelwahid al-Nur of SLM, or the recently established National Redemption Front (NRF).

Also, analysts say that Hamrat al-Sheikh attack was planned by one of the NRF factions before its foundation and is attributed to the NRF just to advertise the newly sealed front.

Feb 8 2006 UN says Eritrea, Libya, Chad supply arms to Sudan's Darfur rebels and SPLM/A provided training and arms to SLM/A.

April 21 2005 Sudan Watch: Eritrean president says "war is imminent" - Eritrea determined to form new opposition front.

JEM/NRF attack Hamrat Al Sheik, Kordofan - Snr Sudanese govt officials met delegation of JEM faction who'd signed Declaration of Commitment to DPA

Excerpt from UN Country Team in Sudan report (from Unified Mission Analysis Centre (UMAC), UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), Khartoum, Sudan, 5 July 2006 - via ReliefWeb):

On 4 July, senior Government figures met with a delegation of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) group who had signed the Declaration of Commitment to the DPA on 8 June. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Atim Garang, heads of some Assembly Committees and Al-Rashid Abdulla of JEM attended the meeting.

On 4 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan released a statement condemning an attack on Hamarat Al-Sheikh in North Kordofan on 3 July by Darfur rebel factions. The attack is thought to be the first military action of the National Redemption Front (NRF) which formed on 30 June (Sit Rep 30 June and 1 July). The Foreign Ministry statement called the attack 'an act of sabotage on the DPA' and noted that Sudan had lodged official complaints with the UN Security Council. It also said that Government of Sudan protested the Eritrean Government’s hosting of the NRF.

On 3 July, elements of the NRF claimed full responsibility for an attack on Hamrat Al Sheikh (about 350 km west of Khartoum and 210 km northeast of El Fasher). National Security (NS) confirmed that gunships around the area were dispatched to Hamrat Al Sheik to assist ground forces sent from El Obeid. Government air strikes were not carried out because the rebels allegedly used residents as human shields. As of 5 July, three gunships were observed at El Obeid Airport. The rebel group was well equipped with about 10-20 land cruisers mounted with machine guns. The rebel group completely destroyed the NS Office and the Police Station. Unconfirmed reports suggest 12 people were killed. On 4 July, Government Forces stated that they regained total control of Hamrat Al Sheik but is yet to be confirmed by UNMIS. On 5 July, the Minister of Defense was in Elobeid where he met the Wali and other Military Officials to discuss the matter.Comment: No UNMIS staff are in the area and staff will not be allowed access until the area has been assessed by FSO.

July 5 2006 JEM/NRF attack on Kordofan kills 12: JEM's Ahmed Hussein phoned Al-Jazeera TV from London - Why are JEM/NRF permitted in England?

July 5 2006 Sudanese Embassy in Washington calls for UN and AU to impose sanctions on JEM/NFR leaders for attack on Hamrat AlSheikh, N Kordofan

July 5 2006 Sudan summons Eritrean envoy to ask why Eritrea hosts JEM/NRF rebel leadership based in Asmara, Eritrea

July 6 2006 Eritrea denies supporting Darfur rebel holdouts in Asmara waiting to meet Salva Kiir

UN Sudan Situation Report 5 Jul 2006 - Decision to accept or reject a UN force in Darfur must occur through consultation among GoNU parties

UN Country Team in Sudan report from Unified Mission Analysis Centre (UMAC), UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), Khartoum, Sudan) 05 Jul 2006. Excerpt:

Local press reported that in Khartoum, Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol stated that the decision to accept or reject a UN force in Darfur must occur through consultation among the GoNU parties, adding that restoring security and stability in the region was the key issue, be it through the AU, the EU or the UN.

I guess this refers to a recent comment by former rebel Salva Kiir, now First Vice President, in southern Sudan, more or less saying he had no objection to UN troops in Darfur.

Sudan dispatches 15 legal advisors to 3 Darfur states in effort to prosecute criminals in Darfur

On 3 July, the Legislative and Judicial Committee of the National Assembly announced that 15 legal advisors had been dispatched to the three Darfur states, according to local media reports. Press reports described the move as "an effort aimed at reaffirming the Government's willingness and ability to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes committed in Darfur".

