Readers' comments - Disingenuous Eric Reeves is more than annoying

Eric Reeves is disingenuous. In his latest rant entitled The "Perfect Storm" of Human Destruction Reaches its Crescendo, he calls for a UN peacekeeping force to deploy without delay but, once again, omits to mention the International Criminal Court and UN list of 51 suspected Darfur war criminals.

I challenge anyone pushing for UN troops in Darfur to please address the issue of Khartoum's fears, the UN list, the ICC and all of the Sudanese officials, locals and so-called "janjaweed" who are against foreign intervention. US President GW Bush has made clear that no American citizen will ever be tried by a foreign body. How would Americans feel if foreign troops forced themselves into the USA, armed with weaponary and a mandate to haul in top US officials, including the president, for questioning by the ICC?

How can Khartoum agree to UN troops coming face to face with anyone on the list? What are UN troops to do when faced with Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal, haul him off for questioning and shoot/kill janjaweed when they attack in retaliation? And then what about risks to aid workers and humanitarian access and international personnel being dismissed from the country?

Eric Reeves fails to mention these issues because doing so would make his arguments fall apart. Knowingly, he misleads his readers by spinning fairy tales. Kristof et al do the same. Shame on them for failing to properly inform readers.

DISINGENUOUS ERIC REEVES IS MORE THAN ANNOYING

A few days ago, here at Sudan Watch, British blogger Daniel Davies of dsquared blog posted the following comment:

"God Reeves is annoying. I don't recall him ever having had a bad word to say about Minawi until he signed a peace agreement. And this is really quite disingenuous:

"Recent reports from the ground make clear that Minawi's rebel faction is actively coordinating with Khartoum's regular military forces in attacks on civilians and other rebel forces that have not signed the DPA."

Well, if you are enforcing a peace agreement, what do you do to people who break it? Any peacekeeping force (including the UN/NATO Khartoum decapitation operation of Reeves' dreams) would have to attack "other rebel forces" because people like SLA/Wahid are part of the problem. I am not aware of any more hard evidence for the accusation that the Khartoum military are attacking civilians than there was for the Chad invasion story that I see he is no longer pushing.

Thanks for that Daniel. Glad to know I'm not the only one saying such things. I find Eric Reeves more than annoying. He tells the rebels what they want to hear: Americans onside (read money) pushing for international troops. Why should holdout rebels sign peace deals and abide by ceasefires when they're encouraged to hold out for a better deal? Never mind the millions of Sudanese women and children imprisoned in refugee camps for years on end, waiting to return home.



Photo: President Bush shakes hands with SLA rebel group leader Minni Minnawi, in the Oval Office, 25 July 2006 (AFP) Jul 26 2006 Washington Post: Bush Meets Rebel Leader To Discuss Darfur Accord:

Bush met for about 40 minutes in the Oval Office with Sudanese Liberation Army leader Minni Minnawi. He was the lone rebel leader to agree in May to a U.S.-brokered peace accord to end what the United States calls genocide in western Sudan. The president asked Minnawi to support a U.S.-backed plan to bring African Union peacekeepers in Darfur under the blue flag and helmets of the United Nations, said Frederick Jones, a National Security Council spokesman. (From News Services)

Photo: The leader of Darfur's Sudan Liberation Army, Minni Minawi, left, who signed Darfur Peace Agreement, shakes hands with Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir, right, Monday, Aug 7, 2006, in Khartoum, Sudan, after being appointed senior presidential Assistant and Head of the provisional authority in Darfur state. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

AU TROOPS IN DARFUR CAN'T DELIVER BECAUSE THEY LACK TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT?

The fledgling African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS) can't deliver because it lacks training and equipment? Is this true? Sudan Watch archives contain many reports praising AU professionalism and diplomacy - and details of training and logistical support given to AMIS that's ongoing by NATO, UK, Canada, to name a few.

Here is a copy of a reader's comment 13 Aug 2006.

RA Soenke Franzen said ...

"Actually SPLA troops are not the answer to Darfur's problems, just as only South Africa might have the african troops needed.

From a military point of view the situation in the vast savannahs and semi-arid lands of Darfur need quick reaction forces, not truckmobile at best footsloggers.

Actually the ideal force mix would contain aero cavalry plus attack choppers, reconnaissance flights, some of the light and mechanized infantry the African Union has in place, plus at least one heavy armoured unit that could take on everything that might be met in Sudan.

Light armour like what Canada delivered to upgun the AU force can't suffice, because there are still some Milan missiles in Chad from the Toyota Wars.

