2010 will be the most crucial year in recent Sudan’s history - SID Forum on Conflict: Launch of Sudan Observatory

From Society for International Development (SID)
By Irene Panozzo, November 3, 2009
SID Forum on Conflict: Launch of Sudan Observatory

2010 will be the most crucial year in recent Sudan’s history. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January 2005 in Nairobi between president Omar al-Bashir’s government and the then southern rebels of the Sudan’s people liberation movement/army (SPLM/A) is approaching its final and most decisive tests: parliamentary and presidential elections, the first multi-party consultation in 24 years, scheduled for next April and, in January 2011, a referendum through which southerners will decide whether to remain part of the largest African country or to secede, giving birth to an independent South Sudan. More than one year in advance, southerners are widely thought to favour separation. In an unprecedented move, on October 31 Salva Kiir, SPLM chairperson and president of the autonomous South Sudan, has clearly linked the vote for independence to a first class citizenship status in a new country for southerners.

Whichever the South’s choice will be, Sudan’s future appears gloomy. The outcomes of different scenarios exercise by Clingendael Institute and the United States Institute for Peace (Usip) go in the same direction: war might erupt again. Even the best case scenario by Clingendael, ‘CPA Hurray!’, doesn’t exclude conflict, though small-scale and localized. The worst case scenarios by both institutes clearly speak of a renewed large-scale war between North and South Sudan, paralleled by North-North and South-South conflicts and a total collapse of the Cpa. Should this future become reality in 2011 and afterwards, the consequences would be felt well beyond Sudan’s borders, with probable dangerous spill-overs in some East African countries, mainly Uganda and Kenya, and in the Greater Horn of Africa region. Moreover, a new North-South war would certainly have repercussions on Darfur, making a quick solution to that crisis even harder and less probable.

Avoiding a new Sudan’s war is thus clearly the main single challenge the country and its leaderships, both in the North and in the South, must face and possibly win. There is little time left for it: elections will be held in less than six months and there is still a large number of unsettled and potetially disrupting issues blocking the process. North-South borders have not been demarcated yet and the two partners in the government of national unity (GNU), president Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) and the SPLM, have an ongoing dispute over the use of last year census results, on which part of the electoral process is based.

However, the most urgent issue to solve is the reform or promulgation of a bunch of laws, provided for in the CPA. At the end of November the last pre-electoral parliamentary session will end. The National Assembly has then the next few weeks only to discuss and vote outstanding bills such as the ones reforming the national security and intelligence services and setting the rules for the 2011 southern referendum. While on the latter the two peace partners are still working for a compromise, few weeks ago the NCP tabled a National security forces draft law which would allow the intelligence services to retain powers of arrest and search, a provision the SPLM and opposition parties say would violate the interim constitution. Therefore, on October 19 the SPLM bloc decided to boycott parliamentary activities until the NCP presents a clear timetable to speed up discussions on the remaining bills, so as to have them approved within the end of November. Failing that, the former southern rebels and some opposition parties have already said they will boycott April general elections.

Preserving the CPA and fostering its full implementation could also help address the Darfur crisis, looking at it through a national lens. Significantly, the new US Sudan policy, formally announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on October 19, gives new emphasis to the troubled relationship between North and South for its importance in itself and as a means to approach Darfur problem for what it is: another (unfortunately not the first, hopefully the last) Sudan’s war. The African Union high level panel on Darfur (AUPD), headed by former South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki, has come to a similar conclusion: in their final report, adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council on October 29, the AUPD members underlined that “Darfur is an integral part of Sudan” and Sudanese people should be enabled “to approach the next important phase of their history as one nation”. Therefore, the AUPD concluded, “there is an urgent need to secure a definitive peace settlement for Darfur before the 2010 general elections”. Time is running dramatically short.

About Irene

Irene Panozzo (Dr.) is researcher and journalist, expert of Sudanese history and politics. Irene’s research work has been focusing on Sudan for more than ten years, with a particular focus on North-South relationship. Her research interests also include the Chinese presence in Africa and the international relations of African countries. Irene holds a bachelor’s in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Trieste and a PhD in History, Institutions and International Relations of Extra European Countries from the University of Pisa.

Get in touch with Irene via Email.

Jan Pronk: Millions of homeless people and children living in forgotten cities

Quote of the Day on refugee camps

"Thatched huts are upgraded into slums. Camp dwellers start exchanging belongings amongst themselves. Barter develops into markets. People try to make a living through prostitution and crime. Idleness fosters addiction to alcohol and drugs. Combatants come to hide themselves for a while within the camp and recruit youngsters for their militias. People in the camps start organizing themselves. The camps develop into cities, with an economy, a power structure and increasing violence.

Camps are cities in suspense. They suffer from shortages of water and sanitation, shaky food deliveries, oscillating relief assistance, despotic rulers, lawlessness and insecurity, both around the camp and inside."

-Jan Pronk, October 2009 (see copy below).

Professor Jan Pronk (pictured above) the UN Secretary General's former Special Representative to Sudan, now lives and works in The Netherlands. Here is a recently published column from Prof. Pronk's website.

Forgotten
By Jan Pronk
SID, 29 October 2009

Millions of people are living in forgotten cities. They are refugees and displaced persons, put away in camps at the margins of the modern world. Hardly ever a camp is closed down. Camps are swelling in order to offer refuge against continuing or newly emerging danger. Generations stay for decades in one and the same camp. They are doomed to die on the same dumping-ground where they had been born.

Is this acceptable? It seems to be, actually. The world outside is hardly offering a perspective on a new life outside the camps, only some to establish a little order within the camps themselves. Sustaining refugee survival within camps is easier and cheaper than halting the violence which they had to escape. They receive food, plastic sheeting, bore-holes and first aid. Clinics are set up to provide mother and child care. Occasionally some children get a little schooling, mostly in the open air, without books, pens, paper, blackboard and chalk and without salaries for the teachers. Thatched huts are upgraded into slums. Camp dwellers start exchanging belongings amongst themselves. Barter develops into markets. People try to make a living through prostitution and crime. Idleness fosters addiction to alcohol and drugs. Combatants come to hide themselves for a while within the camp and recruit youngsters for their militias. People in the camps start organizing themselves. The camps develop into cities, with an economy, a power structure and increasing violence.

Camps are cities in suspense. They suffer from shortages of water and sanitation, shaky food deliveries, oscillating relief assistance, despotic rulers, lawlessness and insecurity, both around the camp and inside.

The joy of having reached a sanctuary can boost a perspective. It can lead to action and persistence. However, in most camps life is marked by traumas and uncertainty. In these camps suffering abounds and life is desolate and empty.

In all refugee camps life and thought are determined by two things only: memories and expectations. Recollections prevail. Inside the camps everything is being relived, time and again. Bombardments and attacks are recalled and retold. Rape and killings come back to mind daily, together with the nightmares of the flight, the threats and terrors on the way, the fear not to last out. Not all refugees are able to reach safety. In Darfur one out of every seven refugees has been killed.

The recollections go together with the hope of a future in safety, outside the camp, and with expectations about life in decency. Camp dwellers are longing for return to the place where they did belong. They cherish the hope of reconstructing hearth and home and the desire resuming life back home or building a new existence somewhere else..

Refugees tell stories, time and again. Twenty five million refugees, and as many stories. In their stories the past prevails. But at the same time they are mesmerized by the future. People hope, without expecting much. They live between hope and desperation.

