Africa deserves the leadership it gets

Excerpt from Joshua Wanyama's commentary at his new website African Path 20 Dec 2006:

"... it took Kenyans since 1963 to 1992 to vote for a president. 40 years! And to think that we grew up in schools learning our country's history and civics convinced that we live in a democratic country. How can a people be led so blindly? The ones who saw this injustice were silenced while everyone else suffered in silence. Therefore we deserved the leadership we got.

Most African countries gained independence and our grateful masses entrusted absolute powers to the leaders who fought to free us from oppression and colonization. Now this does not mean the leaders we got actually fought, all it means was that some were at the right place at the right time. Kenyatta was a freedom fighter as were others but once they got power, their true colors came out. The famous George Orwell book "Animal Farm" comes to mind every time I think of African leadership. "All animals are equal, but some who are more equal than others."

After all, This is Africa."

Joshua Wanyama is a Kenyan currently in Minneapolis. He has set up a news and blog aggregator site for Africa starting Jan 1st, 2007 called African Path - and has developed a similar model for the Middle East at http://www.arabisto.com that went live on 9/25/06. Best wishes and good luck to all involved!

U.S. CENTCOM's Media Engagement Team For the Media - Rewards for Justice

Check it out: U.S. CENTCOM's Media Engagement Team - For the Media.

**Shiver** Browsing around CENTCOM's site, I found a link to a creepy site called Rewards For Justice.

Libya to build statue of Saddam

Jan 4 2007 BBC report excerpt:

Saddam Hussein was president of Iraq from 1979 until 2003.

Libya has said it will build a statue of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, executed in Baghdad on Saturday. It would show him standing on the gallows with a Libyan resistance leader who fought Italian occupation, executed in 1931, Libya's Jana news agency said.

Libya declared three days of mourning after Saddam Hussein's death and cancelled public celebrations around the Eid religious holiday.

On the eve of the hanging, Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi said Saddam Hussein was a prisoner of war who must be tried by Iraq's invaders, the US and Britain, according to Reuters news agency.

Flags on Libyan government buildings flew at half-mast following his death.

[hat tip www.Arabisto.com - news and commentary on the Middle East]

All of our children are precious...

A Canadian blogger wants to send toys to poor children in Sudan. I'd like to chip in and send them some art materials, water engineers and world class land rights lawyers.

British diplomat gets top UN job

Good. Sir John Holmes will replace Norway's Jan Egeland as under-secretary-general for political affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator.

Full story icWales 4 Jan 2007.

PS If anyone finds news on what is happening with Norway's NRC and Darfur's Kalma camp, please share - thanks.

UN removes 4 peacekeepers from Sudan after abuse

Fact of life, a barrel of good apples can contain a few rotters. AP report via ST:

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jane Holl Lute said Tuesday night that the allegations could be true, but "these environments are ones in which it is difficult to ascertain the truth."

She said she has personally spoken to the force commander and chief of staff in the U.N. mission in southern Sudan "and I know they are very well briefed on what U.N. policy is and have taken steps to implement that policy across the board in that mission."

"But we don't have the facts yet in this case, and we need to ascertain the facts and follow it through to appropriate resolution and take action if necessary," she said.

Lute, who served in the U.S. Army for 16 years, said vigilance on this matter has to be "a constant factor of life when you're rotating through 200,000 troops in as diverse environments as we do."

Candace Feit's photography exhibit examines Darfur

Senegal-based photojournalist Candace Feit, whose work has been featured in Time, The New York Times and Le Monde, will exhibit photos of Darfur, Sudan, as well as photos that show life in other parts of Africa.

Via PoughkeepsieJournal 3 Jan 2007

Job opportunity: Genocide Intervention Network

Genocide Intervention Network is seeking a Chief Operating Officer. The job description can be found via Pienso.

SLM Nur's latest Mission Statement

Today, the Sudan Tribune published copy of 2 Jan 2007 Mission Statement by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Alnour. Note, in the statement, Mr Nur refers to his group of bandits as "an independent political movement." Also, he signed the statement as Chairman of the SLM/A even though he was, reportedly, impeached last year.

I've lost track of how many "independent political movements" freely roam Sudan, carrying mortars and guns with which to murder and maim fellow citizens. Getting to the truth about Sudan's bandits and other mysterious forces - and people like Nur - is like trying to nail down mercury.

From what I can gather, we know very little about the ringleaders in the Darfur war and nothing about how (and why) they manage to operate so easily from Europe. I find it strange they don't appear to be subjected to the same travel/immigration rules as the rest of us. I wonder what they declare as their occupation and funding when completing visitor Visa forms.