[via UN Country Team in Sudan report from Unified Mission Analysis Centre (UMAC), UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), Khartoum, Sudan) 05 Jul 2006 - via ReliefWeb]

Gorans using machine guns and rocket launchers attack Tamas village of Obe nr Guereda, Chad leaving 20 dead, 9 wounded

Twenty people were killed and nine seriously injured following heavy fighting in Guereda, Chad, International Medical Corps reported (via ReliefWeb) July 5, 2006 - excerpt:

Gunshots were heard from Guereda at approximately 5:10 a.m. local time. After an initial investigation, it appeared that fighting was underway in Obe village, just over four miles from Guereda, between two ethnic groups, the Tamas and the Gorans. Previous fighting between the two tribes had left several killed and injured.

On the morning of July 4th, Gorans, heavily armed with machine guns and rocket launchers, surrounded the Tamas village of Obe and started shelling. The skirmish reportedly lasted for four hours. IMC suspended normal activities in the camps, allowing its staff to focus on the wounded. Creating three shifts for a 24-hour period, IMC and Guereda Hospital staff cared for the injured. Five of the more serious cases were flown to the hospital in Abeche.

IMC is keeping its team on alert for the coming night, as some of the wounded might be afraid to travel to the hospital during daylight hours. There are rumors that retaliation strikes may take place. IMC staff in Guereda say the situation between the Tamas and Gorans tribes - as well as between the Tamas and Zagawas tribes - is deteriorating. Open conflict among these groups threatens to destabilize ethnically diverse institutions, such as the police.

SLA's Minnawi arrives in Egypt to meet with AL chief

Darfur's SLA rebel leader Minni Minawi arrived in Cairo Wednesday leading a delegation of his movement on a visit to Egypt. Ambassador Masum Marzuq, the director of Sudan Department at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, welcomed Minnawi at Cairo airport.

In statements upon arrival, Minnawi underlined the importance of the Arab League's role together with that of Egypt in establishing stability in Darfur. During his several days' visit, the first of its kind, he is to meet with Arab League chief Amr Musa and Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit. - Sudan Tribune 6 July 2006.

Sudanese Embassy in Washington calls for UN and AU to impose sanctions on JEM/NFR leaders for attack on Hamrat AlSheikh, N Kordofan

Following is a release from the Embassy of Sudan - via U.S. Newswire July 5:

In a flagrant aggression and total disregard of human lives, a joint group of the non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement, i.e., Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and elements of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), carried out an attack outside the region, on Hamrat AlSheikh, a town about 250 miles from Khartoum in the State of North Kordofan. The outlaws attacked the town with 50 trucks armed with heavy weapons. As a result of the attacks, 12 people died and almost the entire population of the town fled their homes. Justification made by the rebels for the attack was to show their ability to hit wherever they like! They are bragging about their ability to create human tragedies by killing and displacing innocent people.

Ambassador Khidir Haroun Ahmed, Chief of Mission, said that the attack is reminiscent to what they did in 2003 in Darfur. He added, "They destroyed the Sudan Telecommunication headquarters, schools and the only hospital in town." Ambassador Ahmed welcomed the U.S. Administration's condemnation of the attack saying that the U.S. Congress, religious and civic organizations should follow suit. He said the U.N. as well as AU should impose sanctions on the leaders of the perpetrators of the attack and urge neighboring countries to respect their commitment for peace making in Sudan.

I find it difficult to understand why sanctions have not been imposed on rebel group leaders. Even law abiding citizens experience difficulty in obtaining permits to enter the US and UK. Why are outlaws free to come and go as they please?

Six killed in attack on German aid vehicle in southern Sudan

At least six people were killed and 11 wounded when gunmen ambushed a German aid agency vehicle in southern Sudan Monday, AFP reported today.

IRIN says unconfirmed reports blamed the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) for the attack -- if true, this would prove embarrassing for the south Sudanese government, which is mediating talks between the LRA and the Ugandan government, an observer said.

