UN sending mission to E Chad and the CAR

With the conflict in Darfur spilling into neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic, the UN said on Friday that it was sending a mission to both countries.

UN's undersecretary-general for peacekeeping Guehenno told the security council that the UN secretariat had carried out "an intensive planning process" to review options for a UN presence in eastern Chad and the CAR.

Guehenno said UN planning was based on a scenario that envisaged little or no improvement in the security situation in countries in the short-term, as well as continued obstacles to aid delivery, and no agreement on replacing the African Union force in Darfur with UN peacekeepers.

Full story News 24 (SA) 28 Oct 2006.

Wide praise from UN Security Council members for Pronk's willingness to speak frankly about Darfur

Oct 28 2006 VOA report via CFD - Pronk Accuses Sudan of Fresh Violations:

Pronk rejected Khartoum's contention that he had exceeded his mandate as special U.N. envoy, and said all information on his Web blog was obtained from the Sudanese media.

"It was very well known that soldiers were retreating, not willing to fight. That was public knowledge, that there was low morale, and I said that this resulted in which I deplored very much,in the incorporation of militia and janjaweed in the paramilitary forces, the militia and the janjaweed are not disciplined, they kill. If you steal camels, they kill, in retaliation, babies," he said.

After speaking to Pronk, Secretary-General Annan said he retains full confidence in the envoy. Mr. Annan's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Pronk would keep his job until his contract runs out in December, despite his expulsion, and would make a brief symbolic return to Sudan next month.

"Mr. Pronk will return to Khartoum to organize an orderly handover to the officer in charge of the mission before returning to New York for debriefings, but will remain the special representative until the end of the year," he said.

Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem says Khartoum considers Pronk "history", and accused him of abusive behavior. Speaking to reporters Friday, he did not rule out that Pronk might be allowed to visit Khartoum, but said he would not be recognized as a diplomat.

"We terminated his mandate, his responsibilities as the special envoy of the secretary general. It is our right to do so if somebody is threatening our national interest, and in any other capacity that is a totally different issue, but for us, his functions as special envoy of the secretary-general have ceased to exist," he said.

After Friday's Security Council briefing, the Council president for October, Japanese Ambassador Kenzo Oshima defended Pronk and said there had been wide praise from members for his willingness to speak frankly about the dire conditions in Darfur.

"In a situation such as in Darfur, where hundreds of thousands of people have perished. And millions are suffering in dire humanitarian situations, that frankness, that outspokenness can come only from a man who has deep conviction and commitment," he said.

UN's Pronk says Sudan regime criticism led to his expulsion

Oct 27 2006 Gulfnews - agencies' report - excerpt:

[UN SRSG] Pronk said he was revealing the facts of the situation in his role as special envoy and did not intend to provoke or insult the military.

"I have been completely free ... to make the facts and analysis behind them known to everybody," he said. "It's not the issue of where you say something, it's the issue of what you are saying." He said he believes his "incessant criticism" of the fact that "the government continues to seek a military solution despite the fact a cease-fire agreement has been signed" was the reason he was ordered to leave.

Sudan has agreed UN will provide AMIS with logistical and material support, as well as military and police advisers

Oct 27 2006 AP report via IHT via POTP. Excerpt:

Jean-Marie Guehenno, the undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, told the Security Council on Friday the UN will provide the beleaguered African force with logistical and material support, as well as military and police advisers.

He said Sudan's president had agreed to the assistance package, and several military and police advisers had been deployed to Darfur last week, while others were ready for deployment.

In his address to the Security Council on Friday, [UN SRSG] Pronk again blamed the government for the continued violence, saying it is violating UN resolutions that bar air operations in Darfur and mobilizing more troops in the region.

"The government continues to violate the DPA (Darfur Peace Agreement) and other cease-fire agreements," Pronk said in remarks to the closed meeting that were made public.

He added, however, that he believed the war could be brought to an end.

"The road ahead is long and arduous," he said. "But I am convinced that peace is possible and that peacekeeping, under the guidance of the Security Council, remains the only credible solution."