UN Council has five new members; Russia chairs

The council presidency rotates monthly, according to the English alphabet, with Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, taking over for January from Qatari Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser. - Reuters 3 Jan 2007.

UN Ban Ki Moon's in-tray

Today, Harvard educated Ban Ki Moon (former South Korean Foreign Minister) takes over as UN chief. Excerpt from today's Times report by James Bone in New York:

BAN'S IN TRAY

Control nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran
Stop the bloodshed in Darfur region of Sudan
Renew Israeli-Palestinian peace process
Prepare Iraq and Afghanistan for democratic civilian governments
Co-ordinate global responses to climate change, the spread of Aids and Third World poverty
Restore trust in UN after Oil-for-Food scandal
Retain American backing while reaching out to all member states
Find consensus for an expanded Security Council which reflects the 21st century but appeases the current permanent members

Virtual Darfur event in Second Life

An event in Second Life is being held at The Infinite Mind virtual broadcast center, and will be simultaneously broadcast in two other locations in Second Life: Camp Darfur, and Global Kids, on the Second Life teen grid.

The virtual "Our Walls Bear Witness - Darfur: Who Will Survive Today?" photography exhibit will be open in Second Life until January 31, 2007.



Photo from Darfur via U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum mixed-media event to be featured as part of virtual reality program

Source: FUTURE-MAKING SERIOUS GAMES: Serious Games Event At The Infinite Mind Virtual Broadcast Center blog entry 1 Jan 2007

New film/blog: Christmas In Darfur

Christmas In Darfur: A Blog

World Day of Peace marked in Dublin

Today is World Day of Peace - the Irish Examiner reported:

The theme for the 40th celebration of the World Day of Peace is The Human Person, the Heart of Peace.

"We in Ireland share fully this ideal and this focus," he [PM Bertie Ahern] said. "In our Constitution, we as a nation affirm our devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly cooperation between nations founded on international justice and morality.

"We recognise that the dignity and freedom of our people are preserved by our Constitution's protection of their fundamental rights."

Mr Ahern said that through more than 25 years of recent conflict on the island of Ireland, we have remained focused on pursuing its peaceful resolution.

"We believed that the problem of Northern Ireland could only be resolved through consent, the pursuit of equality and human rights, the rule of law, and dialogue involving all the parties to the conflict," he continued.

"Our experience on this island has shown that a just and lasting peace is built over time, sometimes slowly, but always with patience and determination.

"In Northern Ireland I am hopeful that this work of construction is nearing completion.

"Its capstone is support on the one hand for power-sharing and on the other hand for policing and the rule of law.

"Once these elements are in place, as I hope they will be very soon, we will see the real benefits that devolved Government can bring to all in the community."

Irrigation and development of Sudan's rich resources could solve intertribal fighting?

Listen up Reuters et al. Excerpt from Workers World by Sara Flounders (via Sudan Vision June 4 2006 - The U.S. role in Darfur, Sudan):

The U.S. corporate media is unanimous in simplistically describing the crisis in Darfur as atrocities committed by the Jan jawid militias, supported by the central government in Khartoum. This is described as an "Arab" assault on "African" people. This is a total distortion of reality.

As the Black Commentator, Oct. 27, 2004, points out: "All parties involved in the Darfur conflict - whether they are referred to as 'Arab' or as 'African,' are equally indigenous and equally Black. All are Muslim and all are local." The whole population of Darfur speaks Arabic, along with many local dialects. All are Sunni Muslim.

Drought, famine and sanctions

The crisis in Darfur is rooted in intertribal fighting. A desperate struggle has developed over increasingly scarce water and grazing rights in a vast area of Northern Africa that has been hit hard by years of drought and growing famine. Darfur has over 35 tribes and ethnic groups. About half the people are small subsistence farmers, the other half nomadic herders. For hundreds of years the nomadic population grazed their herds of cattle and camels over hundreds of miles of grassy lowlands. Farmers and herders shared wells. For over 5,000 years, this fertile land sustained civilizations in both western Dar fur and to the east, all along the Nile River. Now, due to the drought and the encroaching great Sahara Desert, there isn't enough grazing land or enough farmland in what could be the breadbasket of Africa.

Irrigation and development of Sudan's rich resources could solve many of these problems. U.S. sanctions and military intervention will solve none of them.