If one wants to stop atrocities against civilians, one needs either a lot of troops or preferably a nimble and agile force. And unfortunately this can neither be delivered by the SPLA, nor the AU.

That is why a UN force with a robust mandate and preferably spearheaded by NATO troops would be so helpful. Not because the AU troops can't be trusted, but because they can't deliver, because they lack training and equipment."

Thanks Soenke. Enjoyed reading your comment. Sorry it fails to take into account (a) a UN Resolution (b) a UN peacekeeping mandate: Khartoum totally reject a UN force, especially one with a Chapter 6 or 7 mandate; (c) UN list of 51 names (d) ICC (e) Sudanese officials and locals against foreign intervention.



Photo: See full report June 26 2006 Thousands of protestors gathered in Khartoum to protest against UN and its proposed peacekeepers.



Photo: President Bush shakes hands with the First Vice President of the Government of National Unity of Sudan Salva Kiir, a former rebel who is also President of Southern Sudan, in the Oval Office, July 20, 2006 REUTERS/Jason Reed

For crying out loud - last month Darfur's worst-ever for violence towards aid workers - please don't waste any more time: back the African Union Mission in Darfur and provide the support they need. They deserve medals.

Like Drima says:

To the UN: For the Kazillionth time, REINFORCE THE AU TROOPS! That's all you need to do!:

Darfur previously = Disaster
Darfur now = Worsening disaster?
Darfur + UN troops = Bigger disaster
Darfur + UN troops + Al Qaeda = One big ass GIGANTIC Disaster !!!
Darfur + AU troops reinforced by UN & NATO = HUGE improvements.

AU Darfur force asked for more equipment - has no funds beyond mid October

Ethiopian Herald report Aug 15, 2006 - excerpt:

According to a report filed by Reuters from Khartoum AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said that a donor pledging conference in July provided some 181 million USD for the mission.

"This money will suffice only until mid-October so far," he said, adding he hoped donors would come through.

The AU mission costs just under 40 million USD a month to run, but in order to do the job properly the AU also asked for more equipment like attack helicopters.

UN officials said without additional funding, almost 3.6 million Darfuris could see a period where troops were withdrawn or unable to work to deter rape, murder and pillage in Sudan's remote west.

The top U.N. envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, said many people including Western nations thought the AU force could stay in Darfur until the end of the year.

"That is a misconception and that's extremely risky," he told reporters in Khartoum.

"If the African Union have to leave because they cannot pay their soldiers anymore and the United Nations is not being allowed to come ... then you have a void in between," he added.

Bashir: UN force would risk Hezbollah-like resistance

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Sudan has taken inspiration from Hezbollah and would battle a proposed international peacekeeping force in Darfur, the state news agency reported today. - AP report (via Easy bourse/Dowjones) Aug 15, 2006 - excerpt:

"We are determined to defeat any forces entering the country just as Hezbollah has defeated the Israeli forces," the official Sudanese News Agency quoted al-Bashir as telling an armed forces gathering Monday.

Last week, the US repeated its demand for deployment of a strong and mobile UN peacekeeping force in Darfur by Oct 1. The top UN humanitarian official, Jan Egelund, said the situation is "going from real bad to catastrophic" after attempts to enforce a peace deal unleashed more fighting.

"We are opposed to the deployment (in Darfur) of American, British or other forces imposed by the Security Council," al-Bashir said.

[When is Jan Egeland going to get the message and back the AU?]

Coat of Arms of Sudan

Sometimes when I scroll through the visitor stats of this site (I have no way of identifying individuals, only ISP region) I notice someone has searched for information on Sudan that I know cannot be found in this blog. If a query takes my interest, I google for further information and blog something on the subject. For instance, today someone put in a search for Coat of Arms of Sudan. Now the image appears in Sudan Watch sidebar. Click on image for details.

HRW urges UN to impose sanctions on Sudan's president�

Human Rights Watch wastes its breath calling for sanctions on top Sudanese officials. News reports tell us the US gets intelligence material from Sudan, China buys oil from Sudan, Russia sells MiGs to Sudan (none would approve sanctions) and that travel bans could be reciprocated, affecting international personnel visiting Sudan. So why call for sanctions? Are HRW just hot air or what, making a noise to self publcise and sound as though it is doing something?

I'd like to see them all pushing together to bolster the African Union Mission in Darfur. I wish everyone would simply pull together to fund and train the best available protection for all concerned in Darfur. Arguing for a UN force that might take a year to become a reality seems such a waste of time when millions of displaced people are sitting around waiting to go home.