See related story: 'UGANDA: LRA leader must be arrested, ICC insists' at:
[http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54405]

Sudan summons Eritrean envoy to ask why Eritrea hosts JEM/NRF rebel leadership based in Asmara, Eritrea

Sudan has summoned the Eritrean ambassador to ask why Eritrea is playing host to a Darfur rebel alliance that attacked a town, the Sudanese foreign minister said on Wednesday. Reuters report by Opheera McDoom via WP July 5, 2006 - excerpt:

The National Redemption Front (NRF) is an alliance of Darfur rebels and political parties who reject a May 5 peace deal. It was formed in the Eritrean capital Asmara last week and attacked Hamrat al-Sheikh, 200 km (120 miles) from Khartoum, on Monday.

"If they form a movement in Asmara and come and fight against Sudan and we have asked Asmara to mediate in problems in the east then that does not augur well for peace," Foreign Minister Lam Akol told Reuters.

He said he had summoned the Eritrean ambassador on Tuesday to send a message to Asmara asking for clarification as to why they were "hosting" the rebel alliance.

The rebel leadership is based in the Eritrean capital Asmara, with the knowledge of the government.

Eritrean-Sudanese relations have substantially warmed in recent months and Asmara sent an ambassador to Khartoum in June. Asmara is mediating in talks intended to end a simmering decade-old conflict in Sudan's arid east.

Previously the two countries had no diplomatic relations because an array of Sudanese opposition parties and military movements had a presence on Eritrean territory, and Khartoum accused Asmara of running training camps for rebels.

Most of the opposition groups have since either signed agreements with Khartoum or are in peace negotiations.

ERITREAN MEDIATION

But Eritrea's hosting of the new rebel alliance has raised a question over its ability to mediate neutrally, Akol said.

"This is why we are seeking clarification so we can get an answer to that question -- we told them we need an immediate answer," he added. The Eritrean embassy in Khartoum declined to immediately comment.

Monday's attack in North Kordofan, which neighbors Darfur, forced a hasty response from Sudan's armed forces, who dispatched bombers to repulse the offensive.

The NRF said an April 2004 humanitarian ceasefire was dead, the first time a rebel group has openly denounced the truce, although it has been largely ignored by all parties.

Sudanese presidential adviser Majzoub al-Khalifa on Wednesday also accused its western neighbor Chad of supporting the NRF, in comments carried in state-owned press.

Chad has played host to many of the rebel commanders involved in Monday's attack. Sudan has also been home to Chadian insurgents bent on overthrowing President Idriss Deby.

JEM/NRF attack on Kordofan kills 12: JEM's Ahmed Hussein phoned Al-Jazeera TV from London - Why are JEM/NRF permitted in England?

The Sudanese government said Tuesday it had protested to the U.N. Security Council, the AU and the Arab League over an attack by rebels from Darfur on a town in a neighboring region where at least a dozen people were killed. July 5 2006 AP report by Mohamed Osman via Times Daily - excerpt:

The Sudanese army said the raid Monday on the town of Hamarat Sheikh in the Kordofan region was carried out by rebel groups that have refused to sign on to a May 5 peace agreement to end more than three years of fighting in Darfur.

"The attack on the town was carried out by a Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement," army spokesman Brig. Osman Mohamed al-Aghbash said. "Most of the civilians in the town have fled the area to save their lives." The rebels killed civilians and police, the army said. The Foreign Ministry said the Justice and Equality Movement and dissident groups from the Sudan Liberation Movement "conceded to having committed this heinous crime against their homeland."

A spokesman for the JEM claimed his group had acted in self-defense. "The aggression was on our people. We just want to defend ourselves because within recent days, there was an attack carried out by the Sudanese army ... our people were thrown out of their homes in Darfur," JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein told Al-Jazeera television by telephone from London.

Hamarat Sheikh is about half way between El Fasher, the capital of remote Darfur, and the Sudanese capital Khartoum about 250 miles to the east. The desert town is inhabited mostly by Arab tribal groups that trade camels and food with neighboring Libya and Egypt.

An eyewitness told The Associated Press Monday that a group of rebels in more than 50 cars attacked the town. "They began by occupying government building and making much noise ... then we heard shootings," said the witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. "Then they confiscated all trucks and cars belonging to private citizens and to the government."