A camp may seem to be a static unit of time and space, dead and empty. However, it forms part of a turbulent history, part of a life full of tenacity and yearning. Present life within the camps is a function of both the past and the future. It is the sum total of stories, memories and contemplations, nothing more, but also nothing less: when expectations are betrayed and hopes are dashed, there is nothing left.

For refugees and displaced people in camps the present is empty, an endless repetition of nothingness: no jobs; no information; education devoid of sense; food, water, health and security in doubt – and, for the rest, waiting, just waiting, without any expectation. People sense that they have been forgotten, excluded and deprived of their rights. They find that they are voiceless, powerless and without any perspective. This feeling is right. In the eyes of people in the world outside a refugee is a loser, irrelevant, a burden, worthless, unworthy of rights indeed.

The longer the present will last, the emptier life will become. For millions of refugees and displaced people this is the reality of today. For them the future is a void, it means suffering. The past, on the other side, equals violence and death. The world they fled was a jungle. The camp, upon arrival, was a hiding place, an asylum and a sanctuary. However, gradually it became a dump, a junk heap and a prison. Like dumping grounds are being covered with soil to put these out of sight, camps are wrapped up with relief to salve our conscience. Rather than offering women, children, old age people, farmers, villagers and other civilians protection against evil powers that force them to seek refuge in a camp, the world is shielding itself from the camps with a thick layer of indifference. Rather than receiving displaced people in our midst we bury them far away from our own cities, outside our habitat, somewhere deep below the surface of a civilized society, like in dungeons where they easily are forgotten, out of sight, out of the picture, out of our minds.

The longer this lasts, the less hope - “there is nothing left to be done” –, but also: the more bitterness, frustration and resentment. The more refugees consider themselves forgotten, the greater the chance that the violence which they escaped will be fed by camp realities. At a certain moment camp dwellers are no longer interested in a solution of the conflict back home. They may start interpreting the camp as a bulwark behind which walls they cherish their own truths. They then give birth to an offspring which has nothing to loose and will only look forward renewing the fight. The resentment of such a new generation will not only be turned towards the enemy of their parents and ancestors, but against the world as a whole: “The world has written us off, now we are going to write off the world”.

(http://www.sidint.net/forgotten/)

About Jan

Jan Pronk is President of SID as well as Professor of Theory and Practice of International Development at ISS, the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands. From 2004 to 2006 he was Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Sudan, where he was leading the UN peace-keeping operation (UNMIS). He also served as Minister for Development Cooperation and Minister for the Environment of the Dutch government. Having studied economics at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, he has worked as a politician since the 1970s, first as a Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party and then as Minister.

Get in touch with Jan via Email.

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Photo from southern Sudan



Untitled photo from southern Sudan from Sudan Watch archives 2006 (source unknown).

Sudanese stabbed in Cairo football dispute

Photos: Algeria v Egypt football match held in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan. Algeria beat Egypt 1-0. (Posted at Flickr by Andrew Heavens, Nov 20, 2009)

There is still tension between Egyptian and Sudanese soccer fans following Egypt’s defeat by Algeria in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan two weeks ago.

The Egyptians claimed that they were attacked by Algerian fans after the match and that the Sudanese authorities did nothing to protect them.

Source: Report by SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 8 December 2009:
Sudanese Stabbed in Cairo Soccer Dispute

(Khartoum) – There is still tension between Egyptian and Sudanese soccer fans following Egypt’s defeat by Algeria in Omdurman two weeks ago.

Egyptian fans claim that Sudanese police failed to protect them when fighting broke out between rival supporters after the match.

A Sudanese living in Egypt, Mahir Musa, was attacked on Monday following an argument about the match. He spoke to SRS in Cairo.

[Mahir Musa]:"I had gone to visit my relatives in Alashir. At night I went to buy cigarettes from the kiosk. I politely asked the owner of the shop to hand me a cigarette. He then noticed from the way I spoke that I was from Sudan.

He then started talking to me about the football match. From there I said I was not interested in the cigarettes anymore and that he should give me back my money so I could leave. when I said I didn’t want anything from him, I just wanted my money, he started insulting me, I got annoyed and when I responded suddenly he came out from the kiosk carrying a knife and he and his friend started attacking me by stabbing me. My relatives had to take me to the hospital. This is just one of many the incidents happening to Sudanese in Cairo.”

The Egyptians claimed that they were attacked by Algerian fans after the match and that the Sudanese authorities did nothing to protect them.

Photos: Algeria v Egypt football match held in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan, posted at Flickr by Andrew Heavens, Nov 20, 2009.



Photo: Algeria v Egypt football match held in Omdurman, near Khartoum, Sudan. Source: Sudan Tribune report November 18, 2009 (KHARTOUM) - Egypt dispatching troops to evacuate soccer fans in Sudan: official

South Sudan: Police stormed Bakhita FM radio station in Juba and attacked a female journalist

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 9 December 2009:

(Juba) – About twenty police officers stormed into Bakhita FM radio station in Juba and attacked a female journalist on Monday afternoon.

The police claimed the journalist insulted them in a broadcast after a riot between students and the police in Juba earlier in the day.

The director of Bakhita FM, Sr. Cecillia Placido, described the incident to SRS on Wednesday.

[Sr. Cecillia Placido]: “The lady was in the compound of Bakhita radio and the gate was locked - because we lock everything. But there is a hole at the back of the fence and the 20 police dressed in their uniforms entered through that opening in the fence. She was just walking in the compound to go and ask a colleague what was happening since the colleague was outside. As she was going out, her colleague was running into the room. She just met the police there and she didn’t know what to do. She found herself in the confusion. People were running inside and she was outside. So she was taken by surprise. At that moment, one of the police said that she was the one who insulted them. They wanted to take her away but she said, "No, not me!" They said, "You come with us!" and she said, "Where?" Of course she resisted and started shouting. When she started shouting they started to beat her. I saw at least 5 men beating her while 20 others were just watching. Beating a lady? She ways already down and they continued beating her and dragged her into the ditch. This is not an attitude of a police.”

Sr. Cecillia added that the police lack discipline and needed thorough training to enable them serve citizen with respect.

[Sr. Cecillia Placido]: “Actually they beat so many people. This person was just one of many incidents. The other day, they beat up and shot a girl call Regina and she was admitted in the hospital. For me this is a painful experience. But as painful as it may seem, let it be a lesson for the police to learn that they have to be trained. Because if they can not handle this situation properly, imagine what is to be expected during the elections. If thieves are attacking me, I call the police, if someone assaults me, I call the police. But if the police attack me, who do I call?”

Juba police and the local reserve denied any involvement in the incident.

Sr. Cecilia said that the woman was taken to hospital by members of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission and that she has resumed work, although she is still traumatized by her experience.

South Sudan: Teachers in Juba have refused to return to their classrooms as a protest

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 7 December 2009:

[Juba] – A police officer has been wounded and fourteen students have been arrested in Juba during a demonstration in protest at a prolonged teachers’ strike.

Secondary and primary school students exchanged stones for tear gas in a running battle with police along the Juba-Ministries and the Juba-Melekia roads.

Cars were vandalized and motorists were beaten up as traffic came to a standstill at the Mudiria roundabout.

Simon Kalamsakit, a reserve policeman, told SRS that the students will be charged and prosecuted for disturbing the peace.

