From 1 January British and French forces begin to prepare for EU Rapid Reaction Force missions

This morning, a report at the Scotsman mentions another rebel group called the National Movement for Reform and Development in a piece titled "World put to shame as Sudan heads for disaster."

Also today, reports by the Independent and Agence France-Presse via Space War and Turkish Press say British Prime Minister Tony Blair has asked for plans to be prepared to deploy 3,000 British troops in Sudan.

Unsurprisingly, a Reuters report a few hours later, confirmed a spokeswoman for Mr Blair's office said she was unaware of any such request. "We're trying to help find a solution -- clearly there are difficulties in the Sudan -- but working through the U.N. and the African Union," she said.

The Independent's report rings more true than the Reuters report that was based on the view of a spokeswoman. The British government has been known in the past to "leak" tantalising news snippets as part of a wider strategy that also helps gauge public opinion. Here is why I believe Mr Blair has ordered military chiefs to prepare to send British troops to intervene in Sudan in the New Year, and why I have eagerly awaited and expected such news in the run up to January 1, 2005:

Various reports over the past few months led one to believe that Britain would consider British troops as part of the 10,000 peacekeepers it proposed at the UN Security Council meeting in Nairobi last month.

Several weeks ago, Mr Blair travelled to Ethiopia for the launch meeting of his new Commission for Africa. He personally delivered a five point plan to Sudan's President in Khartoum with the warning of a January deadline and serious consequences if the plan was not carried out.

In July, the head of the British Army said he could provide 5,000 troops for Sudan at short notice.

A British military reconnaissance team visited Sudan to investigate the possibility of sending medics and logistical personnel to assist in any United Nations operation to provide aid to the people of Darfur. The 30-strong team from the Permanent Joint Headquarters, led by a colonel, included medics, logistics staff and communications experts.

Britain has been working with its partners in the European Union to form Rapid Reaction Forces in teams of 1,500 soldiers that could respond to hotspots, anywhere in the world, within just a few weeks. January was consistently mentioned as a date when the troops could be ready. Note, the Independent's report states:

[British] Chiefs of staff have been told to prepare plans to send up to 3,000 troops to the troubled Darfur region amid concern that the humanitarian crisis will dramatically worsen. The deployment will be discussed early next month at a meeting with senior military officials.

"When you decide to make an intervention you have got to be able to move fast," a minister told The Independent on Sunday.

Troops would be sent as part of the new European Union Rapid Reaction Force which Mr Blair has said he wants to be operational "as soon as possible in 2005". Senior military figures now expect Darfur to be the first major test for the EU Rapid Reaction Force, if it is sanctioned by the UN or African Union.

From 1 January British forces begin major command exercises with France to prepare for missions. If British troops are sent, the most likely candidates are the Marines' 3 Commando Brigade in Plymouth or 16 Air Assault Brigade from the Army, now at Colchester. There could be two battlegroups, of about 850 to 1,000.

It is not clear if the new EU Rapid Reaction Forces would require a U.N. resolution to intervene against the will of another country. Or whether instead they could get a mandate via the African Union's security council. If members of the EU agree to deploy their own EU army, while the EU are financially supporting the African Union, why would the EU need a mandate from the UN Security Council?

UPDATE: China and South Africa news has picked up on the story so it should be reaching Khartoum's ears any time now :-) Nothing yet from the BBC. I've read the rebels keep their ears glued to the BBC's Arabic radio station. Word should be getting around like wildfire by now: the Brits are coming! Heh.

UPDATE: South African news has now picked up on the denial story but with a slight variation: "I don't recognise that story at all," a Blair spokesperson said on condition of anonymity.
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BRITAIN WILL SEND TROOPS TO DARFUR

Here is a same day update on post above. Dozens of foreign news agencies around the world are circulating reports announcing that Britain is preparing to send thousands of British troops into Darfur. The reports mostly contain the same information. However, news just out by the UK Herald provides greater detail, mentioning France and the French Foreign Legion but does not reveal sources. Please read the Herald's report in full. Note, nothing of this news has yet been covered by the BBC, Scotsman or Guardian. It seems likely current reports are springing out of news that from 1 January British and French forces begin to prepare for EU Rapid Reaction Force missions. Darfur may be their first mission. More later.

Further reading:

See my post Dec. 11, 2004 entitled "European Union must act to stop violence in Darfur" and other posts on the EU at Passion of the Present.

Note Google search box for EU posts here, and at personal blog here and here.

Dec 23 Good News (bringing the UK Christian online community together) issues a Statement on Sudan.

Dec 26 Scotsman report: World put to shame as Sudan heads for disaster.

Dec 26 Pakistan Daily news: US sanctions bill harmful to peace efforts.

Dec 25 BBC report: Satellite mapping aids Darfur relief.