Here's a thought: What if their "home" was on or near an unexplored oil area, will they still be able to return home?

Reuters report Aug 15, 2006 - excerpt:

"The Council should impose personal, targeted sanctions on top Sudanese officials responsible for preventing UN troops from being sent to Darfur," he said. A Human Rights Watch spokeswoman said this included al-Bashir.

The UN Security Council approved a resolution in 2005 calling for a freeze on assets overseas and a travel ban on individuals who defy peace efforts, violate rights or conduct military flights over Darfur.

But it has only been used once -- in April -- to impose sanctions a Sudanese air force commander, a pro-government militia leader and two rebel commanders.

A longer list of people have been recommended for UN sanctions by Britain and other nations, but other council members including the United States have opposed sanctions on other high-ranking Sudanese officials.

UN Sudan Situation Report 14 Aug 2006

UN Sudan Situation Report by the UN Country Team in Sudan 14 Aug 2006 (via ReliefWeb) excerpt:

On 13 August, President Bashir addressed the closing session of the NCP Leadership Council in Khartoum. According to local press, President Bashir reiterated his opposition to UN forces in Darfur, whether under Chapter VI or VII.

On 13 August, in Khartoum, Deputy Chairman of SLM-Minawi Dr Al Rayeh Mahmoud announced plans to change the movement s constitution to transform it into a political party.

On 13 August, Commissioner of the Northern Sudan DDR Commission (NDDRC), Dr Sulafaddeen Saleh announced the start of the Commission s preliminary DDR work in Darfur, including the formation of an Advisory Council comprising all Darfur s tribes to advise the Commission. Dr Saleh confirmed that the SAF, Police, and SLA-Minawi will conduct the disarmament, and welcomed support from the UN and AU for the DDR programs.

On 13 August, leader of the JEM-Wing for Peace, Abdelrahim Abu-Risha, arrived in Khartoum from Nyala. In a statement at Khartoum airport, Abu-Risha emphasized the importance of the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultations for the Darfur peace process. Meanwhile, local press reported intense negotiations between SLM-Free Will and JEM Wing for Peace over allocation of positions provided in the power-sharing arrangements of the DPA.

Soldier of Africa blogging from Darfur, western Sudan

Many thanks for these photos and captions posted to Soldier of Africa blog July-Aug 2006 by Werner, a young South African soldier in Darfur.

In my Tent



I took this picture last night to show how I spend most of my time in my tent. I am either busy with my laptop or reading or watching television.

Base



This is a view from the water tower in our base towards the airfield to give you an idea how close the airfield is to the base.

On Guard



One of the protection force in our base keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding countryside. The civilians are farming right up against the perimeter of our base in order to use every piece of available earth.

Local Activity



The locals are farming right up against our base in this rainy season. This boy is using his donkey to drag a branch somewhere for some reason. Me taking a photo of him was a big moment and after showing him his photo on my camera he soon had a lot of his friends there and I was photographing them too.

River



This is the river next to El Geneina. A few weeks ago it was bone dry.

Insects from Hell



The Nairobi Fly and the Blister Beetle are just two of the insects we have to contend with here. They have acid for blood and crush one on exposed skin at your own peril. There are a number of guys walking around in our base with 3rd degree acid burns to prove it.

Team B Patrol


Yesterday [Aug 8, 2006] Team B going on patrol.

Our Parcels are Here



It is a joyous occasion when this Boeing 707 (Saartjie) lands at El Fashier once a month to deliver our parcels and other needed items. Unfortunately I had to fly with it to Khartoum so I did not get the opportunity to get my parcels. I will get them on my way back.

Food Supplies



In the back of an Mi 8 helicopter these are food supplies. Usually the food is very poor quality. On many occasions the mutton is filled with bone splinters and you have to watch that you do not lose any teeth while chewing. No wonder I have lost so much weight and thank god I have brought with multi-vitamins when I came from South Africa.

Patrol in Ardamata



On yesterday's patrol we had to mark out the positions of the markers for the DMZ (Demilitarised Zones) around Ardamata IDP camps.

Food for Tomorrow



The locals at Ardamata were busy preparing the fields to plant food. This is a good sign and hopefully they are not scared away from this as a lack of food can be disastruous of course for the next season of drought.

Slovene 'spy' Tomo Kriznar jailed in Sudan

A Sudanese court has sentenced the Slovenian president's envoy to two years in jail for spying and entering the country illegally, BBC reported Aug 14:

Tomo Kriznar was involved in the peace process between Sudan's government and rebels in Darfur.

He was also jailed for publishing false information, the Sudanese official news agency, Suna, reports.