[Simon Kalamsakit]: “We will charge them for violent behavior, then the judge can release them on bail and then refer the case to the court and the court will decide.”

Teachers in Juba have refused to return to their classrooms as a protest against the non-payment of their October salaries.

Jump upon the peace train - Sudan's UN envoy says Darfur activists are warmongers in a race to stop peace train

According to reports copied here below, Sudan's UN Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem says Enough Project's activists are warmongers and war traders in a race with time to stop the peace train which is already moving to its destination.  Heh. Peace train.  I like.

Everyone jump upon the peace train


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Copy of blog post from John Prendergast's Enough Project:
Sudanese Ambassador Reacts to Enough’s Latest Paper
Posted by Laura Heaton on Dec 01, 2009

Even before our most recent Sudan strategy paper went public yesterday, the Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations had a strong reaction to our recommendations:

"Those war mongers and war traders are in a race with time to stop the peace train which is already moving to its destination. Their report exposes their bankruptcy and the fact that realities on the ground .... defeated their sick mentality."

These remarks are inadvertently revealing - they just go to show that the ruling National Congress Party is living in a dangerously self-constructed reality. This morning we put out a statement enumerating a handful of facts from the ground that contradict the ambassador's optimistic assessment. Peace train indeed.

Hat tip: GV - Ndesanjo Macha
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Peace Train by Cat Stevens - YouTube



Hat tip: spreadingourwings.blogspot.com

Peace Train by Cat Stevens - Lyrics

Now I've been happy lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun
Oh I've been smiling lately,
dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be,
some day it's going to come
Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train

Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again
Now I've been smiling lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on now peace train

Get your bags together,
go bring your good friends too
Cause it's getting nearer,
it soon will be with you

Now come and join the living,
it's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer,
soon it will all be true
Now I've been crying lately,
thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating,
why can't we live in bliss

Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again

~Cat Stevens (Source: Flickr)
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Sudan's UN envoy says Darfur activists are "warmongers"

Copy of a report from Reuters Mon Nov 30, 2009 12:04am EST
Report urges sanctions against Sudan ruling party
By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States and other world powers should impose sanctions on key members of the Sudanese government for refusing to end violence in Darfur and south Sudan, a report by an anti-genocide group said on Monday.

Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem reacted angrily to the report, calling the Enough Project, a Washington-based anti-genocide group, "war mongers."

The Enough Project's report said there was a risk of a new civil war and warned that nationwide elections next year and a 2011 referendum on whether the oil-rich and semi-autonomous south should secede from the Khartoum-led north would not be free and fair.

The report placed the bulk of the blame on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was indicted in March by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Sudan's remote western region of Darfur. The report called for sanctions.

"Without a firm response from the international community, led by the United States, full-scale nationwide war is inevitable," said the report, written by Enough Project co-founder and former U.S. State Department and National Security Council official John Prendergast.

"This should involve a special outreach effort to China because of the vulnerability of its oil investments should war resume in the South," the report said. "The United States must, then, organize and lead a multilateral diplomatic surge in Sudan aimed at negotiating and consolidating national peace."

It recommended "multilateral asset freezes aimed at key members of the NCP who have enriched themselves as a result of the oil boom of the last decade in Sudan." The report also supported travel bans and denying Khartoum access to the debt relief it has been lobbying for.

Sudan's U.N. envoy Abdalhaleem rejected the report.

"Those war mongers and war traders are in a race with time to stop the peace train which is already moving to its destination," he told Reuters. "Their report exposes their bankruptcy and the fact that realities on the ground .... defeated their sick mentality."

DISAPPOINTMENT

The head of Save Darfur, a separate coalition of more than 180 religious, political, and human rights organizations, backed the main conclusions of the Enough Project report.

"Coordinated multilateral action is crucial to promoting peace in Sudan, and that action has to deal with the reality that the core of the problem is the ruling National Congress Party's seeking to maintain its domination of power and wealth," Save Darfur president Jerry Fowler told Reuters.

"It is difficult for me to see how a strategy that doesn't include pressure could succeed," he said.

Behind the complaints of Darfur activists is disappointment with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, which took nearly 10 months to formulate and announce a new Sudan policy that they worry is not being implemented aggressively enough.

That strategy calls for renewed U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan, but also offers Khartoum new incentives to end violence in Darfur and the South ahead of polls next year.

The former head of the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur said earlier this year that the six-year conflict in Darfur was essentially over.

But that assessment was contradicted by a recent report of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said that fighting between the Sudanese army and rebels continued, civilians remained at risk, and peacekeepers were routinely harassed by government forces. [...] 

(louis.charbonneau@thomsonreuters.com; +1 212 355 6053; Reuters Messaging: louis.charbonneau.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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Thought for the Day

People all over the world Join hands, Start a love train, Love train ...

Podcast: Sudan Radio Project's interview with Radio Mango

The first podcast link here below leads to an interview with my old blog mate Drima, The Sudanese Thinker (hi Drima!).  The third link leads to Sudan Radio Project's interview with a rep from Radio Mango, Khartoum’s first privately-operated radio station, about the growth of commercial radio in Sudan.

From Sudan Radio Project, Sunday, 6 December 2009:

Creating Conversation
This month on the Sudan Radio Project, “Creating Conversation.” We take a listen to in-depth interviews with three remarkable individuals who have carved out their creative niches in and outside of Sudan.

First, we talk with a Sudanese blogger whose provocative writings have narrated the evolution of his personal politics and faith. Listen here.

Then, we hear from a Sudanese musician living in Dubai, whose R&B hits have attracted listeners from across the Middle East. Listen here.

Finally, we speak with a representative from Khartoum’s first privately-operated radio station about the growth of commercial radio in Sudan. Listen here.

Memorial for five Rwandan UNAMID peacekeepers killed in North Darfur, western Sudan

Reading and reporting news of the slaying of peacekeepers in Darfur, western Sudan upsets me as much now as it did when the first peacekeeper departed from Sudan in a coffin. Sorry I lost count a few years ago, but I reckon the Sudan peacekeeper death toll might be nearing 80. Watch out when activists and the ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo target and speak out in the press against Sudan. Very few UN peacekeepers have perished in southern Sudan where every Tom, Dick and Harry carries a loaded gun.



Photo: Memorial service for the five Rwandans killed in North Darfur. (Source: Rob Crilly)

Five Rwandan UNAMID peacekeepers were killed in North Darfur
Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service , Monday, 7 December 2009:

[El Fashir] – Five Rwandan UNAMID peacekeepers were killed in North Darfur in two separate incidents on Friday and Saturday.

The peacekeepers were distributing water to internally displaced persons.

On Friday, three peacekeepers were shot dead after coming under fire in North Darfur. Their two colleagues were killed on Saturday in a government-controlled area, also in North Darfur.

Ali Hamati, from the UNAMID press office, spoke to SRS from Darfur on Sunday.

[Ali Hamati]: “Unfortunately, the last incident happened on Saturday, just a day after the Friday incident in Saraf Omra. The last incident happened in Shangel Tobaya in North Darfur, and the Rwandan soldiers who belonged to UNAMID were apparently helping to distribute water to the citizens when they were attacked by people dressed in traditional attire and underneath the attire they had guns. Two peacekeepers working with UNAMID from Rwanda died on the spot and another, who was wounded in the attack, died later on.”

The governor of North Darfur, Mohamed Osman Kibir, announced on Saturday that the men behind the attacks had been arrested and had been transferred to El-Fashir.