The Pope's "Urbi et Orbi"

Thousands of locals, tourists and pilgrims turned out in freezing rain at noon yesterday in St Peter's Square Rome to hear the Pope's traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (Latin for "to the city and to the world") message and holiday wishes in dozens of languages. Dissapointingly, it was not transmitted on British television.

The Pope has called for peace in Iraq and Sudan and said he hoped that peace-building efforts will bring the world a more tranquil future.

"Babe of Bethlehem, Prophet of peace, encourage attempts to promote dialogue and reconciliation, sustain the efforts to build peace, which hesitantly, yet not without hope, are being made to bring about a more tranquil present and future for so many of our brothers and sisters of the world," John Paul said, slowly pronouncing each word and often pausing to catch his breath.

"I think of Africa, of the tragedy of Darfur in Sudan, of the Ivory Coast and of the Great Lakes Region," John Paul said of those conflict areas.


Pope John Paul II at Midnight Mass. Report courtesy UKTelegraph

A Christmas Hello and Advent service and prayer for refugees

Christmas greetings and a warm hello from England, UK to Jim and friends and visitors to this site.



[Image via Netlex France]

CAFOD online published a service designed for use during Advent with ecumenical congregations that could also be used with members of just one church. The theme of the service is refugees. During the service, Jesus' experience as a refugee is linked with the experience of today's refugees. Here is a special prayer:

We pray for the 19 million refugees and 25 million displaced people in the world today. We pray that they may find safety, shelter, food and water.

We pray that the reasons why people are forced to leave their homes may be recognised and tackled. We pray that there may be peace, not war. We pray that all people may see that they are equal, that nobody has the right to persecute others because of their race, their gender, their culture or way of life.

We pray for those people who are forced to leave their homes because of hunger, or drought, or because their land has been taken from them. We pray for those who are effectively refugees in their own land, attacked by their own government.

We pray for ourselves, that we may not be too afraid to be welcoming. We pray that we have the courage to get involved.

We pray for all asylum seekers, particularly those who are kept in detention centres and prisons in this country while their claim is processed.

We pray for those people who have to make decisions about claims for asylum. May they be fair and unprejudiced. Give them compassion and real wisdom. We pray too for those who make the laws and draw up the guidelines about asylum. May they abide by the spirit of international law and be guided by the spirit of truth and justice.

Amen.

Bush signs Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act, 2004

On August 18, 2004, I wrote a post linking to Wikipedia that explained the Sudan Peace Act is a US law condemning Sudan for genocide and was signed into law October 21, 2002 by President George W. Bush.

Yesterday, a bill passed by the U.S. Senate in a voice vote on December 7 was signed by President Bush and the White House released a Statement.

The bill authorises $200 million in aid, including money for the deployment of more African peacekeepers in the region, and another $100 million as an incentive for reaching a final peace agreement in the 21-year war between the Sudanese government and the southern rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Army, led by John Garang.

The bill authorises the money but does not actually provide the funds. The money would have to come from a separate spending bill or by shifting of funds from other programs.

Note, the above pertains to a north-south conflict that is separate from the Darfur rebellion in western Sudan. Darfur is a 22-month long uprising that is not (yet) included in the peace deal to be signed December 31, 2004.

As noted here earlier, the latest news reports say the Darfur rebel group JEM has refused to continue peace talks. So, unless a miracle happens, Darfur will not be included in the upcoming deal (if it ever gets signed). And, even when deals do get signed, who can believe any agreements will hold? U.S. Ambassador John Danforth said in his experience he came to learn that Sudanese agreements tend to be written in disappearing ink.

Massive amounts of development funding and aid, along with thousands of U.N. peacekeepers as part of the peace agreement, from many governments around the world await the signing of a peace agreement. But please do not hold your breath. War is a way of life in Sudan. They don't really know the meaning of peace.

After 50 years of independence, Sudan is in a time warp and needs a good deal of outside help. The present regime in Khartoum are not up to the job and have proved untrustworthy. The people of Sudan deserve better. Sudan is rich in natural resources and has a lot going for it but only with good governance. The perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan should be behind bars.

China would consider further U.N. action on Darfur if both sides are targeted

On reading a Guardian report Yesterday in parliament, I kept the following snippet aside as it sounded rather odd that British Foreign Office Minister Chris Mullin made such a pointed statement to the House:

"... Both sides in the Darfur conflict are behaving badly despite BBC reports that concentrate on government forces, Mr Mullin said. He told MPs: "I continually hear reports, often on the BBC, of the situation in Darfur as though there is only one party, the government of Sudan, involved; there are actually two parties, and according to UN special representative Jan Pronk, in the last two months at least the rebel forces have been responsible for a greater number of violations than the government side. ..."

Also this morning, a similar statement appears in a report from the Guardian titled Annan Calls for Sudan Reassessment which says:

"... China, which imports Sudanese oil, has been most reluctant, but China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said Wednesday his government would consider further action if both sides are targeted. "Whatever measure it is, we are going to study it, but it has to be targeted on both sides, not just on one side," Wang said. "Clearly the information from the ground is that both sides are making the troubles, not one side. So we need to take a balanced approach." ..."

