Sudan's warning on peacekeepers is a "political message"- Darfur peacekeepers' chief: Sudan cooperating - Sudan helpful in Darfur mission, Adada says

Thu Aug 21, 2008 KHARTOUM, Sudan (Associated Press) -

Darfur peacekeepers' chief: Sudan cooperating

The head of international peacekeepers in Darfur on Thursday downplayed Omar al-Bashir's threat to expel the force if a genocide indictment against the Sudanese president is acted upon, saying Khartoum authorities have so far been helpful.

Rodolphe Adada, the peacekeepers chief, said Sudan has been working to speed up the deployment of the U.N.-African Union force, and that the government's attitude has been one of «working with us and helping us.

Adada's comments came a day after al-Bashir threatened in an interview with pan-Arab Al-Arabiya TV to go to war and ask Darfur peacekeepers to leave if the International Criminal Court formally seeks his arrest.

Prosecutors at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, charged al-Bashir last month with genocide and war crimes, saying militias unleashed by his government have killed some 300,000 ethnic Africans since 2003. More than 2.5 million have been displaced.

Adada says that al-Bashir, who visited the peacekeepers just days after the charges were announced, said he was supportive of the mission and promised to help.

Darfur peacekeepers have been operating at about a third of the size of authorized by the United Nations, and the mission lacks attack helicopter and other logistics.

Last week, Sudanese government allowed the mission to use the three Darfur airports around the clock, according to Noureddine Mezni, a mission spokesman. At least one airport is almost ready for a 24-hour operation.

The use of the airports would help speed up deployment of more peacekeepers. For now, equipment travels for almost 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) from Port Sudan in eastern Sudan, to the troubled Darfur. The route is fraught with security risks and had been blamed for delays in needed equipment.

Apart from upsetting the Darfur deployment, there are fears that a move to arrest al-Bashir could also threaten a fragile north-south peace deal and plunge the country into new civil war.

Underlining these fears, a top U.N. envoy to Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, told the U.N. Security Council in a briefing this week that Sudan has warned of the consequences of an indictment.

Qazi said Sudanese officials told him that if an arrest warrant for al-Bashir is issued, it could have serious consequences for the U.N. mission in Sudan.

Source: http://www.pr-inside.com/darfur-peacekeepers-chief-sudan-cooperating-r767651.htm
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[Fri 22?] Aug 2008 KHARTOUM, Sudan (smc) Sudan Vision Daily -

President warns to ask exit of UNAMID if ICC issues arrest warrant

President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir arrived back home yesterday from Istanbul after participating in Turkey-African summit.

The president held sideline press conference in Istanbul stating that he would go for war if that is necessary to protect sovereignty of the state.

Moreover, he said he would ask exit of UNAMID if ICC issued an arrest warrant against him. The president reiterates opposition of surrendering any Sudanese national for prosecution before the ICC. He said the Sudanese judiciary is competent and fair enough to maintain justice.

He noted that the ICC is complementary to local judiciary and not an alternative to it.

Source: (smc) Sudan Vision Daily [insert link]
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Thu Aug 21, 2008 (UN Observer.com/Elisa Burchett) -

Does President al-Bashir Really Mean War?

Following Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's trip to Turkey for a summit of African leaders, Al Arabiya was able to obtain an interview with the President.

The UN OBSERVER & International Report spoke with a representative of Al Arabiya at the United Nations today and according to the newspaper, President al-Bashir stated he would be "ready to go through war with ‘the power’ to protect the Sudanese citizen" if a warrant is issued by the ICC.

He is also reported to have said he will ask UN Peacekeepers to leave Darfur if the ICC seeks his arrest.

Source: http://www.unobserver.com/layout4.php?id=5066&blz=1



Photo: UNSG Ban Ki-moon with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (UN photo by Eskinder Debebe)

Source: http://www.unobserver.com/layout4.php?id=5066&blz=1
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Sudanese warning on peacekeepers a "political message" - foreign minister says



Photo: Freelance journalist Andrew Heavens (http://www.meskelsquare.com/)

Fri Aug 22, 2008 (Africanpath) commentary 'Sudan: The importance of an if (Update 2)' by Andrew Heavens. Excerpt:

Sudan's foreign minister has just done an interview explaining Bashir's threat to expel UNAMID.
 
Sudanese warning on peacekeepers a "political message" - foreign minister says
 
Al-Ahdath on 22 August - The minister of foreign affairs, Deng Alor, has refused to describe President Umar al-Bashir's threat to expel the hybrid [AU-UN] force as a declaration of war saying it was a political message to the international community. He further pointed out that procedures for declaring war were stipulated in the constitution.
 
Does this mean that UNAMID will now actually have to go if the arrest warrant is issued?

Source: http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=5773
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The Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly. UN briefing Questions and Answers: Thursday, August 21, 2008



Photos: Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General and UN Webcast TV Video (MaximsNews)





Photo: Michele Montas, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (MaximsNews)

Excerpt from UN briefing Q&A held Thursday, August 21, 2008:

Question:  Al Arabiya had an exclusive one-on-one interview with the Sudanese President yesterday, in which, it was reported today by AP and other agencies, he said that he would ask the United Nations peacekeepers to leave if an arrest was issued against him.  Now, we understand, things were said by other officials, and we asked General [Martin Luther] Agwai what he was going to do, and he said the Government denied it, but now it is coming from the top of the Government of Sudan, and it is very clear that he would ask the peacekeepers to leave if a warrant, which is expected, is issued.  I am sure that the Secretary-General is aware of this -- is he going to protest such statements, through the African Union maybe?  Are the plans being put to wind up the operations in Sudan, if a warrant is issued at the end of September, or in October?  What’s being done in the face of such statements by the Sudanese President?

Deputy Spokesperson:  First of all, you brought this to our attention many times now since yesterday, and we are aware of this interview.  As you know, we are still awaiting the word from the judges of the International Criminal Court, so, as of now, this is a hypothetical situation that you are talking about.  The Sudanese President’s remarks that you are referring to is referring to something that has not yet happened.  As far as what the UN Mission is doing, General Agwai, I think, was very clear about what the UNAMID mission is on the ground, and I think he is continuing to serve what is asked from him and the Mission, as long as the Security Council mandate continues.  And the Secretary-General’s remarks on this are very clear, as well.  I have nothing further on this.

Question: I mean, such strong statements threatening to wind down an operation that has been going on for three years now, trying to close UNAMID.  The Secretary-General has invested a year and a half in building this since the Riyadh Summit -- isn’t there any process for such threats by the highest of the high-ranking in Sudan?  This other thing, you must be putting contingency plans to take your people out if the Sudanese give the word?

Deputy Spokesperson: As you know, security measures are constantly being updated and upgraded around the world, depending on the situation.  This is not something we would be reporting to the public, but security measures is one of the top concerns that the Secretary-General has for his staff and the people carrying out the mandate on the ground.  Again, General Agwai, I think, was very clear about what he was doing in terms of carrying out the mission.  So I think…

Question: (talkover) but for these threats by the President of Sudan.

Deputy Spokesperson: You heard General Agwai, who just spoke to you last week, and he talked about… If I recall, in his remarks, he was talking to you about increased cooperation since 9 July, and I think he was hoping that that kind of cooperation would continue.  The UN, as I mentioned, has a mandate on the ground.  It has a peacekeeping mandate, it has a humanitarian mandate, and… (inaudible comment from the floor) I understand, but you are talking about a hypothetical situation that the ICC has not come out with yet. Okay?

Source: http://www.maximsnews.com/news20080821unossgenglishquestionsandanswers10808210601.htm
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Sudan leader al-Bashir interviewed by Reuters in Turkey August 20



Photo: Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir answers a question during an interview with Reuters in Istanbul Wed August 20, 2008. Bashir, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, said the legal move strengthened his position and he is not worried about extradition. Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo last month asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, saying his state apparatus had killed 35,000 people and indirectly at least another 100,000. Photo: Reuters/Osman Orsal, TURKEY. Caption: Wed Aug 20, 2008 (Reuters)

Full copy of the Reuters report is available at Sudan Tribune (Thursday 21 August 2008 'Sudan’s Bashir says strengthened by ICC arrest bid') http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article28357
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Sudan leader al-Bashir rejects ICC

Wed Aug 20, 2008 ISTANBUL dpa report - excerpt:

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir rejected Wednesday the possibility that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may charge him in connection with the conflict in Darfur, dpa reported. "Sudan is an independent country with its own strong justice system. Our judges can decide for themselves on penalties, even for a president," said al-Bashir. Al-Bashir was speaking on the edge of a Turkish-African summit in Istanbul. He said that Sharia law reigns in Sudan and he cannot accept any court that doesn't follow its rules.