On Sunday, the Rwandan government accused the government of Sudan of being behind the attacks.

+ + + Rest In Peace + + +

UN report from NEW YORK, December 9, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - excerpt:

The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the AU-UN mission to carry out its important work in Darfur. He notes the Government of Sudan’s rapid action to apprehend the alleged perpetrators and renews his call that those guilty of these cowardly attacks should be brought to justice immediately.

The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to the families of the peacekeepers who lost their lives and to the Government of Rwanda and reiterates his appreciation for their service and commitment to the search for peace in Darfur.

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Postscript
Any attack on peacekeepers constitutes a war crime. For more details, click on Haskanita label here below.



Archived photo: An African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) peacekeeper looks out over North Darfur, western Sudan. (AFP/AMIS/File/Stuart Price)



Photo: UNAMID peacekeepers patrol in North Darfur, 12 October 2009. (UN Photo/Olivier Chassot)

Ex Darfur rebels detain men over peacekeeper killing

Reuters South Africa - ‎Dec 8, 2009‎

Two Rwandan members of the joint UN/African Union UNAMID peacekeeping mission inSudan's Darfur region were shot dead as they distributed water in a refugee ...

Sudan gov't condemns killing of five UNAMID peacekeepers Xinhua

Sudan Arrests Suspects in Attack on Rwandan Peacekeepers in Darfur Voice of America

Three Rwandan peacekeepers killed in Sudan's Darfur BBC News

The Punch - AllAfrica.comall 316 news articles »



ICC Prosecutor Briefs Media on Sudan

See UN News Centre report Darfur crimes continue and Sudan still not cooperating with ICC – Prosecutor (also UN webcast Security Council meeting - 4 Dec. '09)



Photo: Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), speaks to reporters following his briefing to the Security Council on the situation in Sudan, 04 December 2009, United Nations, New York. (UN)

SPLM-DC chair Lam Akol has accused the Government of Southern Sudan of issuing instructions to restrict the party’s activities in the south

Reportedly, the chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), Dr Lam Akol, says SPLM-DC is not allowed to operate in southern Sudan.  It seems Dr Akol thinks the constitutional court will summon the president of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) to appear before the court.  Dr Akol is quoted as saying "we went to court because the Government of Southern Sudan issued directives to all the ten governors of southern Sudan telling them that the SPLM-DC is not allowed to operate in the South".

On November 9, 2009 the SPLM-DC claimed that they possessed a letter written by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr Luka Monoja, which contained instructions from Salva Kiir, vice-president of Sudan and president of the south, demanding that all the state governors allow political parties to exercise their constitutional rights - except the SPLM-DC.

The SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum, speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday, denied any involvement of the SPLM leadership in the affair, said "if he [Akol] is accusing the SPLM, then the SPLM is ready to defend itself. We are ready to go to court to prove that he has no case against us. And definitely, it will also be an opportunity for the SPLM to expose him and the designs of the National Congress Party to destabilize southern Sudan.”

Source:  Before reading the following news report from Sudan Radio Service, it is worth noting that SPLM-DC chairman Lam Akol recently said that he is ready to run for the GOSS presidency if he is nominated. For further details, click on Lam Akol label at the end of this report.

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 7 December 2009:

[Khartoum] – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change has applied to the constitutional court to present a case against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

The SPLM-DC has accused the Government of Southern Sudan of issuing instructions to restrict the party’s activities in the south.

The SPLM-DC’s chairman, Doctor Lam Akol, speaking on Thursday, said the court will summon the president of the Government of Southern Sudan to appear before the court.

[Dr. Lam Akol]: “We haven’t won the case yet. But we presented a case to the constitutional court and they are saying that it is a strong case and therefore they will look into it. We went to court because the Government of Southern Sudan issued directives to all the ten governors of southern Sudan telling them that the SPLM-DC is not allowed to operate in the South. And of course, that is a violation of the constitution, especially articles 29, 30, 39, 41 and it’s against basic human rights. Furthermore, any violation of the constitution is a violation of the CPA.”

The SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum, also speaking on Thursday, denied any involvement of the SPLM leadership in the affair.

[Pagan Amum]: “If it is from the Government of Southern Sudan, why would it be against the SPLM? And if it is an order from a government minister to government governors, then I don’t see the SPLM involved in it, even if the SPLM is the ruling party. But if he is accusing the SPLM, then the SPLM is ready to defend itself. We are ready to go to court to prove that he has no case against us. And definitely, it will also be an opportunity for the SPLM to expose him and the designs of the National Congress Party to destabilize southern Sudan.”

On November 9, the SPLM-DC claimed that they possessed a letter written by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Luka Monoja, which contained instructions from Salva Kiir demanding that all the state governors allow political parties to exercise their constitutional rights - except the SPLM-DC.

Photo from Sudan Watch archives:  Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol, seen here in October 2005, gave the cold shoulder to a UN proposal to take over from African Union peacekeepers in Darfur and urged the world to prop up the African body with more funds. (AFP/File/Salah Omar/Sudan Watch archive Friday, March 24, 2006 - Interview: Sudan FM Lam Akol says Sudanese government calls for strengthening of AU mission in Darfur)

PHOTOS - taken by activists showing detention of SPLM leaders and protesters outside parliament in Khartoum, Sudan on 7 Dec 2009

From Sudan Tribune, Tuesday, 8 December 2009:

PHOTOS - detention of SPLM leaders and protesters outside parliament

December 7, 2009 — Below pictures taken by activists on Monday December 7, 2009 showing the detention of the SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum and his deputy for northern Sudan Yasir Arman. They were among the first people to arrive outside the National Assembly in Omdurman at 7:45 am. Five minutes after the arrival of the SPLM leaders the riot police started to arrest and beat protesters

More demonstrators were arrested in front of Omduran police central station at 09:00am following the detention of Pagan and Arman.

CLICK here to view PHOTOS - detention of SPLM leaders and protesters outside parliament.
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From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 7 December 2009:

[Khartoum] – Police in Khartoum dispersed a demonstration organized by a coalition of opposition parties on Monday.

Security agents arrested the SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum, his deputy Yasir Arman, and another senior SPLM official Abbas Gumma, who were leading the protest. The men were later released.

Opposition parties had called for a peaceful demonstration in front of the National Assembly to protest against delays in passing key CPA legislation.

The coalition’s spokesman, Farouk Abu Issa, spoke to SRS during the demonstration.

[Farouk Abu Issa]: “The government has deployed its troops on the ground to prevent the demonstration. They shut down the schools and the government institutions and declared the day as a public holiday and decreed that the demonstration was illegal. This measure is a big defeat for a government that pretends that it is strong and claims that it represents the nation.”

SRS was able to speak to SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum, from the prison where he was being detained.

[Pagan Amum]: “I’m being detained in Omdurman prison, we went out to have a peaceful demonstration, and we informed the authorities in advance, according to the law. The law in article 26/2 allows political parties to organize peaceful political demonstrations. We informed the concerned bodies 72 hours in advance. But the NCP, not the government, decided last night to ban the demonstration and impose a public holiday to ban the demonstration and that is a violation of the constitution.”

The police insist that the demonstration was illegal.

A senior police spokesman, Colonel Abu Obaida El-Iragi, spoke to SRS after the arrests on Monday morning.