India's air force contingent leaves to Sudan on UN peace mission

Oct 27 2006 Sudan Tribune article excerpt:

Addressing the Sudan bound Air Warriors, Air Vice Marshal Kumaria said, "You are the ambassadors of peace and the Nation has high expectations from you in terms of discipline, integrity and professional standards. Your predecessors have set high standards and you should be setting higher standards". Air Vice Marshal Kumaria also congratulated every member of the contingent for being selected for the mission.

As Drima would say, good luck peoples!

Blogging diplomats - Blogs, the new diplomacy?

Oct 26 2006 BBC report "Blogs - the new diplomacy?"

Note, the website for the Sudanese Embassy in The Netherlands seems to have disappeared. In the sidebar here at Sudan Watch, the link to an oil concessions map at the site has broken.

Intermission

Back soon.

-Water-



Women from a Ingasana tribe carrying water...

Taken near Chesan river, Eastern Sudan, close to Ethiopia.

(Photo and caption by Sudanese photographer Vit Hassan uploaded 26 Oct 2006)

UN's Pronk urged countries to push for a prolonged and beefed-up AU force

Oct 26 2006 CNN news report - Sudanese ambassador: U.N. envoy 'abused his authority' - excerpt:

"The plight of the people in Darfur is the making of the Sudanese," Pronk told CNN Correspondent Jeff Koinange in an interview Wednesday. "The people have been forgotten, neglected, marginalized. The government is responsible for using the army and Arab militia, which kill and kill and do not abide by any rule, let alone human rights rules."

In an October 14 blog entry, Pronk wrote: "First, the SAF [Sudanese Armed Forces] has lost two major battles -- last month in Umm Sidir and this week in Karakaya. The losses seem to have been very high. Reports speak about hundreds of casualties in each of the two battles with many wounded and many taken as prisoner."

"The morale in the government army in North Darfur has gone down. Some generals have been [fired]; soldiers have refused to fight," the Dutch diplomat said.

On Thursday, Mohamad said Pronk was not truthful about the army, saying that Pronk relied on unverified third party accounts.

Note, the report reminds us Mr Pronk urged countries to push for a prolonged and beefed-up African Union force. What are Sudan's tribal leaders doing? What are their views? It'd be interesting to learn what they think.
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Oct 27 2006 IRIN report - Sudan: Ambassador adamant Pronk stays out - Abdalhaleem disregarded Pronk's statements, describing them as "not faithful" to the Sudanese army. Pronk's comments, he said, reflected "things which he heard from some people about imaginary battles that had taken place". [If true, it would mean I've blogged imaginary battles. Don't think so]

Africa: $5 million prize for the Best Head of State

Via Global Voices Online:

Sanaga Peregrinations writes (Fr): "A $5 million prize for the best African head of state. The prize was created by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim ... The winning head of state will have to leave power democratically, will have to have managed his country properly when it comes to security, health, education and economic development ... Some [including Transparency International] criticize the measure for resting responsibility for the bad governance of a country on the shoulders of a single man."

Imagine a $5m prize for a European Head of State. Doesn't seem right. There are other ways to laud and thank people for doing a great job. I prefer politicians and government officials to keep away from anything that whiffs of a bribe.

Eric Reeves is nuts

Note how Eric Reeves leads his readers into believing his rants have been published in The Guardian. Commentary of his, referred to in his latest vent) (hat tip CFD) appears online at the Guardian's "Comments is free" section, not, as he implies, the newspaper itself.

Reeves, through massively selective editing and cutting, twists words on so many reports, it's hard to know where to begin pulling his stuff to pieces. I did make a start but deleted it. Can't be bothered to give him any more air space because he's so nasty and has no compunction spreading dangerous damaging fabrications and lies about people and not revealing his sources. And he has the cheek to lead his readers into believing Jan Pronk is a rogue and liar! Reeves doesn't even imply such things about Nur's rebels!! Read the whole thing, if you can stomach it.