Source: http://news.trendaz.com/?show=news&newsid=1274917&lang=EN
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Sudan leader al-Bashir says there are forces behind the case at the ICC who are seeking to drive him from power

Fri Aug 22, 2008 CAIRO (AP) - 'Sudan president says charges meant to topple him':

Sudan's president says the genocide charges against him are part of a campaign to topple his government and divide the country.

In an interview with the Arabic news channel Al-Arabiya, Omar al-Bashir says there are forces behind the case at the International Criminal Court who are seeking to drive him from power before elections planned for next year.

In the interview, broadcast Friday, al-Bashir did not specify who those powers were but said they fear the elections he has promised would give his government legitimacy.

A prosecutor at the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court filed genocide and war crimes charges against the Sudanese president in July, accusing him of orchestrating a campaign of killing and rape in Darfur.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-08-22-sudan_N.htm
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Sudan would confront ICC decision, says Presidential Advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail



Photo: Presidential Advisor, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail (smc)

Thu Aug 21, 2008 KHARTOUM, Sudan (smc) Sudan Vision Daily - 'Sudan Would Confront ICC Decision, Presidential Advisor':

Presidential Advisor, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail stated that Sudan would confront ICC decision through legal experts. He pointed out that the main aim is to withdraw resolution number 1593.

In a symposium yesterday in Ahram, presidential advisor explained that Sudan totally rejects dealing with ICC. He cast doubts on ICC court and stating that what follows up Oacmpo''s statements reveals contradiction as he sometimes said that he accused President Al Bashir as a person and other time he spoke of involvements of the government of Sudan in the Darfur issue.

Osman stated that the Security Council sent a legal international committee which came out with a conclusion that no genocide took place in Darfur.

The presidential advisor uttered that Sudan''s first step is to move on all arenas, the second step is freezing of resolution 1593. He added that the AU had gone ahead in this regard.

Ismail explained that although AU has the right to withdraw the resolution, Security Council is controlled by great powers.

He concluded that conspiracies against Sudan would continue and added that the government would contact all local, regional and international arenas for Ocampo's decision.

Source: http://english.smc.sd/enmain/entopic/?artID=14137
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On July 24, 2008 Sudan leader al-Bashir visited Darfur city of el Fasher



Photo: In a July 24, 2008 photo, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was on a two days trip to Darfur, releases a dove during the welcoming reception at the Darfur city of el Fasher, Sudan. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf) - Tue Aug 19, 2008 (AP)
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Sultan of the Masalit tribe, Saad Abdel-Rahman Bahr-Eddin



Photo: In a July 24, 2008 photo, the sultan of the Masalit tribe, Saad Abdel-Rahman Bahr-Eddin walks during the welcoming reception of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was on a two day trip to Darfur, not seen, at the western Darfur city of el Geneina, Sudan. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf) - Tue Aug 19, 2008 (AP)
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Pledge of support in accomplishing peace in Darfur



Photo: In a July 24, 2008 photo, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was on a two days trip to Darfur, holds a framed pledge of support in accomplishing peace in Darfur handed to him by local tribes leaders during a welcoming reception at the Darfur city of el Fasher, Sudan. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf) - Tue Aug 19, 2008 (AP)
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UN-AU Joint Mediator Jibril Bassole HQ'd in El-Fasher, N Darfur

Sat Aug 23, 2008 (Sudan Vision Daily report by Najla Abdulatif) -

UN-AU Joint Mediator in Darfur Peace Arrives on Monday [Aug 24, 2008]

UN-AU joint mediator Jibril Bassole is due to arrive next Monday to start his mission after meetings with officials of the federal government of Sudan and the states of Darfur and consultations about resumption of negotiations between the government and armed movements, focusing on internal peace process, said Director of the Peace Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Al-Tayeb Ali Ahmed. The ambassador said that the mediator will officially start his work from his headquarters in El-Fasher, North Darfur.

He added that the mediator will review the initiative of the President of the Republic for peace in Darfur, which he declared during his recent visit to the region.

Director of the Peace Department pointed out that it's the first time a peace mediator starts his mission inside the country, explaining that the former Peace Envoys: Jan Eliasson and Salem Ahmed Salem used to assume their missions via intermittent visits to Sudan.. The joint mediator is expected to start his missions officially after his visits to Addis Ababa and New York where he held meetings to arrange for his work as mediator for peace process in Darfur.

Source: http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=38039

Sudan's leader al-Bashir says ready to go to war

Full copy of Associated Press report 'Sudan's president says ready to go to war' - via Daily Star Egypt Wednesday August 20, 2008:

CAIRO: Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir has told a pan-Arab TV network he would go to war and ask Darfur peacekeepers to leave if the International Criminal Court formally indicts him and seeks his arrest.

Al-Bashir was interviewed by Al-Arabiya Wednesday during a visit to Turkey. [see next item here below] It was Al-Bashir's first trip abroad since the ICC prosecutor accused him of directing genocide in Darfur. The ICC will make a decision in weeks on whether to issue an arrest warrant.

Al-Bashir said he will resist pressure to hand over any Sudanese suspects to the court. He said, "We are ready to go through war with the great power to protect the Sudanese citizen."

Al-Bashir said his government would ask international peacekeepers to leave if a warrant is issued. –AP

Source: http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15872
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Turkey-Africa Co-operation Summit held Aug 18-21, 2008

A summit of African leaders began in Turkey on Monday August 18, 2008. The Turkey-Africa Co-operation Summit started with talks among officials from about 50 countries. The summit is part of Turkey's efforts to expand ties with Africa.

Turkey has increased its trade volume with African nations from about $5,4-billion (R42-billion) to $13-billion (R100-billion) in less than three years, and is targeting $30-billion (R231-billion) by the end of 2010. - Sapa-AP (Istanbul) Tuesday August 19, 2008

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=vn20080819054355791C907488



Photo: Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, left, welcomes Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, as he arrives for a Turkey-Africa Cooperation meeting in Istanbul Turkey, Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Turkey's president urged Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir during talks Tuesday to act responsibly and to end the suffering in the devasted Darfur region. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)
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Look at where Turkey is on this map


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Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline "isn't necessarily safe"

Excerpt from BusinessWeek.com commentary by Steve LeVine, published Thursday August 14, 2008:

Targeting the Pipeline

Until now, the notion that the battle in Georgia had an oil component was an educated conclusion, in my case based on the 11 years I spent living in the region, including in Tbilisi during the 1990s. Now we have two independent reports, including one this morning by my former Wall Street Journal colleague Guy Chazan, confirming that Russia took advantage of its assault to tell the West that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline isn’t necessarily safe.

Steve LeVine covers foreign affairs for BusinessWeek. He previously was correspondent for Central Asia and the Caucasus for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for 11 years. His first book, The Oil and the Glory , a history of the former Soviet Union through the lens of oil, was published in October 2007. Putin’s Labyrinth, his new book, profiles Russia through the lives and deaths of six Russians. It was released this week.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/blogs/russia_oil_politics/archives/2008/08/targeting_the_p.html#comments
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The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (green) is one of several pipelines running from Baku.



The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (sometimes abbreviated as BTC pipeline) is a crude oil pipeline that covers 1,768 kilometres (1,099 mi) from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It connects Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia; and Ceyhan, a port on the south-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, hence its name. It is the second longest oil pipeline in the world after the Druzhba pipeline. The first oil that was pumped from the Baku end of the pipeline on May 10, 2005 reached Ceyhan on May 28, 2006.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan_pipeline
[hat tip Steve LeVine, BusinessWeek.com]
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Warning by Sudan on Charges

Full copy of The New York Times report 'Warning by Sudan on Charges' by Daniel B. Schneider, Monday August 18, 2008:

The Sudanese government has warned of "serious consequences for U.N. staff and infrastructure" if the International Criminal Court charges President Omar Hassan al-Bashir with war crimes in Darfur, the head of the United Nations mission that monitors the peace accord in Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, told the Security Council on Monday. Mr. Qazi did not elaborate on the specific sources or timing of the warning, but said his mission would take "all necessary precautionary measures" and would strengthen its cooperation with Sudanese security forces.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/world/africa/19briefs-un-sudan.html?ref=world
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Khartoum protesters cry 'death for Ocampo'

More than 1,000 protestors gathered outside the republican palace in Khartoum on Thursday [July 17, 2008] shouting death to the world court prosecutor who is seeking an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Beshir.