[Colonel Abu Obaida El-Iragi]: “The security committee announced yesterday (Sunday) that they had not received any application asking permission for the demonstration. So, no permission was granted. That is why the police announced that any demonstration held on Monday would be illegal.”

GONU reacted to the demonstrations by saying that permitting such demonstrations would lead to “the downfall of the dignity of the country”.

The adviser to the GONU Minister of Information, Dr. Rabie Abdullaati, spoke to SRS on Monday.

[Dr. Rabie Abdullaati]: “No one is above the law. Anyone who violates the law must be prosecuted according to the law. We don’t think that a special dispensation was given to anybody to violate the sovereignty of the law in broad daylight. If we allow such things to happen, it will lead to the downfall of the country’s dignity and the law of the jungle will prevail rather than the rule of law.”

Taj El-Sir Meki, a prominent political analyst based in Khartoum, has condemned GONU for breaking up the demonstration.

[Taj El-Sir Meki]: “The move clearly shows that the regime is not interested in democracy or democratic transformation. First of all, they (GONU) created a very complicated scenario. Last night, they announced a one-day national public holiday on the pretext that people should register to vote, because today (Monday) is the last day. The public holiday meant that the parliament, which was supposed to receive a petition from the demonstrators, was also closed.”

Opposition parties, including the SPLM, have accused the NCP of failing to enact a series of laws required by the terms of CPA. The NCP have responded by demanding that the SPLM should resume their seats in parliament to debate the issue. SPLM MPs have boycotted the Assembly in protest at the delays.

The NCP headquarters in Wau was torched on Monday afternoon by an angry crowd who gathered to protest against the arrest of the SPLM leaders in Khartoum.

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From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 7 December 2009:

[Juba] – The President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, has called for the unconditional release of the SPLM officials who were arrested earlier in the day.

Pagan Amum and his deputy, Yasir Arman, were among fifteen people arrested on Monday as they took part in a demonstration outside the National Assembly.

Speaking after an emergency meeting of the SPLM political bureau in Juba, Kiir made this statement on the arrest of Pagan Amum and his deputy, Yasir Arman:

[Salva Kiir]: “Fellow Sudanese, friends, I take this opportunity to address the nation on the current political situation our country. You are all aware that this morning, the political situation in Sudan has yet again taken a shocking direction. Members of the SPLM leadership, constitutional post-holders, and members of the legislature in Khartoum, have been illegally arrested. This prompted us to call for an emergency meeting of the SPLM leadership. We resolved that the situation must be contained. The SPLM leadership also resolved to use all the necessary means to ensure that the country does not revert to war again.”

Kiir went on to insist that action should be taken against those who arrested the two senior SPLM members:

[Salva Kiir]: “We therefore call upon the National Congress Party to unconditionally release all detainees, including the SPLM secretary-general, his deputy, other comrades and any other Sudanese who were arrested this morning. We also hope that these citizens have not been mistreated during their period of detention. Those officers who arrested our members should really be brought to book. It should be noted that any continuation in the arbitrary detention of people will only worsen matters and will not serve the peace and stability of our country.”

The president went on to call for calm:

[Salva Kiir] “We call upon all Sudanese people to remain calm and to exercise the utmost restraint and exercise their constitutional rights of freedom of expression within the law.”

Kiir insisted that President al-Bashir reassured him that all the detainees will be released and that legislation concerning democratic transformation will be passed by the National Assembly.

Darfur Sudan: The media keeps missing the importance of the Doha consultations and Declaration

People are asking why the media keeps missing the importance of the Doha consultations and Declaration.

From Alex de Waal's blog Making Sense of Darfur
Friday, December 4, 2009
Civil Society and Doha: Where Next?
By Julie Flint

It is disappointing how little attention there has been, including on this blog, to the civil society conference in Doha in mid-November, the first such meeting held under the auspices of the succeeding Mediations. Two weeks on, the only version of the final Doha Declaration I have seen comes (predictably) not from the mediators, who are no better at informing Darfurians of their work than their predecessors in Abuja were, but from one of those present, Ali B. Ali-Dinar, who posted it on the Sudan Tribune.

In just three days, representatives of the three states of Darfur, including from Khartoum and the diaspora, succeeding in doing what the armed movements continue to fail to do—agree on a single, unified position paper. What is striking about the conference is how intensively ‘ordinary’ Darfurians had prepared for it and how, once in Doha, they re-worked the plan presented to them by the Mediation (see Ali’s account on Sudan Tribune for this). The four topics tabled for discussion (land, power-sharing, civil society, general issues) immediately became seven, with the inclusion of security arrangements and disarmament, wealth sharing and economic and social development, and justice, reconciliation and return. The land chapter was expanded to make specific mention of ‘nomadic routes’.

What is missing from the Declaration is as interesting as what is included. There is no reference to the International Criminal Court, rather an emphasis on ‘transitional justice’ in all its many forms—and at all levels, from local to international—in order to ‘cure the soul and mend the social fabric’ and ensure there is no impunity for any of the crimes committed in Darfur (2.4.1). There is no mention of genocide, ‘ongoing’ or past, only to ‘illegal stop and search[es]’ of IDPs’ and unspecified impediments to security in the IDP camps (2.1.1 C ). (This raises the question: was enough effort exerted to bring to Doha war-affected Darfurians not in camps?) There is no call for the armed movements to have a role in getting the displaced back to their villages, as demanded by the movements. This should be organized by the Native Administration ‘with the help of the unified police, UNAMID forces in addition to the army if necessary’ (2.1.2.D). There is no demand for a single Darfur region, a subject participants said requires more ‘research and consultation’ (2.3.11). There is no finger-pointing: the words ‘militias’ and ‘movements’ do not appear in the text, which recommends ‘the simultaneous collection of weapons from all parties except the regular forces’ (2.1.2 B).

Civil society is looking forward, not back, demanding the re-establishment of boarding schools (especially important for pastoralists), ‘major development projects of national character [to] foster a sense of nationhood and [remove] a sense of marginalization’ (2.2.1), job creation (2.2.5).

The Doha Declaration requests the parties to observe an immediate ceasefire. The parties claim to represent the people. It’s a pity that the Mediation isn’t exerting greater efforts to get the people’s voice to the parties (and to the media and lobbies that support the parties) to exercise pressure on them to put aside their individual agendas in the interests of the whole.

Many questions remain. Among them:
• Did the Sudan Government in any way impede the meeting or the ability of delegates to travel to Doha? Only five months ago, organizers of Mo Ibrahim’s Mandate Darfur were told that anyone attempting to go to Addis Abada for that civil society meeting would be arrested and put on trial for treason.
• Were pastoralists satisfied with their representation and input?
• How was the Declaration agreed on? By state or delegate? By unanimity or majority?
• Were the movements present as observers? (I believe this was the plan initially) If so, what was their reaction away from the media spotlight?
• What now?
Were any of the readers of this blog present in Doha? If so, can they do what the Mediation hasn’t—supply a detailed account of the meeting (and its corridors)? JEM has (predictably) said ‘most of the civil society representatives (in Doha) are supporters of the ruling National Congress Party’. The conference facilitator, Siddig Umbadda, refutes this. He says ‘quite a few government people declined to come because they thought the opposite’.

One final point: civil society sees a role for itself in ‘documenting’ any future negotiations (2.6.3 F). Had this been done in Abuja, we might not have seen such an immediate, violent reaction against the DPA. The failure of the AU to keep the people of Darfur informed of the progress, and content, of the negotiations was surely one of the main reasons for the uncompromising rejection of the DPA it its entirety.