I say Eric Reeves is nuts. Send him to Khartoum in Jan Pronk's place and see if he has the guts to last more than five seconds!
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Under its "Opinions" heading, the Sudan Tribune has published Reeves' commentary entitled Pronk's expulsion: Darfur, S. Sudan without UN critical presence: Khartoum Expels Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk: Another in a series of consequential blunders by the willful Pronk leaves Darfur and Southern Sudan without a critical UN diplomatic presence.
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See Oct 26 2006 Head-to-head: Darfur situation (BBC): What do you think? Do you agree with Eric Reeves or Gamal Nkrumah? What should the international community do? Send your views to BBC using the link below.

China says it believes no govt "should interfere with other country's human rights and internal affairs"

Oct 26 2006 (BEIJING) news report via ST - excerpt:

In an interview this week with a French newspaper, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said Chinese banks ignore human rights and environmental standards when lending in Africa.

"We do not accept such criticism," Zhai Jun, an assistant foreign minister, said at a news conference.

China believes no government "should interfere with other country's human rights and internal affairs," Zhai said.

Note the report tells us Sudanese President Bashir will attend China-Africa Cooperation forum to be held in Beijing Nov 1-7. Apparently, all of the 49 African nations that have diplomatic relations with Beijing say they will attend, including more than 40 heads of state.

Sudan opens border with Eritrea

Via report at Sudan Tribune Oct 26, 2006 (KASSALA) - excerpt:

The Kassala State government has issued a decree to open the border with "the fraternal state of Eritrea" after the Eid-al-Fitr holiday (Friday), the Sudanese radio reported.

The Kasha governor, Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, says under this presidential decree, the eastern states will enjoy security, and all the political entities would exercise their rights freely as stated in the constitution.

On October 14 the Sudanese government and rebels from the Eastern Front signed a peace accord that was negotiated with Eritrean help and is aimed at ending a 10-year armed conflict.

UN peacekeepers must be agreed by Sudan - China

Xinhua report via ST - excerpt:

Oct 26, 2006 (BEIJING) - China supports UN troops replacing the African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Darfur region of Sudan and holds that the peacekeeping operation must be agreed by the Sudanese government, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said here Thursday.

China is concerned over the turbulence in some parts of Sudan and the latest conditions of Sudanese people, spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular press conference.

China has always played a positive role in UN discussions on Sudan issues and China supports the UN to play a bigger role in the Darfur issue, Liu said.

The Sudanese government has some concerns about the UN peacekeeping troops replacing AU peacekeepers, which the international community needs to solve properly, the spokesman said.

"We have been trying to persuade the government of Sudan to take a flexible attitude on relevant issues," Liu said.

UN says Pronk's status remains unchanged - Sudan says Pronk is "history"

Oct 27 2006 Reuters report by Evelyn Leopold - Sudan says expelled UN envoy is "history" - excerpt:

Sudan's U.N. ambassador on Thursday said the expelled top U.N. envoy in his country, Jan Pronk, was "history" and that the United Nations should send a new representative.

"For us Mr. Pronk is history," Sudan's ambassador Abdalmahmood Mohamad told reporters. "He was not supportive, he was abusive and he became part of the problem not the solution."

Sudan's army last week called Pronk, Annan's special representative in Sudan, a threat to the country's national security.

"The Sudanese military is the custodian of the stability and the security of the country. Like any other country, what do you expect the military to do?" Mohamad said.

Although few expect Pronk to return to Khartoum, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the envoy "continues to serve with the full backing of the secretary-general and with his full confidence."

"We need to take things one step at a time," Dujarric said. "As far as we're concerned, his status remains unchanged."

Mohamad said Pronk far exceeded his brief. "Is it the mandate of Kofi Annan? Is it the mandate of Mr. Pronk to describe the morale of the army and the operations of the army and the killings of the army?"

Touchy little flowers eh? Flaming bullies more like. Trying to shut people up. They won't succeed so may as well embrace communications technology and start doing some explaining.

Tricycle Theatre, London - Darfur dramas reveal a fate worse than genocide

Michael Billington
Friday October 27, 2006
The Guardian:

Which theatre, other than the Tricycle, would commission a series of short plays about Darfur? And where else in London would you find such an intelligent post-show discussion about the extent of the crisis and the international response to it? It is a potent reminder that theatre, among its myriad other functions, has a mission to inform.