Photo: A Sudanese from Darfur burns a poster of the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo during a demonstration outside the presidential palace in Khartoum on July 17, 2008. (AFP)

Source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27918 (Friday July 18, 2008)
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Protesters chanting 'Down, Down USA!' rally in support of Sudan leader al-Bashir



Photos : (Reuters July 14, 2008) Protesters chanting 'Down, Down USA!' rally in support of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum July 13, 2008 after reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may seek the arrest of Sudan's president for alleged war crimes. (Mohamed Nureldin/Reuters)








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"Our Judiciary is Independent ... We defy Ocampo the (traitor?)"



Photo: Sudanese supporters of President Omar al-Bashir shout slogans as they carry posters with his photo during a demonstration outside the Presidential palace and United Nations headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday July 28, 2008, against the International Criminal Court's (ICC) indictment of Bashir for genocide. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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Demonstration outside the Presidential palace and UN HQ in Khartoum



Photo: Sudanese supporters of President Omar al-Bashir shout slogans as they carry his poster during a demonstration outside the Presidential palace and united nation headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday July 28, 2008 against the International Criminal Court's (ICC) indictment of Bashir for genocide. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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Disabled Sudanese veterans rally in support of Sudan leader al-Bashir


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Sudan leader al-Bashirl visits Darfur's capital of al-Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, July 23, 2008







Photo: Supporters of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir wave during his arrival at Darfur's capital of al-Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Sudan's president said he would not be cowed by his indictment on genocide charges nor allow it to distract him from the search for peace in troubled Darfur. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)



Photo: Supporters of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir raise anti-Ocampo banners during Bashir's visit to Darfur's capital of al-Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, July 23, 2008. Sudan's president said Wednesday he would not be cowed by his indictment on genocide charges nor allow it to distract him from the search for peace in troubled Darfur. Addressing supporters in Darfur's capital of al-Fasher, a defiant Omar al-Bashir also sought to cast himself as a peacemaker and discount the significance of his July 14 [2008] indictment by the International Criminal Court's prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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Sudanese Muslim Suffis wave various Islamic flags



Photo: The Sudanese Muslim Suffis wave various Islamic flags as they gather for a special prayer service, Dua'a (appealing to Allah) rituals, at a mosque in Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, July 20, 2008, in support for Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir, who had genocide charges filed against him at the International Criminal Court. (AP Photos/Abd Raouf)
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Sudanese Muslim Suffis pray for Sudan leader al-Bashir



Photo: The Sudanese Muslim Suffis gather during a special prayers Dua'a (appealing to Allah) rituals at a mosque in Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, July 20,2008, in support to Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir, who had genocide charges filed against him at the International Criminal Court. (AP Photos/Abd Raouf)
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Sudanese anti-terrorist court convicted and sentenced to death eight members of a Darfur rebel group



Photos (AP Aug 17, 2008) - Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir inspects an honor guard during a celebration marking the 54th army day at the city of Omdurman, near the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday August 17, 2008. A Sudanese anti-terrorist court convicted and sentenced to death two senior members of a Darfur rebel group and six others for their role in an attack on the capital three months ago, court officials and a lawyer said Sunday. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)


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Sudanese rally of trade unionists



Photo: Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir waves as he arrives to attend a rally of trade unionists to support him in Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, Aug.3, 2008. Sudan's president says he refuses to deal with the international court whose prosecutor has charged him with war crimes and genocide in Darfur. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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Sudan warns "consequences" over Bashir warrant: UN

Full copy of Reuters report by Daniel Bases 'Sudan warns "consequences" over Bashir warrant: UN' dated Monday August 18, 2008:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Sudan has warned the United Nations of "serious consequences" for its staff and facilities if the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir over Darfur, a U.N. envoy said on Monday.

Addressing the U.N. Security Council, Ashraf Qazi, head of the U.N. mission charged with monitoring a 2005 peace accord between Sudan's north and south, said the mission was preparing for any such actions.

"The government has conveyed to me that the issuance of an arrest warrant against President Bashir could have serious consequences for U.N. staff and infrastructure in Sudan," Qazi said, without specifying where the threat might come from.

"We are taking all necessary precautionary measures including strengthening our cooperation with Sudanese security institutions," Qazi said.

On July 14, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo charged Bashir with masterminding a campaign of genocide in Darfur, western Sudan, and asked the court for the warrant. The Hague-based court has yet to issue a decision.

Khartoum has acknowledged the distinction between the ICC and the mandate of the two peacekeeping missions in Sudan, Qazi said. However he noted the Bashir government had called the ICC prosecutor's action a political and not a legal move.

The missions in Sudan are UNMIS, a 10,000-strong U.N. force that aims to ensure the north and south comply with the 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of civil war, and UNAMID, a joint operation with the African Union in Darfur.

International experts and U.N. officials estimate at least 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes in Darfur since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in 2003 accusing the central government of neglect.

ABYEI LESSONS

While UNAMID is struggling to reach its planned level of 26,000 troops and police, UNMIS came under criticism after heavy fighting between Sudan's army and southern Sudanese forces in the disputed oil-rich town of Abyei in May.

U.S. envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson has accused the force of hiding in barracks during the fighting instead of protecting Sudanese civilians.

Qazi acknowledged mistakes but also defended the actions of UNMIS peacekeepers during the fighting, which resulted in an estimated 89 deaths, including 18 civilians.

"The fact of the matter is that there was a breakdown of local command and control. Instructions of high officials were simply ignored by local commanders," Qazi reported, apparently referring to the Sudanese.

He conceded that an internal UNMIS review had acknowledged failure to protect U.N. agency compounds in the town.

But he said the peacekeepers sheltered and escorted more than 100 civilians during the fighting in the town, which straddles the border between northern and semi-autonomous southern Sudan.

"When two regular armies fight each other with tanks, multi-barrel rocket launchers, artillery and heavy machine guns, then, irrespective of the specific number of peacekeepers assigned to Abyei, there is no way they can actively intervene to suppress the fighting," Qazi said.

"Moreover, UNMIS has no such mandate," he added.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1845538320080818?sp=true
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Map showing Abyei, Darfur, Khartoum, Omdurman, Shendi


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Sudan denies threatening UN staff over ICC arrest warrants

Here is full copy of Voice of America report by Peter Clottey - entitled 'Sudan Denies Threatening UN Staff Over ICC Arrest Warrants' - dated Tuesday August 19, 2008:

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir government is denying threatening United Nations staff and facilities in the country over a possible International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him for war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region. This comes after a UN envoy to Sudan told the Security Council Monday that Bashir's government warned the UN of "serious consequences" for its staff and facilities if the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant against Bashir over Darfur.

Ashraf Qazi said there is need for the UN to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of UN staff. But Sudan's government denies the charge, saying that it has been cooperating with various UN organizations operating in Sudan. Ambassador Ali Saddick is the spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry. He tells reporter Peter Clottey that the government is doing all it can to deal with the possibility of ICC arrest warrants.

"It an alleged threat and it is not true. The government of Sudan is a serious government and it is totally committed to its obligations, especially when it comes to agreement signed with other organizations and especially the United Nations and the African Union. I'm not aware of any threat that has been towards to the United Nations regarding their very existence in the Sudan if the ICC has and the judges have confirmed the indictment of the president," Saddick noted.

He said President Bashir's government is steadfast in its determination to cooperate with the United Nations.

"I would rather say that the government is totally committed to its obligations and we have never threatened the United Nations peacekeeping force here in Sudan, whether in Darfur or in the South," he said.

Saddick said it was routine for the United Nations to take precautionary measures to protect its staff and facilities.

"In fact they usually do that not only in Sudan, but everywhere just in case because it happens that when the ICC announced its indictment of the president of Sudan, some of the UN peacekeepers here have been relocated outside of the Sudan in case anything might happen. And this proves just a precautionary measure. And because nothing happened and things are going normal in Sudan and now those are taken away from Sudan, the peacekeepers have been flown back to Sudan," Saddick pointed out.

He said Sudan's government is making its case before the UN Security Council to have the indictment of President Bashir squashed.

"In fact, we are launching some sort of diplomacy with the United Nations and with major players in this game, and we are doing very well. We have got support form almost all organizations, and we are going to carry this support to the Security Council. We are doing very well in that regard," he said.

Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2008-08-19-voa1.cfm
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Security Council decides to extend mandate of African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur by 14 votes in favour, 1 abstention. FULL TEXT OF RESOLUTION 1828 (2008)

Source: United Nations Security Council
Date: 31 Jul 2008
SC/9412

Security Council

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7H4KDA?OpenDocument
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7H4KDA?OpenDocument

5947th Meeting (Night)

With less than two hours left before the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) expired, the Security Council extended its mandate for a further 12 months this evening following extended consultations.
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P.S. Here's saying a big warm hello to my blogmates and thanks for emails. I'm doing OK, thanks, looking forward to more regular updates. Thanks to Paul of BBC World Service for email and comment. Sorry I was unable to reply. However, I did manage to tune in to the BBC's World Service hour-long discussion programme 'World Have Your Say', talking about indicting President Bashir, and wondered if I had heard correctly, when the Sudanese official (I think) said that there are thirty-eight (38!) different armed groups fighting in Darfur? It was great to hear Julie Flint. Thanks again. If there's a transcript available, I'd be happy to publish it here. Hi scary :)

Darfur rebels are no saints, says UN-AU military chief

Article from AFP, Wednesday, 12 August 2008:
Darfur rebels are no saints, says UN-AU military chief

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The military commander of the UN-African Union mission in Darfur on Tuesday urged the world community to put as much pressure on the fragmented insurgency in the war-torn Sudanese region as it does on the Khartoum government.

Martin Luther Agwai, force commander of the joint mission known as UNAMID, told reporters that while it is popular to "bash" the Sudanese government, the reluctance of Darfur rebels to negotiate was often forgotten.

"It takes two to tango," Agwai noted. "Sometimes we forget about them (the rebels). Every day, they say they are fighting for the poor people of Darfur and yet what have they done to show even interest to go to the conference table?

"I am not in any way saying that the (Khartoum) government is clean. But what I am saying is that also the other side cannot be said to be saints. So my appeal is that the pressure should be exerted on both sides."

He said there were now around 30 different rebel groups involved in the conflict, compared to four when the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed in 2006.

Agwai called on Darfur insurgents to unite and come to the negotiating table, which he said was the only way to achieve peace.

"They will have to end on a negotiation table because militarily it's clear no side can win the war in Darfur," he said. "But if you have 15, 20 parties wanting to go to conference table to talk, nothing will come out of it."

The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.2 million displaced since the conflict in Darfur, a region the size of France, began in February 2003. Sudan claims 10,000 have died.

Since UNAMID began its operations nearly eight months ago, only a third of the 26,000 authorized troops have been deployed.

Agwai said he hoped the force would reach 80 percent deployment by December and full deployment by next August.

UNAMID has said it needs 18 transport helicopters and six attack helicopters which are crucial to give the force the required mobility and firepower.

But no country has so far have provided them.

On July 8, seven UNAMID peacekeepers were killed and 22 injured after they were ambushed by up to 200 heavily-armed gunmen. Agwai said lives could have been saved if the mission had had helicopters.

"Unfortunately, we are sent to the boxing ring with our hands tied behind us," he said, referring more broadly to the lack of adequate equipment and logistical support. "But we will try kickboxing if we can't do hand boxing."

Agwai, a former chief of defense staff of the Nigerian army, was appointed UNAMID force commander in September 2007 after initially turning down the job.

"I was told I was going to command the largest ever UN peacekeeping force on earth," he said. "Little did I know that it's going to be on paper and not in reality."

ICC should not indict Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir

This writer (Sudan Watch Editor) is shocked and appalled at the killing of peacekeepers in Sudan, and the deeply disturbing prospect of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir being charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. [BBC report Friday, 11 July 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7502926.stm]

Hello dear ICC, please do not indict Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir or others in the Sudanese government as unfair charges are likely to result in desperate consequences for many Chadian and Sudanese people, peacekeepers, humanitarian workers and those who are most in need of aid and protection.

Please read this blog, Sudan Watch, in its entirety and - most importantly - in sequence, from the beginning. It is unique as it was published live, in real time, as news and events in Sudan unfolded and has become an important resource. There is nothing else like it in the world. Some of the reports and photos captured can no longer be found elsewhere online.

To date, Sudan Watch has received 358,681 visits and 530,614 page views. Monthly visitor numbers remain consistently the same, even after postings ceased in September of last year. Very few visitors arrive at the site by mistake.

Over the past four years, the Site Meter for Sudan Watch showed that the most important postings and photos were viewed by many thousands of people working at the highest level. Daily visitors are from governments, military, top universities and organisations from around the world, including Sudan, China, Russia, Iran, India. Please ensure that you are as well informed as they are.

And please read all recent commentary on Sudan by Julie Flint and Alex de Waal (published elsewhere online) - click here for starters: http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/darfur/ocampo-v-bashir/

Also, see yesterday's excellent editorial by Jonathan Steele (copied here below incase the Guardian moves its archive) and note the concluding line, quote: "The list of practical problems that would flow from an indictment of Sudan's president is long. It far outweighs the benefits. The ICC's prosecutor should think again."

Thank you ICC, here's wishing you the very best. During the past week, I have read hundreds of online comments by various people such as human rights activists, Sudanese rebels and their supporters. They are all praising the ICC and applauding Mr Moreno-Ocampo, encouraging him to keep up his good work. I sure admire his great courage and style. Peace and good luck to you all. Ingrid.

The ICC should not indict Omar al-Bashir
By Jonathan Steele
Guardian.co.uk
Friday July 11, 2008

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor appears to be on the verge of a fateful decision: whether to issue an indictment against Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir for his alleged activities in Darfur. The indictment, if it comes as expected on Monday, still has to be upheld by an ICC tribunal. The next stage would be for the Security Council to decide what action to take to implement an arrest warrant. Even if vetoed, as it probably would be by either Russia or China or both, the existence of an ICC arrest warrant in itself would make it hard for Bashir to travel abroad. Perhaps more importantly, it would put huge pressure on officials of foreign governments to stop their contacts with Sudan's president, and by extension, with the Sudanese government. Even though everyone is innocent until proved guilty, it would be odd for governments to deal with a man and a regime that have been put under such a conspicuous cloud of suspicion.

Who would benefit from this? Almost no one. The conflict in Darfur is too complex and the attempts to resolve it are too delicate for so one-sided and blunt an approach. The two previous cases where incumbent presidents were indicted by international courts (though not the ICC) were very different from Sudan. The Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic, was under military attack from Nato. Negotiations had been cut off. Ultimately, they were renewed but only with the good offices of the Russians who had shown no enthusiasm for the Hague tribunal's indictment. Charles Taylor, the Liberian president, was indicted by a special hybrid court for his activities across the border in Sierra Leone and at a time when the two countries were virtually at war.

The conflict in Darfur is essentially an internal issue with multiple facets, involving the government and various rebel groups, as well as criss-crossing tribal disputes. Atrocities have been committed on all sides. The degree of blame, the extent of the killing and the number of victims are hotly disputed. A hybrid African Union and United Nations peacekeeping force is in place. Although Bashir and his government have put up a range of obstructions to make it hard for them to deploy quickly and operate effectively, UN member governments are also at fault for failing to supply the men and equipment that they pledged. Hundreds of UN and non-governmental agencies are on the ground providing food, water and other aid to the camps for the thousands of displaced victims of violence. The situation on the ground is dire. Hijackings of aid vehicles and food, mainly done by rebel groups, are increasing, with the number of incidents for the first six months of 2008 already equal to the total for the whole of last year. The aid agencies have to work with the consent of the government. Short of a hostile invasion designed to topple the regime in Khartoum – a decision that would be foolish and sure to make the situation even worse – there is no other choice for them but to deal with Bashir and his people. As for the chance of finding a political solution to the Darfur crisis, the AU and UN are conducting fitful talks with Darfur's rebels in the hope of getting them to resume negotiations with the government. How could the mediators expect to persuade the rebels to be reasonable if the other side's president has been charged with war crimes?

Nor is Darfur the only seat of tension in Sudan. The peace deal between north and south, which ended a conflict that went on longer than Darfur's, is still fragile. What would happen to the coalition government that currently runs Sudan in preparation for a referendum on the south's potential secession? Could the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement remain in government with a party whose leader has been indicted? What of the road map for the disputed province of Abyei under which UN troops now patrol an area where there was high tension earlier this year? Would UNMIS have to freeze its contacts with Bashir?