The region's governor, Faisal Hassan Ibrahim, told local media Monday that 10 police officers and several civilians were killed in the raid. The governor, who had fled the town, confirmed eyewitness reports that rebels destroyed almost every government building in the zone.

Authorities said they were chasing the rebel troops into the desert Tuesday and other reports indicated that sporadic fighting continued to erupt around Hamarat Sheikh.

[Note JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein contacted Al-Jazeera television by telephone from London. What are Darfur guerrillas doing in London? What is their residency status? I strongly object to the fact that they are permitted to operate out of the UK]

Sudanese ex rebel FVP Salva Kiir to visit Washington 18 July

Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir, a former rebel, will visit Washington to discuss peace implementation and US aid to the southern Sudan besides related questions as the economic sanctions. Full story at Sudan Tribune 5 July 2006.



Kiir's visit to Washington will be the second since he took over the SPLM in August following the death of First Vice President John Garang in a helicopter crash. Photo: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice walks with Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir after their meeting at the State Department in Washington, Nov 1 2005. (AP)

Ireland urges Sudan to stay firm on Darfur deal

The Irish minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, arrived in Khartoum yesterday to urge the Sudanese government not to falter in efforts to end the three-year conflict in Darfur at a time when a shaky peace deal shows signs of fracturing. Ahern spent the day meeting government officials, UN reps and aid agencies in Khartoum and was due to fly to Darfur today, Irish Times reported 4 July [via Sudan Tribune] 5 July. Excerpt:

Raymond Jordan, emergency co-ordinator for Goal, said the deal had splintered rebel groups, making it difficult to know which commander controlled which region, and whether they could guarantee the safety of aid workers.

Vehicles used by NGOs are also being deliberately targeted for hijack. The result, he said, was that Goal had suspended three-quarters of its operations, leaving tens of thousands of people without aid.

"It has always been difficult to work in Darfur but now it is simply not possible to work in the vast majority of our areas. The peace agreement is not working on the ground for women, children and the most vulnerable people, and that's the reality."

Ahern also met Pronk to hear his concerns that the peace agreement needed more provisions for security, disarmament and compensation for victims.

Dafur rebels are a squabbling rabble costing lives

The key political battle in Darfur is now being waged inside the SLA, writes Telegraph Correspondent David Blair in his blog entry July 3. Excerpt:

Minni Minawi, the leader of the rebel faction who signed the deal, is embroiled in a power struggle with Abdul Wahid al-Nur, the standard bearer of the SLA's rejectionist wing. Tribalism lies at the heart of this bitter rivalry. Minawi is from the Zaghawa tribe while Nur is from the much larger Fur tribe.

This struggle between these two men is costing lives. Most of the fighting in Darfur is now taking place within the ranks of the SLA, where tribal antagonism between Fur and Zaghawa is acute. The clash between Minawi and Nur is also polarising the refugee camps, where many of their followers live.

Full story. [hat tip POTP]

Increased radicalisation of youth inside Kalma camp, South Darfur - Nighttime AU soldiers needed inside camp

Violent attacks have increased in the largest camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur according to observers, IRIN reported 4 July 2006. Excerpt:

In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, an analyst said the security situation in nearby Kalma camp had worsened since the signing of the Darfur peace deal on 5 May, adding that the worst attacks were taking place at night.

"There has been an increased radicalisation of youth inside the camp," he said. "Many people don't accept the Darfur Peace Agreement [DPA] or the security mechanisms of the DPA."

"The violence seems politically motivated, but it is not clear whether the perpetrators are coming from inside the camp or enter from the outside," he added.

On Friday, unknown gunmen killed the watchman of an international nongovernmental organisation inside Kalma camp. The following two nights, the compounds of other NGOs were robbed as well.

In separate incidents on Friday, two IDPs were shot by armed men; both were wounded in the attacks. In previous attacks last week, an IDP shelter was looted and six armed men unsuccessfully attempted to steal a pumping machine at a water point.

A nighttime presence of African Union (AU) soldiers inside the camp was urgently needed, a regional observer said, but so far the cash-strapped peacekeepers were only undertaking daytime patrols.