January 6th, date for effecting DPA security arrangements

Dec 28 2006 Sudan Vision news report by Al Sammani Awadallah:

January 6th, Date for Effecting DPA Security Arrangements

The Government of Sudan, the movements that signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and the movements that expressed their commitment to the agreement have agreed that the military movements to be merged into one movement to facilitate the implementation of the security arrangements on the ground in three phases.

The manager of the Armed Forces spokesperson office Lt. Colonel Alswarmi Khalid stated in a press conference, yesterday, that starting from the coming 6 of January the sights of these movements in Darfur will be visited to register the forces to prepare for the merge. Alswarmi stated that the forces would be classified in the period from 13 to 20 of January to be merged in the armed forces according to the regulations. Alswarmi confirmed the commitment of the armed forces with the implementation of the resolutions of the three formed committees.

The chairperson of Power Committee Mr. Mohamed Yousif noted to the steps taken in the implementation of the power file confirming that the government cannot intervene in this regards because the issue has been left for the signatory movements.

On his part the Chairman of Wealth Committee Alfatih Mohamed Saeed stated that 200 million $ has been allocated in the budget of 2007 for the rehabilitation of Darfur beside 30 million $ for the compensations. He added that the committee of defining the basic needs, which will be submitted to the donors' conference in Holland, next April, has finished great part of its task.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ambassador Ali Alsadig stated that the contacts between the United Nations Secretary General and President Al Bashir has concentrated on the implementations of the UN support packages to the African Union forces operating in Darfur . Alsadig revealed that foreign military experts would provide technical and logistical support to AU.

Sudan's literacy rate = 20% to 27%

Sudan's national or official language: Standard Arabic.

Literacy rate: 20% to 27%

Blind population: 110,000

Deaf institutions: 1.

The number of languages listed for Sudan is 142. Of those, 134 are living languages and 8 are extinct.

Source: Ethnologue report for Sudan

UN report recommends robust monitoring and protection mission to E Chad & NE CAR

Dec 30 2006 news report by Mark Turner, entitled UN snubs calls to shield refugees, tells us:

The United Nations peacekeeping department has rebuffed calls by the Security Council for a force to protect refugees in Chad and shore up its border with Sudan, warning that any UN presence there would face big risks.

In a report seen by the FT but not yet officially re-leased, the UN says: "Conditions for an effective UN peacekeeping operation do not seem to be in place at this time."

"Should the Security Council decide to pursue the idea of establishing a UN presence in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR . . . it should consider authorising the deployment of a robust monitoring and protection mission," it said.

[hat tip CFD and POTP]

George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Joey Cheek and Tegla Loroupe report on their visits to China and Egypt

Excerpt from an email I've received from a British blogger (who keeps well up to date with news)

"I'm with Sudan Watch and it is entirely in China's power to influence the situation just by witholding the enormous monies it is distributing around the continent.

Darfur is a world issue mixed up - sadly - with the usual national/commercial interests, and was about time it was pushed up the agenda."

I wonder what it would take for bloggers to get Darfur up on the agenda of China and its bloggers. American bloggers Ethan and Rebecca (founders of Global Voices) keep the blogosphere up to date with China's policing of the Internet - it's a complex subject. (See Blogs and China correspondence - survey results)

I don't know if this blog can be read in China. It contains words such as "human rights" that might block readers in China. The sites stats show visitors from all over the world but rarely China.



Actors George Clooney (2nd R) and Don Cheadle (R), along with athletes Joey Cheek (L) and Tegla Loroupe, report on their recent trips to China and Egypt requesting assistance for the situation in Darfur, at the U.N. in New York December 15, 2006. REUTERS/Chip East (UNITED STATES)

Dec 14 2006 Xinhua report (via Peace Journalism) - Oscar-winning actor George Clooney visited China from Dec. 10 to 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang confirmed on Thursday.

PS If you are in China and can read this blog, please let me know - thanks!

Start a meme to push China to save Darfur.



Photo: Shenyang fighter. Dec 9 2005 ST - China sells fighter jets to Sudanese army

Sudan's Janjaweed report to no one?

Reuters report via ST 31 Dec 1006 - excerpt:

"The situation here remains like a tinderbox," said one aid worker who witnessed clashes in December in el-Fasher town before evacuated.

The Janjaweed "report to no one," the aid worker in el-Fasher said, adding "there is a huge amount of tension between the Janjaweed, the government of Sudan and the police."

Note, Sudan Watch archives tell us Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal says Sudanese government call to arms is carried out through tribal leaders.