The conflict between justice and pragmatism is never easy to resolve. Holding people to account for their actions is a desirable goal, but it has to be weighed against the difficulties it creates if the indictees still hold power. Bashir is not Pinochet, who was long out of office as well as out of favour in Chile when he was indicted (by a foreign judge, not by an international court). The list of practical problems that would flow from an indictment of Sudan's president is long. It far outweighs the benefits. The ICC's prosecutor should think again.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/11/sudan.unitednations
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'This prosecution will endanger the people we wish to defend in Sudan' (Julie Flint and Alex de Waal)

President Bashir is about to be accused of war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor. But going after him is a mistake, argue Julie Flint and Alex de Waal. Read full report at The Observer, Sunday July 13, 2008, entitled 'This prosecution will endanger the people we wish to defend in Sudan'

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/13/sudan.humanrights
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African Union warning over Darfur 'charges' (BBC)

The African Union (AU) has expressed concern over reports that war-crimes charges might be brought against members of the Sudanese government. The AU said such a move could jeopardise peace efforts in the region. Read full report at BBC News online Saturday July 12, 2008 entitled 'AU warning over Darfur 'charges''

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7503803.stm
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A Disaster in the Making (Andrew Natsios)

The following is a copy of commentary by Andrew Natsios, former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and former Administrator of USAID, posted at ssrc.org Saturday, July 12, 2008:

"While advocates and human rights groups focused on Darfur may applaud reports of Sudan’s President, Omar Bashir, being indicted by the International Criminal Court, they should think again about their enthusiasm. The question all of us must ask who care about what happens to the long suffering Sudanese people is this: what are the peaceful options for a way out of the crisis facing the country and what measures are likely to move the country closer to that way out rather than further away? Without a political settlement Sudan may go the way of Somalia, pre-genocide Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a real potential for widespread atrocities and bloodshed as those in power seek to keep it at any cost because of the alternatives. An indictment of Bashir will make it much more difficult for any country or international organization to help negotiate a political settlement with the Sudanese government. Some forms of pressure may force the Sudanese government to negotiate a political settlement, some will only make their leaders more intransigent: an indictment is clearly in the later category. The regime will now avoid any compromise or anything that would weaken their already weakened position because if they are forced from office they face trials before the ICC. Free and fair elections are now much less likely, if they ever happen. They are much more likely to be rigged or if Bashir’s party looses them they will refuse to comply with the results just as Mugabe has in Zimbabwe. This indictment may well shut off the last remaining hope for a peaceful settlement for the country."

Source: http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/darfur/2008/07/12/a-disaster-in-the-making/
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Upcoming coverage on Monday July 14, 2008

International Criminal Court presents evidence of crimes across Sudan's Darfur region and may name new suspects for prosecution. News conference begins 1100GMT.

Source: http://www.pr-inside.com/europe-news-at-0600gmt-r699832.htm
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Tension mounts

Get links to recent and latest news on Sudan at Passion of the Present (thanks to EJM)

Here is link: http://platform.blogs.com/passionofthepresent/2008/07/tension-mounts.html
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China is preparing to introduce a UN resolution to suspend ICC jurisdiction over Sudan

Mia Farrow's opinion piece entitled "China is Sudan's protector and enabler" (Huffington Post Friday July 11, 2008) reveals that China is preparing to introduce a UN resolution to suspend ICC jurisdiction over Sudan, and that the Chinese backed UN resolution proposes stripping the ICC of its power to investigate or prosecute Sudanese authorities for 12 months.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mia-farrow/china-sudans-protector-an_b_112268.html entitled

I say, how clever, diplomatic and ingenuous of the Chinese. China and Sudan seem good for each other? China is overpopulated and Sudan needs all the help it can get, while the Russians quietly sneak and snoop around the world, staking their flag into the Arctic seabed. Surely, with all of its advanced communications and technology, Russia is the one to watch.



The world, as always, is a dangerous place. History never stands still. The haves are surging ahead of the have nots in a fast moving Information Age where the unthinkable is yet to happen. The Cold War is far from being over.

Photo source: Via Jon Snow's important reports from the town of Longyearbyan, on the Norweigan island of Spitzbergen that lies inside the Arctic Circle. Aug/Sep 2007. www.channel4.com/news/climate_change/cold_rush
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China helps Sudan's government militarily in Darfur (BBC)

The BBC has found the first evidence that China is currently helping Sudan's government militarily in Darfur.

Read full report by BBC Correspondent Hilary Andersson at BBC News online Sunday July 13, 2008.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7503428.stm
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China violated the arms embargo on Sudan – BBC report (Sudan Tribune)



Photograph of Nanchang A-5 Fanta fighters in Sudan captured by a UN observer July 2007 at Nyala airport in Southern Darfur (Felhangardetj.blogspot.com) via Sudan Tribune.

Source: Sudan Tribune article published Sunday 13 July, 2998 07:00 entitled "China violated the arms embargo on Sudan - BBC report" Excerpt: July 12, 2008 (LONDON) – The Chinese government is providing training and equipments that are used by the Sudanese government in Darfur, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revealed in an in-depth report to be aired on Monday.

Source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27848
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Chart showing fragmentation and factionalization among specific armed groups in Darfur, Sudan

Fragmentation of groups and factionalization constitutes a serious impediment to the peace process as it greatly multiplies the number of potential interlocutors with differing, and often unclear and ill-formulated, agendas.



Source: coalitionfordarfur.blogspot.com posted by K.M. 2007
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African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, Sudan under fire from Sudanese rebels



Above photo from Sudan Watch 2006 archive: AU soldiers and foreign journalists run for cover from a SLA faction that opened fire on them during an AU patrol near the SLA controled Fakyale village in central Darfur, south of the town of Al-Fasher, June 10, 2006. The AU patrol was prevented from entering the village and was forced to change course, with no casualties. (AP)
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Sudanese government mistrusts UN peacekeepers in Darfur

Perhaps the Sudanese government is against UN peacekeepers in Darfur incase they help hunt down war crimes suspects for the International Criminal Court?



Photo: Sudanese opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi is pictured [above] during an interview with the Associated Press at his home in the Nasr City suburb of Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. Al-Mahdi claims the Sudanese government is refusing to allow U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur because it knows the U.N. troops would help hunt down war crimes suspects for the International Criminal Court. (AP Photo/Jasper Mortimer)



Photo source: Jan Pronk Weblog? (note: find and insert link)
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Postscript from Sudan Watch Editor

Message to hackers and terrorists at this site. Sudan Watch blog is powered by Blogger.com (owned by Google) so the archives are stored in databases in the USA, not in my computer. Sudan Watch photos are stored in Flickr's database, not in my blog or computer. Since I rarely email or use phone, there is nothing more to mess up there either. So bug off. Or risk being arrested for terrorism. I am not joking. Someone mighty scary is watching out for you at this blog.

Note to self. Many links in this blog point to articles at the Paris based Sudan Tribune. Last year, after Sudan Watch and my computer were hacked, most of the links pointed to one Sudan Tribune report. None of my doing. I had post excerpts, so no damage. The eye opener was not being able to post at Sudan Watch for a few weeks during a critical time. The blog vanished from search engine listings, including Google. And for a short time reappeared as a blank page entitled "Time is running out..." Thanks to the Blogger Team for restoring it ok. During those weeks of mayhem, I caught sight of some text left behind in the wake of broken links (one was The Black Book) appear similar to Chinese, Japanese, Korean.

Here's saying a big warm hello and apology to all those who have emailed me and never received a reply; and my blogmates (special hi to werner, drima and scary) missed you, sorry I've spent so much time offline. Still losing dates of incoming mail. Maybe one day, I'll tell half the story of what befell me last year; the other half, I'll take to my grave. Shiver. This blog almost cost me my life. These days I am recovering from ten bereavements (including my mother) Feb-Mar-April this year. Good news is, my health is improving. Bad news is, my beloved 5-year old PowerBook is getting battle weary from my thousands of postings on Sudan, Uganda, Congo, Ethiopia and Niger. Hey Dear God Steve Jobs, I sure could use a complimentary new PowerBook backup with large screen to help stop squinting burning eyeballs and pain flaring in left thumb from scrolling!

Sorry this post is way too long. It has taken hours to put together. Plan was to resume blogging September 21. But the latest news on Sudan compelled me to stick my head above the parapet (again!) Please don't shoot the messenger!

Future posts here are likely to feature peacekeepers killed in Sudan and any news of the perpetrators. Contributions of info, obituaries and photos are invited.

If you have suggestions or writings on any of the above issues, please do let me know, even if it is just a few words or link in the comments here. My email address is in the sidebar but please understand I am not always able to reply. Thanks. Bye for now. Ingrid.

God bless the children of Sudan and peace workers +++ Rest In Peace all those who have perished +++

Unusual Friendship



"In Sudan unusual friendships often develop."

Photo source, mislaid. The neat photo, title and caption sounds like Werner's writing at his brilliant Soldier of Africa blog (note: find and insert link)
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Iran tried to deceive world by 'testing' old missiles, US experts believe

Here is a good example of why things are not always the way they seem.

Iran attempted to deceive the world with last week's high-profile weapons test by claiming that a 10-year-old missile was a new, longer-range version capable of striking Israel, US intelligence officials and independent analysts believe.

Analysis of Iranian television coverage has also indicated that one of the weapons actually remained on the ground but the video was doctored in an effort to cover up the failure.