[More on the security situation in UN Situation Report recently posted here at Sudan Watch. Note, the AU undertake daytime patrols because Khartoum imposed a curfew, not allowing AU patrols after 6pm - see reports here below]

Feb 21 2006 UK urges lifting of Sudan curfew - AU says curfew hinders Darfur peacekeepers

Feb 22 2006 Important BBC Four Radio Interview with Hilary Benn: Sudan's curfew hinders Darfur peacekeepers and aid workers

Khartoum says it will present, within a month from July 2, a clear working plan on UN, AU roles

Sudanese FM Lam Akol said Monday that the Sudanese government will present a clear working plan to what the UN and the AU roles would be in helping bring peace and stability in Darfur, Kuna reported July 3, 2006:

Akol added the plan will be ready within a month from yesterday's meeting between Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in the African summit.

Akol said in a press release the meeting resulted in an agreement to support AU's troops in Darfur and helping them do what they are supposed to do based on Darfur peace accord, adding to put pressure on groups refusing to abide by agreements and who try to stall the peace process.

The Sudanese Minister added Annan and Al-Bashir stressed importance on the immediate execution of Abuja peace accord which was under the African Union sponsorship.

July 3 2006 UN envoy Jan Pronk welcomes announcement by GoS to present plan for disarmament of Janjaweed in Darfur

Dinkas poignant return home for first time since 1991 when Khartoum sent the Nuer to massacre 2,000 Dinkas in Bor

Copy of report by BBC correspondent Jane Standley 1 July 2006:

Fifteen years ago in Bor in southern Sudan, militia allied to the government in far-off Khartoum carried out a massacre killing an estimated 2,000 people, mostly ethnic Dinkas. Now the people who fled the massacre are returning, hoping to reclaim the land of their ancestors.

Bor is a place consumed in wrenching sadness.

It is remote and, in the rainy season - cut off.

The red dirt of what passes for roads becomes a soup of mud and landmines, the craterous airstrips, unusable.

In the early 1990s, after the massacre, it was occupied by the forces of Sudan's Islamist government and run as a garrison outpost for its Arab troops.

They were fighting the long-running civil war against the Christians and animists of the southern rebel movements.

But now there is peace at last, the rebels are in control of the south and the town is open to visitors.

The first sight for me and for many of the people now going home to Bor after 15 years or more, is the port.

There is no dock here, no jetty, just the banks of the River Nile, littered with rubbish and sewage. Home to large crocodiles and a place where cholera is rampant.



Coming home

James Anyang came back last year.

He had heard, while in a refugee camp in neighbouring Uganda, that his mother had been killed in the massacre.

Then he found out that his eldest brother was also dead. His father, strong and well when he left, is now an old man - weakened by the struggle to survive while Bor was under brutal occupation.

James showed me the lush spots along the river banks where people from the garrison used to dump the bodies of those they had killed. Everyone in Bor knows what lies under the reeds.

James is an elder at the ramshackle Anglican church which is actually Bor Cathedral. There is a Bishop here. The cathedral reopened in the last few months.

Today, the sun streams through the bullet holes in the roof, dancing circles of light illuminate the faces of the worshippers.

Like James they are Dinka - the largest ethnic group in southern Sudan - and the founders and the backbone of the rebel movement which now governs the region.

Bor is the Dinka heartland - the tall, willowy, ebony black people live lives centred around cattle, as they have done for thousands of years.

Dirty work

In 1991, the Khartoum government peeled off the disgruntled leaders of a smaller tribe - the Nuer - from the rebel movement and sent them in to do its dirty work in Bor.

The killers went from hut to hut, slaughtering all who tried to run away - cutting them down with spears, machetes and the classic weapon of African warfare - the AK-47.

Those who could not run fast enough - the old, the disabled, the sick, the young - were crammed into huts - which were set on fire.

Their beloved cattle were not spared either. They were either stolen or shot. Their corpses left for the vultures to pick over when they had tired of human flesh.

The dirt tracks leading out of Bor were crammed with Dinka trying to flee. Some carrying the scant possessions they could snatch up, others with nothing - naked and hungry.