The envoy is a well known human rights activist in Slovenia and was arrested in July for not having a valid visa.

According to earlier reports by Suna, Sudanese investigators said Mr Kriznar was taking pictures and shooting video material of villages around Darfur.

Related reports

Aug 16 2006 Sudan Tribune: Jailed Slovene envoy Tomo Kriznar to appeal against verdict

Aug 15 2006 Aegis Trust via ST: Visit Kriznar - and go to Darfur - Aegis urges public to inundate Sudanese embassies with requests for visas to visit Slovenian envoy and human rights activist jailed in Darfur yesterday. Aegis advises that those unable to afford the time or money to travel to Sudan send their visa applications without the usual fee (£55 in the UK) - since the mere act of sending the application represents a protest in itself.)

Aug 15 2006 Sudan Tribune: Slovenia urges Sudan to pardon jailed envoy - Slovene President Janez Drnovsek has asked the Sudanese president to pardon his special envoy to Darfur, Tomo Kriznar, who is sentenced by a Sudanese court to two years in jail. According to the office of Slovenian President, Drnovsek addressed a special letter to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir today in which he asks for his envoy to be released from prison.

Aug 14 2006 Reuters: Sudan convicts Slovenian envoy of spying in Darfur - An African Union (AU) source in Darfur said the Slovenian envoy had entered through neighbouring Chad and had been travelling with Darfur rebel groups, taking video footage and photographs.

Aug 14 2006 Sudan Tribune: Sudan jails Slovene envoy to two years for "spying" -

The Sudanese minister of Justice, Mohamed Ali al-Mardhi, said that Al-Fashir Criminal Court Monday convicted the Slovenian Tomo Kriznar under Article 53 of the Criminal Law for 1991 (espionage) and Article 66 of the same law (publishing false news) and Article 10 of the Passports, Migration and Nationality Act for 1994 (entering Sudan without an entry visa).

The court sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 dinars and confiscation of exhibits found with the defendant of photography equipment and films.

The court ruled that the defendant shall be expelled after serving his prison term.

Aug 3 2006 Sudan Tribune: Slovene envoy to stand trial in Sudan for espionage -

In Khartoum, the minister of justice, Mohamed Ali al-Maradi, has said that the 51-year-old Slovene presidential adviser, Tomo Kriznar, who is being prosecuted in Al-Fashir in Northern Darfur State, has recorded a statement confessing to the filming of over 5,000 photographs and sending false email messages abroad saying that genocide was taking place in Darfur.

Al-Maradi said the suspect had previously entered Sudan and worked in rebel camps in Nuba Mountains in 1998. Al-Maradi said the accused was transferred to Sudan through Chad by a German agricultural organization in Bayr Fandah area.

Jul 25 2006 Jerry Fowler blog entry at VOGP -

I met Tomo a few years ago, and his quixotic gentleness touched me. [ ] Tomo himself is no stranger to Sudan. A few years ago, he made a beautiful, poignant film about the Nuba peoples who live in the eponymous Nuba Mountains of central Sudan, Nuba: Pure People. The film documented his attempt to bicycle from Khartoum into the Nuba Mountains, which he had visited some two decades before. He eventually was held up by the Sudanese military.

Jun 5 2006 JEM leader still in Slovenia?

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

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

Darfur rebel who's who - Reuters Newsblog

So who are the main rebel groups, and what do they want? Here's a quick overview from Reuters AlertNet Newsblog 9 Aug 2006:

SLA (Minnawi's faction): This is the only rebel group that has signed the peace accord, with Minnawi since being appointed as special assistant to the president. This makes him number four in the Khartoum hierarchy, and number one in Darfur - meaning he would head a provisional government planned for Darfur. His group has been accused by rights organisation Amnesty International of killing and raping civilians to try to force them to support the unpopular accord.

SLA (al-Nur's faction): This group rejected the deal, and there are reports that al-Nur may have been toppled by commanders in the field. This faction is popular in camps for the displaced as al-Nur is a Fur and thus belongs to Darfur's largest ethnic group.

Justice and Equality Movement (JEM): This group also rejected the deal. JEM is not particularly strong on the ground, and according to the head of the U.N.'s Sudan mission, Jan Pronk, during the talks it seemed to have had its eye more on gaining power in Khartoum than peace in Darfur.

National Redemption Front (NRF): The recently formed NRF is a coalition of rebels opposed to the peace deal, including JEM, former commanders from both SLA factions (al-Nur has disassociated himself from the group) and the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance.