Read full report by Philip Sherwell in New York and Carolynne Wheeler in Jerusalem, at telegraph.co.uk Saturday July 12, 2008.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/2298595/Iran-tried-to-deceive-world-by-%22testing%22-old-missiles%2C-US-experts-believe.html

UN chief rings Japanese Peace Bell

Friday 21 September 2007, is the International Day of Peace. At UN Headquarters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will open the day with the ringing of the Japanese Peace Bell in the morning accompanied by the UN Messengers of Peace. The Secretary-General will observe a minute of silence, and will call on the world to observe a minute of silence at noon local time in commemoration of the day. In his message, the Secretary-General noted that "Peace is one of humanity’s most precious needs. It is also the United Nations’ highest calling." - UN Pulse



Photo: The Japanese Peace Bell (UN)

“On this International Day, let us promise to make peace not just a priority, but a passion,” the Secretary-General has said. “Let us pledge to do more, wherever we are in whatever way we can, to make every day a day of peace.” - UN



Photo: UN SG Ban Ki-moon waves to the crowd as he visits internally displaced persons at the Al Salam camp in El Fasher, W Sudan Sept 6, 2007 (AFP)

Sep 19, 2007 POTP - France calls for protection force in Darfur neighbours.

Sep 20, 2007 VOA - Chad rebels cautiously await EU peacekeepers.

Sep 20, 2007 (UK's No 10) PM promises "tireless" work on Darfur - The situation in Sudan is "one of the great tragedies of our time", Gordon Brown said as he pledged technical support for peacekeepers due to go to Darfur.
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"PRAY FOR PEACE! AND PRAY FOR RAIN!"

Sep 20, 2007 Los Angeles Times report by Maggie Farley entitled Darfur shows limits of diplomacy - UN envoy struggles to bring warring parties and allied nations to Sudan peace talks.

Love this snippet from the report:

"... After stopping to admire a baby and converse through an interpreter with a fruit seller, he [UN envoy Jan Eliasson] found himself in the middle of a circle with a Sufi mystic who had been leading a prayer. The mystic presented Eliasson to the crowd.

"This is the man who has come to bring peace to Darfur. Let us pray for him. Let us pray for peace," the mystic said, with his arms uplifted. As people in the crowd lifted their arms and chanted, Eliasson lowered his head and clasped his hands in front of him.

"Pray for peace!" the mystic said. "And pray for rain!"

That afternoon, as Eliasson's small plane lifted off the runway, the rain came. Soon, Eliasson hoped, so would peace."



Photo: [Sep ? 2007] UN peace negotiator Jan Eliasson meets with tribal leaders in Nyala in the Darfur region of Sudan, where he encourages them to get their representatives to join in the upcoming negotiations. His pitch to one leader: “Take the chance now! The whole world wants peace in Darfur!” (Photographer Carolyn Cole/maggie.farley@latimes.com)

I say, Sudanese people sound like such good fun - when they're not killing each other! Here's an idea that's just occurred to me: they could pull together and request World Heritage Status, for Sudan to be conserved, preserved and protected as a Great Wonder of the World to save it from droughts and pollution. If they disarmed to start building instead of fighting, Sudan could end up with systems more advanced than most other countries.

God help the children. Little do they know, time is not on their side. Within ten years, Sudan will start running out of water. Take a look at these two photos - and the other seven at the Guardian's photo gallery on "Climate change: 9 pictures") - Lake Chad has lost 90% of its surface area in 30 years. If, God forbid, Sudan becomes a failed state, the only solution I can think of is assisted migration and 51 beds in The Hague.



Photo: Sea ice, polar bears' natural habitat, has been steadily receding, leaving their long-term future in doubt (Ty Milford/Getty Images/Aurora Creative/Guardian)



Photo: A young boy takes water from Lake Chad to drink, in Koudouboul, Chad, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006. The lake that once provided adequate livelihoods for 20 million people in west-central Africa, from Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger, has lost 90 per cent of its surface area in 30 years. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena/Guardian)
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BBC World Service Trust Wins Radio For Peacebuilding Award

Congrats. Great work by Darfur Lifeline. The BBC World Service Trust's humanitarian radio service in Sudan has won first prize for its children’s programme Ursom ala el ard makaanak (Draw Your Place On Earth) in the Youth category of the Radio For Peacebuilding Awards. The prize is awarded by Radio For Peacebuilding Africa. - ethnicnow.com
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The future is in our hands

UN SG Ban Ki-moon will seek to advance the global agenda on climate change when he meets with heads of state and other top officials from more than 150 countries at UN HQ September 24, 2007. 15 bloggers will be live blogging the event.



Please don't forget UNITED NATIONS WORLD PEACE DAY FOR GANDHI OCTOBER 2.

New (and Different) Hostilities in Darfur (by Alex de Waal)

Here is a copy of another must-read: Alex de Waal's excellent commentary, dated Sep 19, 2007 at SSRC blog Making Sense of Darfur (hat tip POTP):

"The last few weeks have seen the first significant armed hostilities between the Sudan government and rebel forces since September 2006. What is the significance of this?

The latest round of fighting began with a joint JEM/SLA-Unity military operation in Adila, south-east Darfur, which was followed by a rebel incursion into Kordofan and an army/airforce attack on Haskanita, in eastern Darfur.

Salient points to note are:

1. This is the first significant fighting between the army and rebels since two army offensives were defeated in North Darfur, in August and September 2006. But none of these battles are comparable in size to the hostilities that raged during the perioFebruary 2003-January 2005, or indeed on numerous occasions in Southern Sudan.

2. The fighting was initiated by the rebels. It was provocative, even reckless, and there has since been internal disagreement among rebel commanders over the wisdom of launching these raids, which began in a historically Arab part of Darfur, and then crossed the boundary into Kordofan.

3. The government response has relied on the army and airforce, and not the militia. In Adila, following government warnings that it intended to attack the town, most residents fled, and there were few civilian casualties. The aim of the attack on Haskanita may have been to try to kill the rebel leaders who had assembled there with their forces. In this case, civilian casualties were higher. It is not clear whether Khartoum’s decision to use the regular armed forces, and not militia, was taken for internal operational reasons, or because of international criticism over the abuses that invariably accompany militia actions.

4. Despite the army’s use of MiG fighter-bombers, helicopter gunships, and other heavy weaponry, the rebels got the better of the army. Four and a half years since the outbreak of major hostilities, the Sudan army is still not capable of operating effectively against an enemy that uses mobile desert-warfare tactics. In response to a series of defeats in 2003, the army turned to using the militia, and if the rebel attacks escalate, it will be tempted to abandon conventional military tactics and resort to militia-based counterinsurgency again."

Note, I have hyperlinked the word "Kordofan" mentioned above, as a tip for readers here to watch Kordofan and Abyei. Also, please note my postings today at Niger Watch and Ethiopia Watch (sister blogs of this site, Sudan Watch).

Further reading

Report from Sudan Watch archives dated April 28, 2006: Darfur's SLM/A rebels refuse to disarm until after end of six-year transition period

Qaeda’s Zawahri urges attacks on Darfur peacekeepers

Reuters report in full - via France based Sudan Tribune 20 September 2007:

September 20, 2007 (DUBAI) — Al Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri urged Sudanese Muslims in a video posted on Thursday to fight a force of African Union and U.N. peacekeepers set to deploy to Sudan’s volatile western region of Darfur.

In an 80-minute compilation video that touched on a several conflicts, Zawahri criticised Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s decision to accept a U.N. resolution that lays the ground for a 26,000-strong joint AU-U.N. operation.

"Bashir announced before that he would oppose the deployment of international troops to Darfur ... but this was a lie ... and he backtracked step by step until he had agreed to everything they imposed on him," Zawahri said in the tape.

Zawahri accused Bashir of abandoning his Muslim brothers to appease the United States and said he did not deserve the protection of Muslims.

"Therefore, I address the nation of Muslim mujahideen in Sudan and remind it that today’s is a great test and the free mujahideen sons of Sudan must organise jihad against the forces invading Darfur as their brothers organised the jihadi resistance in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia," Zawahri said.

Al Qaeda-linked groups have waged attacks on U.S.-led forces and their allies in Afghanistan and Iraq after the invasions of 2001 and 2003. In Somalia, Islamists the United States says are linked to al Qaeda have been waging a guerrilla campaign against a U.S.-supported transitional government.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Darfur earlier this month, promising to step up pressure for a political solution to the festering conflict.

Sudan, which hosted al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, has been on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1993.

Secretary-General's address to the United Nations Association in Sudan

United Nations (New York)

DOCUMENT
5 September 2007
Posted to the web 5 September 2007

By Ban Ki-Moon
Khartoum

Khartoum, Sudan, 3 September 2007

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a very great pleasure to be with you today, here on my first trip to Khartoum as Secretary-General.