In the years which followed, tens of thousands died from famine. They had no cows any more and the fighting had displaced them from the land they had once cultivated.

There is little record of the massacre. As far as I know, just one shaky and rushed videotape.

It was filmed by an Irish priest turned aid worker who stumbled on the immediate aftermath of the slaughter and then took his film to journalists, begging them to bring attention to the killings.

I remembered the tape from my first stint working in Africa and have just watched it again.

Lost people

Time has not made it easier viewing.

There is a shot of the twisted body of a middle-aged man which makes me think of a woman I have just met in Bor named Rebecca Agok.

She managed to flee at the height of the killings, but her father-in-law had his throat cut in front of her.

How can people like her rebuild their lives here? There is literally nothing - no clean water, little food, no work and a very poor hospital.

There will surely be conflict over these scarce resources.

But James Anyang - determinedly - says no. "Neighbours will rub along," he maintains. "They have to. We have come back to reclaim our home, to venerate and live in the land of our ancestors, our lost people."

Then, he points to a second crowd of worshippers waiting to go inside Bor Cathedral, after the Anglican service has ended.

"They're the Nuer people," he says with a smile, "the Presbyterian missionaries got to them first!"

"But they're the ones who committed the massacre," I said.

"It was politics," James tells me, "not people. You know, we have to forgive. We can't be held captive by the massacre forever. We cannot ever forget, but we can forgive."
- - -

THE DINKA'S EPIC TREK ACROSS SOUTH SUDAN

This story and photos always bring a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes.



Photo: Apr 13 2006 Difficult journey for displaced Dinkas in Darfur returning home to Sudan's Northern Bahr El Ghazal province



Photo: Feb 9 2006 The Dinka's epic trek across South Sudan continues - 250,000 cattle have arrived so far in 34 cattle camps around Bor.

Please switch on your computer's sound and take a few minutes to watch a powerful National Geographic video report: Shattered Sudan - Drilling for Oil, Hoping for Peace.

And note, A prayer for the janjaweed rape babies.

UN envoy Jan Pronk welcomes announcement by GoS to present plan for disarmament of Janjaweed in Darfur

July 3, 2006 UN News Centre report excerpt:

"While welcoming the recent announcement by the Sudanese Government to present a plan for the disarmament of the Janjaweed militiamen in Darfur, Mr Pronk warned that continued militia attacks on internally displaced persons in Darfur were hampering implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement," a UN spokesperson told reporters in New York.

In his latest report to the Security Council on the region, which covers the month of May and which was issued today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan states that "disarming the Janjaweed, improving civilian protection and strengthening ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanisms are absolute priorities."

Another "serious concern" he highlights is that the "work of United Nations agencies and NGOs continues to be hindered by banditry targeting humanitarian personnel and assets."

"Young people have really been at the centre of this conflict. Children have really been hit harder than anyone else. The camps are 90 per cent women and children. That's a population of 2 million people now," said UNICEF spokesperson Ronan Farrow.

Chad army fights FUC rebel attack in Ade near Sudan border

Chadian rebels attacked an eastern town near the border with Sudan on Monday but the government said its soldiers had put down the assault, killing several insurgents and taking a number of prisoners. In turn, the rebels said they had entered the town of Ade and claimed victory for their fighters, saying they were chasing off fleeing remnants of the government force. It was not immediately possible to verify either version of events.

"After violent clashes, forces under the command of Colonel Mahamat Hassane Al-inghaz have just entered the town of Ade," Albissaty Saleh Allazam, spokesman for the United Front for Democratic Change (FUC), told Reuters. "These forces ... are chasing government troops who are fleeing," he said.

Ade lies some 750 km (470 miles) east of the capital N'Djamena. - Reuters July 3, 2006. [Note how the rebels use Reuters]



Photo: Members of the JEM (Justice Equality Movement) speak on radios near the village of Tere in the Mestre area of western Sudan near to the border with Chad, August 19, 2004. A new alliance of Darfur rebel commanders and political parties have attacked a town on the road to the capital Khartoum, declaring a 27-month-old truce dead, rebels and officials said on Monday. (Reuters/Luc Gnago/Yahoo News)