The Sudan Tribune's website has a copy of NRF's founding declaration, including its objectives. It calls for "a just system of sharing wealth and power between the various regions of Sudan", "regional self rule" and "fair participation" in national politics.

The NRF now holds sway in much of north Darfur. It has reportedly been involved in offensive actions, such as an attack on a town in North Kordofan and a military base belonging to Minnawi's faction in Sayah. This week it said it had shot down a Sudanese government bomber, but the government denied the report.

G19: Originally formed by 19 SLA members and advisors present at the Abuja peace talks who split with the leadership. They have gained support among those who oppose the deal, and are based in the northwest of north Darfur. They have reportedly been attacked by Minnawi, and are said to be closing ranks with the National Redemption Front.

Thanks to Reuters Alert Newsblog for highlighting this blog, Sudan Watch, in the following excerpt taken from above report:

"While the exact situation on the ground in Darfur remains more than a little hazy due to the lack of access for journalists and aid workers in many parts, here are some good sources of information available on the internet:

The blog written by Jan Pronk, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Sudan, who lives in Khartoum. The United Nations should listen up, because his latest piece is pretty pessimistic about prospects for the peace deal.

Another blog called Sudan Watch compiles newspaper articles and other interesting blog pieces on Sudan on an almost daily basis.

Sudanese researcher Eric Reeves, who's also Professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, writes regularly about Darfur on his site sudanreevees.org."

- - -

Note, Feb 21 2006 List of top wanted Janjaweed leaders - Who's who on Darfur (African Confidential)

S. Sudan's first trade fair shows up investor problems

Investors who braved a flooded camp to attend south Sudan's first trade fair found a boom in demand after years of war, but from such a low starting point that some asked if the region was yet ripe for business.

Full report Reuters/ST Aug 13, 2006.



Photo: University of Juba building where south Sudan's first trade fair was held this year. (USIP)

Libyan leader Gaddafi pledges to fund health projects in Sudan

Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi pledged to fund health projects in the Sudanese region affected by the war. He made this promise during the visit of the Sudanese minister of health, Dr Tabitha Butrus, to Libya last week. - Full story ST Aug 12, 2006.

Secretary-General voices concern about worsening situation in Sudan - What happened to proposed joint GOS/SPLA force of 10,000 troops to back up AU?

Aug 11 2006 UN News Centre report - excerpt:

Mr Annan noted there had been some progress in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) since its signing in May, though some deadlines for implementing its key aspects had been missed and several rebel groups were not yet parties to the agreement.

"Both DPA signatories have violated the ceasefire arrangements, while non-signatories have violated pre-existing ceasefire obligations," he said.

Against this backdrop, the prospects for international assistance operations were bleak, he said, noting that the African Union has indicated that it may not have enough money to keep its 7,000-strong Darfur operation going until its mandate expires at the end of September.

The possibility of having the UN take the place of the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) also remained in doubt, he said, since the Sudanese government continued to oppose a UN mission in Darfur.

"While the Government maintains its firm opposition to this plan, the situation on the ground is deteriorating," he said.

So what's Plan B? Mr Annan doesn't say. One can only guess he is counting on pressure to mount that will either cause Khartoum to agree UN troops in Darfur or donors to contribute enough funding for AMIS to continue. Or ... something that has not been mentioned for a while (that even John Garang had suggested for Darfur) ... a joint AU/GOS/SPLM force of 30,000 troops - 10,000 each. See June 22 2006 Khartoum's discussing sending joint GOS/SPLA force of 10,000 troops to back up AU and help disarm Arab militias.

Pronk: 1 year ago Garang died. Will his legacy survive?

Excerpt from UN SRSG Jan Pronk's blog entry Aug 10, 2006:

"Do not bring the people to the towns, but bring the towns to the people", was his [Garang's] favorite theme. He advocated economic and social development of existing small towns, well connected by rural roads, sustaining a broad domestic market characterized by a steady increase of purchasing power, evenly spread throughout the country.

So far, reality is different. The CPA has been signed, but its implementation is going slow. Reconstruction is hardly taking place, economic development has yet to take off and poverty is blatant and widely spread. Three days ago, traveling from Torit to Juba we spoke to a group of several hundreds of villagers. They complained:

"There is a no school, no water, no food and no hospital".

It was heart breaking. On the market in Torit itself, a small town which has been occupied several times by different armies, we saw only few products and a meager assortment of foodstuffs. The town of Nassir, which I visited a month earlier, is nothing more than a large village slump. In nearly every town scars of the war are visible. Nowhere demolished buildings or infrastructure are reconstructed. Rural development and food security are impeded by a lack of water points, lots of mines, too much cattle and multiple violence.