I am happy to have a chance to address the UN Association in Sudan. And I am pleased to see so many students at this gathering, as well as representatives of civil society. The fact that I am meeting with you this evening, having only just stepped off my flight from Europe, testifies to the importance that I attach to this visit, and to this particular audience -- you in this room.

Ultimately, it is you who will carry forward the work of building a lasting peace in Sudan. It is you who will need to work, hard, to bring unity and prosperity to your beautiful country.

I have a special attachment to this land, Sudan, both personally and officially. Officially, Sudan has recently been at the centre of the UN's agenda for restoring peace and security in the region.

Personally, this is the country where my daughter began her career as a young, junior officer with UNICEF.

For all these reasons, I urge you to think of the United Nations - and me, personally - as your friend, always by your side. I urge you to do everything you can to advance our common cause - building a better Sudan, and a better world, for yourselves and for future generations.

My friends,

Let me explain why I am here. For four long years – too many years – your country and fellow countrymen in Darfur have been torn by conflict. For too long the international community has stood by, as seemingly helpless witnesses to this tragedy.

That now is changing. As you all well know, in July the Security Council adopted a resolution authorizing the deployment of 26,000 multinational peacekeepers in Darfur, jointly run by the United Nations and the African Union. This unprecedented operation marks a new era in UN-AU cooperation. It is one of the largest and most complex peacekeeping missions the UN has ever undertaken. It reflects the international community's commitment to contribute to bringing peace to your country.

I should also say that this agreement comes after many months of very difficult diplomacy. Much of it was invisible, conducted across time zones and in quiet meetings in many capitals of the world. We all must seize this historic opportunity.

That is the first reason why I have come to Sudan. I want to see for myself the plight of those we seek to help, and the conditions under which our peacekeepers in Darfur will operate. But most of all, I want to see the foundations of a lasting peace laid down. My goal is to lock in the progress we have made so far. To build on it so that this terrible trauma may one day end.

Yet there must be a peace to keep. Peacekeeping must be accompanied by a political solution. That is the second reason I am here. It is so very important that we keep moving ahead with the Darfur political process. Everyone agrees there can be no military solution. We need a ceasefire now. The violence must stop. I want to see us begin a new and conclusive round of peace negotiations as soon as possible. My aim is to keep up the momentum, to push the peace among the parties with a view toward issuing invitations to a full-fledged peace conference as soon as possible.

During my visit, I will meet with President Omar al-Bashir and many other senior leaders. I look forward to a frank and constructive and fruitful discussions. The goodwill and cooperation of your Government has been instrumental in the progress we have made so far. I will also meet with First Vice-President Salva Kiir in southern Sudan, as well as opposition representatives.

At the same time, we also need to push ahead on a broader initiative, underscored by my visit to Juba. That's the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the north and the south. As you know well, this remains an essential -- and rather fragile -- cornerstone of peace across the whole of Sudan, well beyond Darfur.

The third reason for my visit involves humanitarian aid and development. Any real solution to Darfur's troubles involves something more – it requires sustained economic development and solutions that go to the root causes of the conflict. But we cannot effectively address development issues until there is a peaceful environment in Darfur and a political solution to the conflict.

Until then, the world's largest humanitarian operation, currently assisting more than 4.2 million people – must continue. I urge to you do your part to ensure an immediate end to violence and a rapid political solution.

Precisely what these development activities will entail is unclear. But we need to begin thinking about it, now. There must be money for new roads and communications, as well as health, education, sanitation and social reconstruction programmes. The international community needs to help organize these efforts, working with the Government of Sudan as well as the host of international aid agencies and NGOs working so heroically on the ground, in very difficult circumstances.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In your very kind invitation, you asked me to speak a bit about how I see the UN and its role in a changing world, particularly in this part of the world.

Let me say, here, something about who I am. I am not a philosopher. I have never put much stock in grand rhetoric – dreams of the future, “visions” that promise more than can be delivered. I am a realist, a man of action. I believe in results, not rhetoric.

As I look out at the coming year, and beyond, I see a growing number of extraordinary challenges. Darfur and the crisis in Sudan are among my very top priorities.

But there are many others. Iraq, where we are likely to be tasked with ever greater responsibilities. Climate change. Making development work in Africa, so that we can fully realize our Millennium Development Goals.

The list goes on, from Somalia and the Middle East, to new crises and opportunities that the world will bring our way. It think it is fair to say that the demands to be placed upon us have never been greater in our 62-year history, even as the resources available to us grow proportionally more scarce.

Where does Sudan stand in relation to the UN, and more broadly in the international community?

You are the largest country in Africa, rich in natural resources. But there is a need to create conditions enabling more development. Fighting has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Many more have become refugees and displaced persons, making Sudan among the world's trouble spots. This is regrettable, given the great potential of your country.

The UN has broad responsibilities, which can be thought of as three pillars. 1) Peace and security. 2) Economic and social development, as set forth in the UN Millennium Development Goals. 3) Human Rights.

The UN has a direct responsibility to advance in all three of these areas. As for the first, that's why I am in Sudan.

With respect to the second, much has been done in advancing our MDGs in Sudan. In southern Sudan, for example, the number of children enrolled in school grew from 343,000 in 2005 to more than 1 million in 2007. We have vaccinated cattle, distributed food and vitamin supplements to children, drilled hundreds of new water wells, and helped rebuild roads. Still, much more needs to be done if Sudan is to be on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

As for human rights, we have only to look around us to see how far Sudan has to go in upholding human rights and protecting people from suffering. Justice is an important part of building and sustaining peace. A culture of impunity and a legacy of past crimes that go unaddressed can only erode the peace.

Friends,

Let us now turn our thoughts to how we can work together, and how the UN can make a difference in your lives and help create a better future.

As I said earlier, I am not a man of dreams and high rhetoric. I believe in solutions that are real solutions. And I know that there can be no solutions to Sudan's political problems without sustainable economic development.

I've mentioned some of the ways we are already helping, and what more we can do -- from helping to provide better health care to promoting better agricultural techniques to encouraging small business development.

But when it comes to providing root solutions to the country's problems, it begins with a core issue facing so many people in Sudan and elsewhere in this region.

You all know that the conflict in Darfur began, long ago, in part because of drought. When the rains failed, farmers and herders fell into competition for an increasingly scarce resource. The decisions of man to wage war over these precious natural resources further compounded other factors and challenges.

But the fact remains. Lack of water, and a scarcity of resources in general, has contributed to a steady worsening of Sudan's troubles. As part of the solution, the Government with international assistance will have to ensure that the people of Darfur have access to vital natural resources – water being chief among them. The UN stands ready to assist in this effort.

I realize this all sounds very practical and down-to-earth. It is. If you were hoping for high-minded declarations of global principles, I may have disappointed you. But that is the point. As Secretary-General, I would like to look only for results. Tangible action, solutions you can see and touch, measurable progress. After all, who can eat or drink only words?

I have discussed this matter with our European partners, as well as the world's aid and financial institutions. I'm going to host an MDG Africa Steering Group meeting next week in New York. I promise you that I will pay as much attention to this as I have to matters of peace and security.

I am very happy to have been able to meet with you here. It has been a pleasure speaking with you. I look forward to seeing more of your beloved country. I count on your continued support.

Thank you very much for your strong commitment to the United Nations, and for your help in our work - present and future.

Shoukran jazeelan.

Copyright © 2007 United Nations. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

Sudan Watch Blog - Country Share

Here below is a snapshot of this blog's visitors, courtesy Sitemeter.

Total, to date: 222,700 visits plus 333,971 page views.

Continent Share on August 12, 2007:


Country Share on August 12, 2007:


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I LOVE GOOGLE'S BLOGGER.COM

It's good to be back. Missed you.

94%

Today, I created parent blog INGRIDNETWORK.

Super genius Ban Ki Moon is one slick explicator!

Some light humour (this one's for Drima - hi Drima!) by Mac Johnson June 21, 2007 - Ban Ki Moon: Super Genius - excerpt:

In Darfur, radical Muslim militias have taken to slaughtering Christian and Pagan farmers for fun and profit. Since radical Muslims elsewhere in the world are generally a peaceful lot, Ban Ki Moon has wisely seen that it must be the weather setting them off. Allah Akbar, it’s hot! Let's kill the infidels.

No really, the man basically said this. He also said that before Global Warming caused a long-term drought in Sudan, the black Christian farmers and the Arab Muslim herders lived in a sort of multicultural slumber party of mutual understanding and admiration. Then Global Warming happened and the farmers put up fences and triggered their own genocide at the hands of the once neighborly camel herders (and you thought good fences made good neighbors). So now I understand that the trouble in Darfur is really something of a cross between “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Open Range,” and “The Weather Channel.” Ban Ki Moon is one slick explicator!