Ends tomorrow. Box office: 020-7328 1000.

Genocide Intervention Network calls for strong support for AU in Darfur

Genocide Intervention Network (GIF) argues for strong support for interim African Union peacekeepers and expanded UN Force. - ST 26 Oct 2006 - excerpt:

In July, Dr. Frazer [UN Assistant Sec for African Affairs] told a Darfur donors conference in Brussels that the United States "has been proactive in providing assistance" to the African Union and claimed, "a successful resolution to the situation in Darfur is one of the highest foreign policy priorities for President Bush." Yet she failed to follow this rhetoric with any pledge of new funds for the African Union - misleadingly claiming funds already appropriated by Congress were a new contribution.

"Unlike her earlier statements, we hope in this case Dr. Frazer's rhetoric will be followed by action and concrete support for the peacekeepers," says GI-Net Executive Director Mark Hanis. "At least $240 million from the United States alone will be required to support this vital firebreak against genocide," Hanis adds. "This is nearly four times current US funding for the African Union peacekeepers."

Even once the government of Sudan allows the UN peacekeeping force to expand from Southern Sudan into Darfur, a UN force will still take six to nine months to be mobilized.

"The African Union peacekeepers must be strongly supported through the interim - yet the current budget only supports six weeks of AU operations," Hanis says.

The European Union is also an integral part of the funding for AU peacekeepers, having donated $307 million this year, and the Arab League has pledged to help fund the peacekeeping effort as well.

Note, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has some 10,250 uniformed personnel currently serving in southern Sudan. In August 2006, the UN Security Council extended UNMIS mandate to include a further 17,050 peacekeepers - making a total of 27,300. The mandate for the AU Mission in Darfur (AMIS) expires 31 Dec 2006, which is why donor funding does not extend beyond the next six weeks. By the end of this year, donors - including Arab League countries - will be asked to support AMIS with a new strengthened mandate that Sudan said it would welcome.

UNMIS mandate increased to 27,300 uniformed personnel

The last few lines of UN News Centre report - Sudan: Annan confers with UN envoy Pronk after Government demands his withdrawal 26 Oct 2006 - tell us UNMIS has some 10,250 uniformed personnel in Sudan out of a total of up to 27,300 mandated when the Council expanded its mission in August.

Annan renews support for Jan Pronk who remains envoy for Sudan even though he was expelled

Oct 26 2006 dpa German Press Agency (via Raw Story) Annan renews support for envoy expelled by Sudan - excerpt:

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday reaffirmed his confidence in Jan Pronk.

Pronk, a Dutch diplomat, left Khartoum and arrived at UN headquarters in New York late Wednesday for consultations with Annan.

"The secretary-general has full confidence in Mr. Pronk," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric after Annan met with his envoy. Dujarric said Pronk remains the envoy for Sudan even though he was expelled.

UNESCO produced TV documentary on Darfur gets best investigative journalism award

"The Children of Darfur", directed by Denmark's Camilla Nielsson and produced by UNESCO, receives the International TV3 Actual Award today in Barcelona, Spain, a 10,000-euro first prize for outstanding examples of investigative journalism. - 26-10-2006 unesco (Paris)

AU's Konare regrets Sudan's decision to expel Pronk

Oct 25 2006 The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa) via allAfrica:

The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Alpha Oumar Konare has expressed regret over the decision of the Government of the Sudan to expel the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Sudan Jan Pronk.

According to an AU press release sent to ENA yesterday, Konare commended Pronk for his commitment to human security and human rights, as well as for his tireless efforts made to promote of reconciliation and lasting peace in the Sudan.

Konare urged all the Sudanese parties to refrain from any action that could jeopardize the peace process and, in particular, to put an immediate end to any military action which can only aggravate the security situation in Darfur.

Konare also appealed to the Sudanese parties to recommit themselves to the path of political dialogue as it is the only course to bring about lasting peace to Darfur and the Sudan at large.

So, what now? Waiting to see what UN SG Annan will say after his meeting today with Mr Pronk. Can't imagine what he'll say. There's only a few months left before Mr Annan's tenure expires, along with that of Jan Pronk's.