See Aug 12 2006 - US security firm DynCorp to turn south Sudan rebels into soldiers - DynCorp has almost $40 million in US State Department contracts to build barracks, provide telecoms and training to former rebel SPLA; donors say southern Sudan's government has funnelled the biggest chunk of its 2006/07 budget - some 40 percent - into defence.

US firm DynCorp to turn south Sudan rebels into soldiers

Sudan Tribune report today says US security firm DynCorp is to turn south Sudan rebels into soldiers - and it has almost $40 million in US State Department contracts to build barracks, provide telecommunications and training to the former rebel SPLA. Also note the report points out:

"The US government has decided that a stable military force will create a stable country," [DynCorp spokesperson] Rigney said.

He denied the contracts included any arms deal with southern Sudan's government, which donors say has funnelled the biggest chunk of its 2006/07 budget - some 40 percent - into defence.

Crikey. 40% of donor funds and/or oil revenues on defence? Someone's making a mint. Obviously, water pumps are not considered a priority.

It's no wonder most folk in south Sudan see no great improvement in basic services concerning food, water and education. It's been two years since peace was agreed with pledges of $4.5 billion from international donors for development. Thanks to a Sudan Watch reader Imnakoya of Grandiose Parlor blog for this comment:

"Well, a beggar has no choice! That the US would push $40 million of its aid money back to one of its conglomerates speaks volume to the meaning and politics behind many of the aid programs coming from the west."

Sudan SPLM denies contract with US firm to reshape SPLA

UPDATE: Aug 13, 2006 Sudan Tribune article [via POTP]: The Sudan People's Liberation Movement has denied that it would reshape its army (SPLA) into a professional army, with the help of a US firm, an official said.

South Sudan, Egypt agree to cooperate on water resources

The Ministry of Irrigation of South Sudan Government Wednesday signed a Memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources for rehabilitation of stations to measure rain-fall in south Sudan. - Full story Sudan Tribune Aug 9, 2006. Excerpt:

Responding to a question of journalist, Engineer said that the establishment of Hamdab Dam in Sudan was aimed for generation of electricity, but not to affect Egypt's share in the Nile water.

Reporting Darfur: Does new media make a difference?

Found while browsing some blogs today. Filing copy here (minus hyperlinks) for future reference:

July 27 2006 Africa Media blog entry Reporting Darfur: Does new media make a difference?

I'm getting ready to attend the annual conference for journalism profs (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) next week and I noticed three research papers examine media coverage of the Darfur genocide. (I've listed them below with title, author and abstract.)

A few years ago I analyzed coverage of the Rwanda genocide, and I wonder if the coverage of Sudan is any different. Pretty much most coverage of conflict in Africa can be predicted: Fighting is "tribal violence," economic and political contexts aren't considered. Coverage is sparse and generally driven by the US government's position (although it appeared in the 1990s that NGOs would begin playing a larger role in shaping the news.)

What's different this time around is there are lots of ordinary folks using the Internet and grass-roots organizing to provide a different message. Be a Witness urges people to contact the mainstream media and ask them to actually cover the genocide as opposed to run-away brides (check out their cool intro video plus the charts on amount of coverage). The Genocide Intervention Network also works to educate the public.

Blogs such as The Coalition for Darfur, The Darfur Blog (written by Toniyah Tonijah of Nigeria), Sudan Watch have sprung up around the issue. (My favorite is Sudan: The Passion of the Present, which has constantly updated information and a good list of links.)

MTVU sent three students over to report on the situation. Their site includes lots of info such as the student winners of a competition for Darfur activism and a video game created by a USC student called Darfur is Dying.

With all this alternative media information and education going on, has mainstream coverage changed? We constantly hear about how bloggers are influencing mainstream media agendas and coverage. Yet the research summarized below suggests it's the same old same old.

What does this say about mainstream media? About the impact of socially conscious bloggers (and other media creators)? Or are we not casting a broad enough net with our research?

Research papers on the crisis at AEJMC August 2006 San Francisco:

Darfur: International Neglect and News Media Silence in the Face of Genocide - Chinedu (Ocek) Eke, Elon University - This paper examines the conflict in Darfur described by many, including the President of the United States, as an ongoing genocide. To this end, I argue that the dearth of news media coverage, particularly of television news, on one of the most egregious human rights violations of our time has kept the public largely in the dark on the scope of the genocide while prolonging the plight of Darfurians.