4 Responses to “Civil Society and Doha: Where Next?”
Ahmed Hassan:
December 4th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Dear Julie Flint,
Many thanks for bringing this issue to discussion. Actually, ever since the meeting ended I was trying very hard to locate this famous Doha Declaration which was only briefly mentioned in the press release of the Qatari government.
I join my voice to you in raising these questions, and hope that someone can shed the light on the details of the meeting.
Moreover, I am also interested to know how representative to the civil society the participants were. A comment that I read in one article claims that the delegations were dominantly supporters of the government and that explains why the issue of the ICC was avoided. I do not claim that this is true, but I would like to know more about the selection and the composition and background of the delegates in addition to answers for the important questions that you raised in this article.
Many thanks again.
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Sean Brooks:
December 4th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Good post Julie…I too have been asking why the media keeps missing the importance of the Doha consultations and Declaration, see: http://blogfordarfur.org/archives/2102.
I have not heard of the NCP impeding the travel of any delegates, which is something that was of great concern given what happened before Mandate Darfur. As for the the content of the Declaration, I addressed this in a recent post as well http://blogfordarfur.org/archives/2214: “And it seems apparent from the “Doha Declaration” itself that NCP representatives had limited influence on the outcome. In addition to a call for a ceasefire and negotiations, the civil society representatives also made strong demands about carrying out justice, ending impunity, and resolving land issues in Darfur. In fact, the document specifically calls for the return of all land of displaced persons and refugees to their original owners and the evacuation of those who have lived on the land during their absence. It also calls for the disarmament of all armed forces in Darfur, except for the constitutionally authorized regular forces, and the establishment of the necessary security mechanisms by UNAMID to allow displaced persons and refugees to return to their villages.”
As for how the declaration was agreed upon, Ali Dinar mentions that the delegates agreed to merge the recommendations brought to the consultations by the South/West Darfur and North Darfur delegations. Its my understanding that once the recommendations were merged together they were agreed upon unanimously.
I hope other attendees of Doha might answer your other important questions.
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Khalid Al Nur:
December 4th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Ever since the failure of Abuja, a whole range of Darfurian groups including CSOs have been knocking at the door of the negotiations and asking to be represented. The mediators have always responded that to allow them into the hall would “complicate the process” and might lead to the armed movements (JEM and SLA-Abdul Wahid) pulling out. What this conference shows is that their presence doesn’t complicate the process at all, in fact it moves it forward. And, if there is a deal that brings in all Darfurians including the IDPs, the Arabs, civil society and the native administration, but is boycotted by JEM and Abdul Wahid — what does that mean? My prediction is that Khalil and Abdul Wahid might fulminate but they would have no option but to say, “those are my people, I’m their leader — let me follow them!”
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Ali B. Ali-Dinar:
December 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
This is in response to Julie Flint’s questions:

(1) Did the Sudan Government in any way impede the meeting or the ability of delegates to travel to Doha?
For the Doha meeting, the wish of the government of Sudan (GoS) for the conference is to issue a statement that is critical of the armed movements and with fewer demands from the GoS. I believe the arrival to the meeting of individuals such General Adam Hamid, the Ex Governor of South Darfur, and General Hussein Abdallah Gibril, the Ex-Governor of North Darfur, whose names are floating around in the unofficial list of Darfur war criminals is a testimony to the government’s intention to derail the meeting/declaration but such attempt has failed. It failed mainly because the delegates from the three states did their homework before arriving to Doha. For Mo Ibrahim’s planned meeting the Government had tried to advance and bar specific individuals and the organizers reacted by canceling the conference. For Doha, the Government has its way in sending it’s people, but they failed in influencing the outcome. For more details about the process through which the Declaration was reached please read my statement: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article33323

(2) Were pastoralists satisfied with their representation and input?
The agreed Declaration was endorsed by delegates representing women, youth, IDPs, native administration, local NGOs, and NCP-ers. This is their vision for peace and justice in Darfur and for the benefit of all Darfurians regardless of their livelihood.

(3) Were the movements present as observers?
Some of the movements were already in Doha and in the same hotel (Sheraton) where the conference took place in negotiation with GoS and the team of mediation. The civil society delegates were accommodated in a different hotel (Retaj Al-Rayan). There was no presence from the armed movements in the civil society’s conference neither as delegates or observers because they were not invited. JEM’s response to the Declaration is announce here: http://www.sudanjem.com/2009/archives/21725/en/

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See photo of Julie Flint in report at The Washington Post dated May 28, 2004: Julie Flint travelled for 25 days on foot and horseback in the Darfur region of Sudan to collect evidence of attacks by government-backed militiamen.

Southern Sudan is awash in arms - The 2008 South Sudan Civilian Disarmament Campaign

From John Prendergast's Enough Project.org
This Is What "Awash In Arms" Looks Like
By Maggie Fick, December 4, 2009:

Photo:  Boy greets us on the road in Panyagor. (Enough/Maggie Fick)

(BOR, Southern Sudan) – This is my first time working and living in a “post-conflict setting,” but sadly, southern Sudan also has the feeling of being in a period of potential “pre-conflict,” threatening to return to widespread violence.

As an Enough researcher in Washington for the past year, I regularly read reports about civilian disarmament, small arms flows in southern Sudan, or about proxy militias moving into and out of the southern Sudanese army as alliances shift. These reports are intellectually engaging and the analysis is useful, but now that I’m here in southern Sudan, I am personally tempted not to join the chorus of analysis on complex issues such as disarmament, but to try to make the simple point that is still glossed over: “Southern Sudan is awash in arms.” You may have heard this sound bite before, but what it means practically is that most people I encountered while traveling by road in Jonglei state for roughly 400 kilometers, from the capital Bor to the town of Duk Padiet, are carrying weapons. Some of these people were wearing SPLA military uniforms, others were wearing deconstructed camouflage shirts, a mainstay of the clothes found in the markets I have visited thus far in the South, but many of these people were ordinary civilians—teenage boys riding bicycles, men walking with their wives, young Dinka cattle keepers taking their herd of cattle to water on the Nile river. To be honest, at first I wasn’t sure how to interact with the many well-armed people I encountered on a walk around Panyagor, a town along the road up to Duk Padiet. But then I realized that people just wanted to say hello, regardless of what kind of weapon they had slung over their shoulder.

It is hard to comprehend what “civilian disarmament” means in a place like Jonglei state, where weapons are simply a part of everyday life. The challenge of this process was evident in two disastrous attempts at disarmament conducted by the Government of Southern Sudan and the SPLA in 2006 and 2008—see these two reports, here [Anatomy of Civilian Disarmament in Jonglei State] and here [Shots in the Dark: The 2008 South Sudan Civilian Disarmament Campaign], by the Small Arms Survey for more information. With another state-by-state civilian disarmament campaign on the horizon, an urgent assessment is needed of how and whether these efforts will yield improve peace and security for the people of southern Sudan.

Peace message reminder from former southern Sudan child soldier Emmanuel Jal

Hat tip: A Journey To The Door - A Life with Cancer

Click on Jal label here below to view further reports.

South Sudan SPLM's Pagan Amum and deputy arrested by Sudanese police

Several senior southern Sudanese politicians have been arrested during a rally held today in Khartoum, sparking widespread anger. Hundreds of opposition protesters gathered despite their rally being banned.