Related reports: UN head links climate change darfur.
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Ex´pli`ca`tor
n. One who unfolds or explains; an expounder; an explainer.

Glad to see the word explicator, used in report above, does not mean fibber. Here at Sudan Watch, I've banged on for years about the water shortages in Darfur and how water will become Sudan's most valuable resource. Just a fraction of the world's climate change budget could help the Sudanese make the most of advanced solar and communications technologies.



Photo: Former US President Bill Clinton with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the UN HQ in New York (Photo: Jay Mandal/On Assignment)

Clinton Global Initiative

Former US president Bill Clinton called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, April 2007:

During the 45-minute discussion, Clinton, whose term as the UN special envoy for tsunami relief ended on December 31, and Ban discussed issues ranging from the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, Somalia, Uganda, Congo, Iran, Iraq, to the Middle East peace process, UN deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe told media persons.

The efforts being undertaken by the UN and the Clinton Global Initiative on global problems were also discussed in the meet, she added.

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Apologies

Feel bad and under pressure for not replying to emails since March. Blogging Darfur is not always as easy as it seems. Problems with hyperlinks, reinstalled OSX, added Firefox, lost incoming email dates (unheard of at Apple) still ongoing, month and year ok, no day. If I owe you an email, please don't think I've forgotten. Tough time here lately on all fronts. Huge thanks to Scaryduck for helping guard against predators targeting this site. Bye for now. Hope to catch up soon.

Gen. Martin L. Agwai of Nigeria appointed new Force Commander of AMIS

Late May 2007 news report excerpt [insert link]:

Yesterday Mr. Konare, in consultation with Mr. Ban, appointed Gen. Martin L. Agwai of Nigeria – who has previously served the UN in Sierra Leone and as a military adviser – as the new Force Commander of AMIS.

“The Secretary-General welcomes this decision and looks forward to Gen. Agwai’s close cooperation with the UN to facilitate the deployment of the Heavy Support Package for AMIS and to eventually command the hybrid AU-UN operation in Darfur,” his spokesperson said in a statement issued today.

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Hugs and kisses not war



Photo: The leader of the SLM, Abdelwhaid al-Nur, welcomed by the former French minister Bernard Kouchner, March 20, 2007. (AP via Sudan Tribune)

French air bridge in Chad

June 18, 2007 Islam Online report excerpt:

The first flight of a French air bridge to ferry humanitarian aid to victims of the Darfur crisis touched down Sunday in Goz Beida town, is 90 kilometers from the Sudanese border.

"To start with, we will be transporting from N'Djamena priority items -- mats, water bottles, blankets and so forth -- that are sorely lacking as the rainy season nears," Colonel Jean-Bruno Vautrey, head of the French military in Chad, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

There are 40,000 of Darfur refugees along with two-thirds of the 150,000 Chadians displaced by communal and trans-border fighting are in the Dar Sila region that includes Goz Beida.

Vautrey said the air bridge would continue "so long as the state of the runway is not put in danger and there is a need to fulfill. Aid will be evaluated once a week."

Some 50 French military personnel are currently in Goz Beida.

The air bridge was announced earlier June by Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner who stressed the "urgency" of the situation in the region with the onset of the rainy season.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the air bridge, hoping it would "help avoid any critical gaps in our operation to feed thousands of people".

GLOBAL COOL - Blair's film debut premiered at International Film Academy awards ceremony

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, pictured here below, has just finished his film debut in a climate change short film directed by Shekhar Kapur. In the movie, titled Global Cool, Blair plays a “carbon crusader” - his co-star is Sienna Miller.



‘I’ve been preparing for this role for the last ten years. So it was great to be part of "Global Cool". But remember, I was only one of a billion people saving the planet in this movie - and they are all stars,’ Blair said.”

The film was premiered at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony at Yorkshire.

[Source: Apologies, mislaid link to above newsclip from Michael, June 11, 2007. More at mangalorean.com]

Norway - rated the world's most peaceful country

Photo: Fjord (Corbis)

The Quartet of peacemakers: the US, EU, UN and Russia

Could this be the first EU president? Many are speculating on Tony Blair's next move as the EU prepares to create a prestigious new title of "President of the European Council" in its next treaty.



According to Mark Mardell's Euroblog, the presidency couldn't happen for another two years even if agreed by end of EU Summit on Saturday.

June 18, 2007 BBC report excerpt:

"... Europe does look more like what Tony Blair said it should be, with Angela Merkel in power in Berlin and Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris. Now there are pro-American and reform-minded leaders in Paris and Berlin as
well as London.

So, despite the mutterings about Blair's "betrayals", he will surely be missed in Europe.

The proof is that as the EU prepares to create a prestigious new title of "President of the European Council" in its next treaty, it is looking around for a former European head of government who could be a global spokesman for all 27 EU government heads, and one big name has not yet been ruled out.

That name is Tony Blair."

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The Quartet of peacemakers: US, EU, UN and Russia

June 20, 2007 AP report via knbc - excerpt:

James Wolfensohn, a former president of the World Bank, stepped down in April as international Mideast envoy for the Quartet of peacemakers - the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia. The position envisioned for Blair was said to be enhanced in contrast to Wolfensohn's role.

Members of the Quartet may meet in Paris next week, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has a scheduling conflict and the meeting could be postponed.

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Appreciation and thanks



Photo: Mr Blair was made an honorary paramount chief in Sierra Leone, May 2007. (AP via BBC)



Photo: British helicopters prepare to move ashore at Aberdeen beach in the north-west of the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown, 2000. (AFP/Bob Bishop/Yahoo May 29 2007)

Rebels of the world, come to Uncle Jose

Brilliant. Great thinking. From The Sunday Times - Rebels of the world, come to Uncle Jose, June 17, 2007: John-Paul Flintoff speaks with Jose Maria Aznar, the former Spanish leader. Excerpt:

Since leaving office he has run the Foundation for Social Analysis and Studies, a Madrid-based organisation known as the Popular party’s ideas lab.

Earlier this month in Prague it put together an unprecedented conference for dissidents from around the world to meet leaders and former leaders such as Aznar himself. The key speaker was his old amigo, George W Bush.

Note, the last line:

"Does he think the expected Blair Foundation will operate on similar lines to his own? The thought does not seem to have occurred to him and with a hearty laugh he finally drops the amigo act: “I don’t know. But mine is the best.”

Heh. He's funny. I reckon The Blair Foundation will be hot. (Afterthought: also hot, much to Gordon Brown's dismay, would be Tony Blair as permanent European President. Heh.)

U.N. Head Links Climate Change, Darfur

Recently on television news, I saw the great American media baron Ted Turner talking about masses of money changing hands more now than ever before. Seems he's divesting of media to concentrate and invest in nuclear and environment.

My point is, the climate change spending budget will be humongous and, coupled with the world's munitions spending, represents an historic opportunity for making poverty (and war!) history. Surely if world peace could be agreed, and amnesty's sorted, it would leave those who refuse to give up illegal weapons to be treated as criminals.

United Nations Blames Darfur on Food, Water Shortage
IslamOnline.net & Newspapers 18 June 2007

U.N. Head Links Climate Change, Darfur
AP report via Guardian June 17, 2007

"It is no accident that the violence in Darfur erupted during the drought," Ban said. (Reuters)

Pope Benedict XVI On Peace, a Call From Assisi

Great timely calls for world peace are starting to happen in the run up to historic concerts July 1 and 7. Princess Diana would have loved to have seen land mines eradicated from our beautiful planet.

Here is an excerpt from a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Sunday to the crowds gathered at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, where the Pope led the praying of the midday Angelus.

I consider it my duty to issue an urgent and heartfelt appeal from this place to stop all armed conflicts that are bloodying the earth. ...

"May Weapons be Silenced and May Hate Yield to Love"

(Source: Catholic Online, CA - ASSISI, Italy, June 19, 2007, Zenith)
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Who does not want world peace?

Often, I wonder about who is not interested in world peace and why. Soon the World Bank will have a new boss. I say, why not pool the world's munitions budget through the United Nations to take good care of our planet and make poverty history? Surely the world's war industry can diversify into water, energy, agriculture, peacekeeping and policing of borders.



No choice really. I'm convinced a new world order has now arrived, made possible through the past three decades of developments in digital and satellite communications technology. Today, I believe it is feasible for billions of us to insist that world leaders get together and agree on world peace within the space of days (by July 7, 2007 to be precise!)