Un-Covering Darfur Sudan 2003-2005: Which News Organization Offered the Most Comprehensive Coverage? - Bella Mody, University of Colorado - Media coverage of developing countries and U.S. domestic realities continues to be sensational, episodic and stereotypical, in spite of years of scholarship and political protest. The consequences of the lack of an internationally informed citizenry are politically troubling at this unipolar juncture in world political history with the U.S. as sole superpower on the one hand, and private investors looking for faster increases in rates of return from their investment in media firms on the other.

Reporting a Humanitarian Tragedy: A Framing Analysis of Chinese Newspaper Coverage of Darfur - Xun Liu and Seow Ting Lee, Michigan State University - This study examines the coverage of the Darfur crisis by the People's Daily and the China Daily over 26 months. Based on a content analysis and a textual analysis, the comparative framing analysis found similarities in the coverage, which is motivated by national interest. However, there are significant differences in the portrayal of major actors, and the assignment of blame and responsibility. The findings can be explained by the papers' ownership and China's media environment

Technorati Tags: AEJMC, Africa, Darfur, Sudan
July 27, 2006 in Horn of Africa | Permalink

Fighting the Global War on Radical Islam?

Filed here for future reference: a copy of one of the 18 comments posted to Younghusband's blog entry at ComingAnarchy.com 9 Aug 2006 re Reader Question: Fighting the Global War on Radical Islam?

Comment by Kirk H Sowell, Arab World Analysis:

Two comments, one general and one in response:

1) We should remember that while the phenomenon is Islamic terrorism, the enemy is neither Islam nor terrorism - it is radical Islam. I stress this point because sometimes the purely military terrorist groups like al-Qaeda are viewed as the greatest threats, but in the long run they don't have staying power - in fact they don't have a lot even now. But those radical Islamic organizations with political and social wings like Hamas and Hizballah are the greatest long-term threats. They can survive when others cannot. This is not the place to prescribe a remedy, and I explain below why I think this one would not work, but I think this distinction is important to bear in mind. Hizb al-Tahrir has no military wing, but seeks to establish the Caliphate and then declare war on the West. That is a greater threat than al-Qaeda.

2) This plan would not work because it would be be portrayed as a "war against Islam" and the modifier "radical" would drop out. I don't follow all areas of the Muslim world so closely, but in the Arab media this is how just about everything comes through. If the Taliban kills 1,000 Shia Muslims in a weekend killing spree, as they did to the Hararas when they were in power, it isn't worth noting. But if an American missile goes astray and kills 10 Afghans, the America is waging war on Islam. If Israel kills a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative who directed a suicide bombing that killed 25 Israeli civilians in a market, he is a martyr, and Israel is waging war on Islam. Syria can assassinate as many Lebanese opposition figures as it wants, and this barely causes a ripple in Arab societies outside Lebanon itself. If Israel kills the same number accidentally fighting Hizballah, Israel is waging a war on Islam. When Britons of Pakistani origin try and blow up buses or airplanes, then Al-Jazeera talks about how bad it is for Muslims in Britain. I'm serious. This is exactly what they did after 9/11 and 7/7.

You get the point - there isn't the slightest chance that any message like this would get through without the greatest amount of distortion. Some Muslims would certainly agree with it, but none of them will have supported radical Islam anyway.

Eric Reeves says DPA is serving as cover for escalating internecine fighting, especially in northern Darfur

Eric Reeves' opinion piece appears in today's "Comments is Free" section of the Guardian's website (via POTP).

Here below is an excerpt that shows how Reeves continues to pull down the AU troops in Darfur and portray the Darfur conflict as Arabs vs Africans/Arabs seeking to kill and eliminate Africans/Arabs committing genocide.

Note too how he highlights the Germans, making no mention of any other European government other than that of Britain. France, Norway and The Netherlands, to name a few, have been most vigorous in their efforts to help the people of Darfur, not just the Germans and British.

The only reason I can think of why Eric Reeves would denigrate the AU and feel the need to highlight the German involvement in Darfur is that he aims to manipulate and influence his readers. It seems to me he is onside with the Sudanese rebels (but not SLA-Minnawi) and wants what the rebels want, namely (for a start) UN troops in Darfur. Here is the excerpt from the piece entitled "Darfur's downward spiral: Violence continues to escalate in Sudan. Can we avert a catastrophe?"

" ... But the hopelessly ineffective AU is unable to enter the vast majority of camps for fear of attack, and has mounted many fewer patrols in recent months. The AU mission is currently slated to end at the end of September, but the UN has still not authorized a successor force.