Within hours protesters in two towns in the south had set alight offices of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).

Yasir Arman, a senior member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), scuffled with police outside the National Assembly and was driven away to a police station, where other demonstrators gathered, a Reuters witness said.

The SPLM released a statement saying its Secretary General Pagan Amum and Sudan's state minister for interior Abbas Juma, an SPLM member, were also arrested.

The BBC's James Copnall, in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan says the argument over electoral laws and the crackdown on protesters show a deteriorating relationship between the NCP and its detractors.

After the arrests, south Sudan's president Salva Kiir contacted president Bashir, who promised to release all prisoners, said SPLM member Anne Itto. No one was immediately available for comment from the presidency.

Itto said the news sparked anger in the south, where attackers set fire to the NCP's headquarters in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state. She had no reports of injuries.

Secretary General of the SPLM, Pagan Amum said immediately after his release that the SPLM will continue to demonstrate until president Omar al Bashir starts fully to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South.

Pagan Amum first refused his release requesting for clarifications. After he went out from detention he spoke angrily about the beating of the Northern SPLM-leader Yassir Arman who had to be treated in the hospital. Pagan Amum said that Arman was okay after he received treatment.

Source: See reports here below from BBC, Reuters, Radio Dabanga, Sudan Tribune.



Photo: Sudanese opposition supporters demonstrate against the government's electoral laws in the capital Khartoum, December 7, 2009. Riot police arrested thee senior members of south Sudan's main political party and more than 100 supporters who demonstrated outside Sudan's parliament on Monday despite an official ban, witnesses and officials said. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin)

From BBC News at 13:48 GMT, Monday, 7 December 2009 - excerpt:
Sudan SPLM arrests spark southern unrest

Several senior southern Sudanese politicians have been arrested during a rally, sparking widespread anger.

Among those held in Khartoum was the secretary general of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Pagan Amum.

Within hours protesters in two towns in the south had set alight offices of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).

The SPLM joined a power-sharing government in 2005 to end 22 years of conflict between north and south Sudan.

But tensions have been rising between the SPLM and the NCP in recent months

'We want freedom'

Next year's vote will be the first presidential, parliamentary and local elections in 24 years.

Monday is the final day for voters to register for the election, and the government declared it a public holiday in an effort to encourage a good turnout.

But the SPLM and the NCP have failed to agree on changes to the election laws.

And about 20 opposition parties called for a gathering in front of the parliament building in the capital to demand electoral reform.

Hundreds of demonstrators turned out, watched by lines of armed police.

The AFP news agency reported that demonstrators marched through Khartoum and its neighbouring city Omdurman waving placards and chanting: "We want our freedom."

As the protest grew - with some reports estimating thousands of people had joined the rally - police fired tear gas and beat the protesters with batons.

Mr Amum was arrested along with his deputy Yasir Arman and other SPLM figures - with unconfirmed reports claiming dozens of protesters were also detained.

Following the arrests, protesters in the southern towns of Rumbek and Wau set fire to NPC offices.

Deteriorating relations

After the crackdown SPLM members accused the NCP of suppressing free speech.

But interior ministry officials said the protest was outlawed because the organisers had failed to apply for permission to hold the event.

The BBC's James Copnall, in Omdurman, says the argument over electoral laws and the crackdown on protesters show a deteriorating relationship between the NCP and its detractors. [...]

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From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in Khartoum, Sudan 8:29 a.m. ET Dec. 7, 2009 - excerpt:
Senior southern figures arrested as Sudan bans rally

(KHARTOUM) - Riot police arrested thee senior members of south Sudan's main political party and more than 100 supporters who demonstrated outside Sudan's parliament Monday despite an official ban, witnesses and officials said.

Yasir Arman, a senior member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), scuffled with police outside the National Assembly and was driven away to a police station, where other demonstrators gathered, a Reuters witness said.

The SPLM released a statement saying its Secretary General Pagan Amum and Sudan's state minister for interior Abbas Juma, an SPLM member, were also arrested.

The SPLM is junior partner in the national coalition government formed by a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war between Sudan's north and south.

The SPLM and opposition parties had called the rally to demand democratic reforms ahead of next year's elections in a rare public challenge to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's dominant northern National Congress Party (NCP). Sudanese authorities announced Sunday that the rally was banned.

Police beat protesters and onlookers outside parliament with batons as Arman was driven away with other SPLM members chanting "freedom."

Hundreds more banner-waving supporters gathered in the area and other parts of Khartoum's Omdurman suburb after the arrests and were dispersed by police using tear gas through the morning.

"The situation is brutal. More than 100 SPLM members have been arrested and many more other protesters have been detained," SPLM spokeswoman Keji Roman told Reuters.

After the arrests, south Sudan's president Salva Kiir contacted president Bashir, who promised to release all prisoners, said SPLM member Anne Itto. No one was immediately available for comment from the presidency.

Itto said the news sparked anger in the south, where attackers set fire to the NCP's headquarters in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state. She had no reports of injuries.

Senior NCP official Ibrahim Ghandour told Reuters the protest had not been banned by his party, but by Sudan's Interior Ministry which declared it illegal because organizers had failed to apply for permission to hold the event.

"The National Congress Party is not against democratic action including protests and rallies," he said. "We hope the people will be released immediately."

An official in the opposition Umma party had said Sunday the ban showed the NCP was not serious about letting dissenting voices take part in elections, scheduled for April 2010. [...]

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From Radio Dabanga, December 7, 2009:
SPLM: ‘More demonstrations in Sudan to come’

KHARTOUM (07 Dec.) – The SPLM will continue to organize demonstrations against the ruling National Congress Party of President Omar al Bashir. Secretary General of the SPLM, Pagan Amum said immediately after his release that the SPLM will continue to demonstrate until president Omar al Bashir starts fully to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South. Pagan Amum first refused his release requesting for clarifications. After het went out from detention he spoke angrily about the beating of the Northern SPLM-leader Yassir Arman who had to be treated in the hospital. Pagan Amum said that Arman was okay after he received treatment. Asked whether Pagan Amum is going to negotiate with the government he answered angrily: ‘Which government? What do you mean with government? We have no negotiations at all. We continue to demonstrate until the NCP implements the CPA’. The NCP came into power after a military coup in 1989 while the country was ravaged by civil war.

In 2005 The NCP and SPLM signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) after almost twenty years of civil war. The agreement included sharing of wealth and power and the right of self determination for Southern Sudan to be decided in a referendum in 2012. The border issues between North and South (Abyei) is one of the most contagious disputes between the parties. The outcome of the census (population count) was highly disputed by the SPLM and also the current voter’s registration in Northern Sudan is under severe critics. The opposition is almost excluded from having any influence of the ‘electoral processes. Also the fifty percent share from oil revenues is not fully paid out to the South, according to the SPLM.

Further reading

See 100+ comments at Sudan Tribune's article published today:  Sudan arrests SPLM SG Pagan Amum and Yasir Arman

Sudan police detain opposition leaders over rally

AFP - ‎2 hours ago‎

KHARTOUM — Southern protesters torched offices of Sudan's ruling party after Khartoum police arrested three southern leaders and dozens of protesters on ...