Although UN secretary general Kofi Annan recently presented plans for an ambitious UN peace support operation in Darfur, the Khartoum government has for months adamantly refused to accept any UN force. This refusal has been consistent, and was recently reiterated by senior members of the National Islamic Front (which has renamed itself, innocuously, the National Congress Party).

The NIF - which stands accused of genocide by not only the US government but by senior officials of the German and British governments, as well as the parliament of the European Union - has no interest in seeing the Darfur crisis resolved. Indeed, current "genocide by attrition" completes the ambitions more violently in evidence in 2003-2004, when the regime's regular military forces coordinated with the notorious Arab Janjaweed militia to destroy over 80% of all non-Arab villages (primarily those of the Fur, the Massalit, and the Zaghawa).

Even so, the international community continues to reassure Khartoum that the UN will enter Darfur only with the regime's consent.

Perversely, the one rebel faction to sign onto the DPA with Khartoum was that of Minni Minawai - a Zaghawa whose forces have been consistently implicated in wide-ranging atrocities, especially against other African ethnic groups. Minawi recently became "Assistant to the President," fourth-ranking position in the merely notional "Government of National Unity" in Khartoum, a fig-leaf for continued NIF control of Sudanese national wealth and power.

Recent reports from the ground make clear that Minawi's rebel faction is actively coordinating with Khartoum's regular military forces in attacks on civilians and other rebel forces that have not signed the DPA. In effect, the DPA is serving as cover for escalating internecine fighting, especially in northern Darfur.

Absent robust and urgent international humanitarian intervention, there is every reason to believe that we have entered the most destructive phase of genocidal destruction in Darfur. More than half a million people have already died; as many more could die in the coming months.

The world's choice is to look at Darfur through the lens of Iraq - or Rwanda. The expedient consensus is clearly to do the former; but Darfur's realities are shamefully closer to those of the latter.

Related stories

Aug 12 2006 AP via Turkish News - MtvU's Darfur campaign earns TV academy honor: MTV's college network, mtvU, will receive the television academy's 2006 Governors Award for its campaign to inform students about the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region and engage them in solutions. [MTV's campaign seems news to me. I don't recall seeing much about it]

Snapshot of some "news" reports circulating in today's Google newsreel

Darfur Escalation NOW!
Columbus Free Press, OH - Aug 10, 2006
As security continues to dissolve and the humanitarian crisis deepens in Darfur, Africa Action invites you to participate in our escalation campaign to stop ...

Editorial: Plea for Darfur
Waco Tribune Herald, TX - Aug 10, 2006
In Sudan, Janjaweed militias sponsored by the government have killed 400,000 people in that country's northern region of Darfur. ...

Activists ask Bush to do more to end Darfur crisis
ABC News - Aug 9, 2006
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration voiced concern on Wednesday over increasing violence in Sudan's Darfur region and sought to counter criticism at ...

Amnesty urges UN to deploy peacekeepers in Darfur
Sudan Tribune, Sudan - 15 hours ago
Dear Ambassador, Amnesty International welcomes the report of the UN Secretary-General on Darfur as an important step towards ensuring the protection of the ...

For more links to activists' "news" reports circulating in mainstream media, see GIF's News from Darfur Aug 11 2006 [hat tip CFD]

Government of Sudan under international law does have to try and protect women

The Minority Rights Group International is sending an open letter to human rights leaders calling for better protection for women in Darfur. Gender officer Katrina Naomi says, "Rape is being used as a tool of war and militias are being allowed to act with impunity."

Full story Aug 11 2006 SudanTribune article - Open letter calls for protection of Darfur women - excerpt:

"... After all, the government of Sudan under international law does have to try and protect women within the state, regardless of who's actually carrying out these attacks"..."

[Under international law? That's interesting. I wonder if Sudanese children are protected by international law]

US says UN peacekeepers must be in Darfur by Oct 1

Quotes from AP report 10 Aug 2006 via ST:

[State Department spokesman Sean] McCormack said the US said, however, the [AU] peacekeepers have tried hard, but "the situation has evolved and become much more complex and difficult."

"Consequently, a United Nations peacekeeping force must deploy without delay. Only a large, robust, mobile, and fast-reacting UN force is capable of stopping the violence and protecting innocent lives".

"The African Union has consistently called for transition ... to a U.N. operation without delay. Such a transition should take place by October 1."

"The United States is firmly committed to peace in Sudan," McCormack said. He said the peace agreement "provides the best opportunity for lasting security, peace, reconciliation and reconstruction in Darfur. It accommodates the reasonable political, economic and security goals of the people of Darfur."