Sudan SPLM arrests spark southern unrest BBC News

Sudan: Govt Arrests Leading Southern Politicians AllAfrica.com

Sudan Bans Opposition Rally, Warns Protesters New York Times

Sudan Tribune - Afrik.comall 92 news articles »

Darfur, Sudan: ICC Prosecutor Ocampo says 'denial of a crime and its cover-up could constitute crimes in themselves'

Journalists asked whether Mr. Moreno-Ocampo thought Abu Garda, accused of being involved in the attack on peacekeepers at Haskanita, would actually take part in a proper trial, receiving the response: it would be a "good test of his leadership".

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said his mandate was scheduled to end in 2012, but he hinted at a reform that would allow the mandate to be expanded. Japan was one of the Court's biggest contributors, which one journalist noted had announced plans to introduce changes to the Prosecutor's terms of office.

Source: United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) report (via ReliefWeb) 
'Press conference by Luis Moreno-Ocampo, International Criminal Court Prosecutor'
Friday, December 4, 2009.  Copy in full:

Denial of a crime and its cover-up could constitute crimes in themselves, said Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, alluding to the case he was building against Sudanese officials for atrocities committed in Darfur.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo spoke to journalists at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon after briefing the Security Council on situations involving Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and two other high-ranking individuals, for whom arrest warrants had been issued.

"We have arrest warrants issued by the judges, saying that the policy was to commit attacks in these villages, and to commit crimes in the camps. Whoever is making a voluntary contribution to these crimes could be prosecuted", he said, confirming that Heads of State received no immunity.

Similarly, there was no immunity for those claiming to have followed orders, or for those who had participated in a cover-up, he added.

He had earlier told members of the Security Council that his Office was considering the criminal responsibility of Sudanese officials who actively denied and dissimulated their crimes. However, when asked by a journalist to explain what he meant by "denial", Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said he would reserve his exact argument for the judges.

The same journalist had questioned whether the argument was too broad, and whether it would constitute an abuse of power by the Court. It was common, after all, for visiting officials at United Nations Headquarters to appear before the media to deny wrongdoing, as Sri Lankan officials had done at the end of their Government's war with the Tamil Tigers, the correspondent said.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo countered: "Abuse of power was when a President of a country killed citizens."

On guilt by speech, he alluded to the case of Radio Mille Collines in Rwanda, where radio hate speech was used to argue the station manager's guilt for genocide. By extension, he said that President Bashir managed an entire State, using other people to attack civilians and finance such crimes, and also used people to cover up those crimes. Those who participated voluntarily in such activities could, potentially, be held criminally responsible.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo stressed the primacy of national authorities to bring perpetrators to justice, saying that former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa -- who had worked on behalf of the African Union to prepare a panel report on the Court's cases relating to the Sudan -- had emphasized the Court's limited capacity to prosecute people.

But, he said President Mbeki had also been clear on the need for accountability. He had been clear, as well, on the need for greater protection of witnesses. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said that, if witnesses were to be used in the Sudanese cases, they would most certainly be attacked.

Of the individuals charged by the Court, two were currently evading arrest and only one, Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, had appeared before the Court to hear his charges. Journalists asked whether Mr. Moreno-Ocampo thought Abu Garda, accused of being involved in the attack on peacekeepers at Haskanita, would actually take part in a proper trial, receiving the response: it would be a "good test of his leadership".

The Prosecutor also fielded questions about allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israel. When asked, he offered no confirmation of reports that he had been invited by Hamas to advise on the legality of a Hamas-led investigation into attacks in Gaza this January. But, he admitted to working closely with the Arab League on the matter, which had helped finance the fact-finding Goldstone mission.

He also told correspondents that the Court had recently received the approval of the Palestinian Minister of Justice to engage on the Gaza issue, but explained that it was still unclear whether the Court had any jurisdiction over any cases that might arise. In normal criminal cases within the Palestinian Territory, arrested Israelis must be handed over to Israeli authorities.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo noted that it was his duty to promote national investigations, adding that the Goldstone Report had also emphasized the need for national judiciaries to act when needed.

"Leaders had responsibilities, not privileges", he said. "I believe Hamas leaders calling for an investigation themselves was an important step."

Along those lines, he said it was a mistake for President Bashir and Ahmad Harun, former Minister of the Interior and the third individual wanted by the International Criminal Court, to refuse cooperation with the Court.

He explained that by agreeing to the Rome Statute, States were establishing a model in which they and the Court could act together. For instance, in becoming State parties to the Statute, countries such as Afghanistan, Kenya, Colombia and the Congo were providing the Court with jurisdiction. But he could not investigate cases in Iraq, which was not a State party.

Part of his work was to determine which situations merited investigation, he said, which he did by analysing information received from everyday civilians, non-governmental organizations and the media. He admitted to receiving serious reports of crimes committed in Afghanistan, and, although he did not specify what they were, explained that the Court was "trying to get more information about Taliban crimes".

He added that the Court was following the situation of violence in Guinea, and had received information on it. Guinea was a State party to the Rome Statute.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said his mandate was scheduled to end in 2012, but he hinted at a reform that would allow the mandate to be expanded. Japan was one of the Court's biggest contributors, which one journalist noted had announced plans to introduce changes to the Prosecutor's terms of office.

For information media • not an official record [end of copy]

UNAMID: 2 Rwandan peacekeepers killed, 3 wounded in Saraf Umra, North Darfur, western Sudan

Two Rwandan peacekeepers have been killed and three seriously wounded in Sudan's Darfur region, the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force says.

A spokesman for Unamid said gunmen had fired on 20 peacekeepers escorting a water tanker near houses and a market.

Unamid spokesman Kemal Saiki told reporters the group of Rwandan peacekeepers had been ambushed by unknown armed men.

The peacekeepers had returned fire on their attackers as they fled but had been careful to avoid civilian casualties, he said.

The attack took place about 2km (1.24 miles) from a Unamid base in the village of Saraf Omra, near a Sudanese government checkpoint.

As of late October, Unamid had just over 19,000 uniformed personnel on the ground in Darfur.

Full story: BBC at 21:04 GMT, Friday, 4 December 2009.

Two Rwandan Peacekeepers Killed In Darfur Ambush

New York Times - Andrew Heavens, Patrick Worsnip - ‎3 minutes ago‎

Two UN peacekeepers killed in attack in Sudan's Darfur region UN News Centre

Two Rwandan peacekeepers killed in Darfur-UN Reuters AlertNet

AFP

all 12 news articles »

YouTube of US Senator Sam Brownback browbeating Sudan envoy Scott Gration

Excerpt from UN Dispatch blog post December 4, 2009:

Activist groups none-too-pleased with Darfur envoy Scott Gration

For more evidence of policy incoherence, watch this painful exchange between Gration and Senator Sam Brownback. (h/t Enough)

- - -

Sudan Watch Ed:  YouTube (above) uploaded by John Prendergast's ENOUGH Project on December 03, 2009 (350 views, so far) with the following info:

"In a subcommittee of the House Foreign Relations hearing on Sudan, Special Envoy Scott Gration reverses his previous stance and admits that genocide is still occurring in Darfur."

Also, note this excerpt from Wikipedia on Sam Brownback:

"...Brownback visited refugee camps in Sudan in 2004 and returned to write a resolution labeling the Darfur conflict as genocide, and has been active on attempting to increase U.S. efforts to resolve the situation short of military intervention.[36] He is an endorser of the Genocide Intervention Network, which called him a "champion of Darfur" in its Darfur scorecard, primarily for his early advocacy of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act.[37] ..."