Note, perhaps Mr Mullin's statement was "diplomatic speak" signalling a message to politicians and the media (in particular the BBC who have done some great reporting on Darfur) that both Khartoum and the rebels need to be targeted.

It is interesting to see the Scotsman ending a news report this morning, Annan calls for rethink on Darfur, admitting that UN stance is failing, with this line:

"China, which imports oil from Sudan, has been most reluctant but China's UN ambassador, Wang Guangya, said his government would consider action if both sides in the conflict were targeted."
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Annan advises UNSC to reassess and take further action

A report in the FT says Kofi Annan has said the Security Council should look at ways to increase the international presence in Darfur, as well as consider imposing targeted sanctions and taking other measures against the Sudanese government.

"We also see that the situation on the ground is deteriorating," Mr Annan said. "So there comes a time when you have to make a reassessment as to whether the approach you've taken is working or not. “And if it's not working, then what measures do you take?"

He added: "Those who are perpetrating these crimes must not be allowed to get away, and impunity must not be allowed to stand."
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UN Diplomats spar over Darfur

According to a Voice Of America report, the U.S. urged Kofi Annan to visit Darfur after Mr. Annan criticised the Security Council's approach to ending the violence there. 

The report says Mr. Annan's comments appeared to annoy several Security Council diplomats, who were meeting behind closed doors to hear what they called a "disturbing briefing" on conditions in Darfur.
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Annan rejects US suggestions he visit Darfur now

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday rejected an immediate trip to Sudan, as the U.S. suggested, saying the Security Council first had to take new decisions on stopping the conflict in Darfur.
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Neither side are really hurrying towards peace

See China Daily News report Parties optimistic about peace deal in Sudan, covered by several other new agencies, that says Sudan foreign ministry spokesman Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Gaffar told VOA a deal is near. "... and at most [an agreement will be signed] within the first week of January if not at the end of this month," said Mr. Gaffar.

A Reuters report says Darfur rebel group JEM refuses to return to talks: JEM will not return to African Union-sponsored peace talks in Abuja and is rejecting the pan-African body as mediator to end the 22-month-old conflict in Western Sudan.

The leader of JEM, told Reuters today it would only accept the U.N. as lead mediator in any peace talks and wanted U.N. troops stationed in Darfur. He said the AU had failed to hold the Sudanese government to account.
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UK offers £100m to start global aid fund

Britain has offered £100m to launch a new billion-dollar global emergency fund to ease the suffering of people caught up in humanitarian disasters on the scale of Darfur.
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Khartoum troops reportedly kill MSF aid worker in Darfur Sudan

A BBC news report says an aid worker was shot and killed. MSF said it happened at the front of a warehouse used by MSF in south Darfur last week during an attack by government troops. He was the second Sudanese MSF worker to be killed in three months.

Some 29 other Sudanese workers for the medical aid group are still missing following the Dec. 17 raid on Labado, a town in South Darfur, MSF said in a statement. Quoting eyewitnesses, MSF said Labado, formerly a town of 27,000 people, had been emptied and destroyed following several days of fighting. "Any Darfuri is at risk in Darfur," an MSF spokesman said.

"The deployment of the African Union troops and police needs to be speeded up," Mr Annan told reporters on Tuesday evening. [Note the word 'police']

Hotel Rwanda opens today

Hotel Rwanda, which stars Don Cheadle, is a film by Terry George based on the true story of a hotel manager who sheltered more than 1,200 refugees after the West turned a blind eye to that country's genocidal violence a decade ago.

So far, it looks like some 500 bloggers have given it publicity. Here are a few - this list is likely to be ongoing - more later:

French blog Netlex: Films and the making sense of a genocide; American Conservative Life: Hotel Darfur; Indian Express article here at Sudan Watch titled "Rwanda film hits raw nerve for Clinton aide."

PS Please note this page is currently under DIY construction, by me who hasn't a clue how to change a blog template design. Started teaching myself yesterday by trial and error, poking around and guessing. Not sure what I have done wrong, or if it is the Veranda Serif font that is incorrect for this page, but if you see strange symbols and characters scattered throughout: sorry, they will be fixed, as soon as I know how (I keep amending them but they change back after saving).

Darfur peace talks suspended until January - U.N. moves on two fronts

Peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur's main rebel movements have been suspended until January, according to a join statement from the parties released by the African Union.

Note, the statement calls for contributing countries to rapidly deploy the remaining African Union personnel.
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U.N. moves on two fronts

Today, the U.N. moved on both the political and aid fronts to halt the resurgence of violence and prepare for a possible new flood of refugees.

Meeting in New York, the security council enjoined all parties in the conflict to abide by previous ceasefire accords under threat of an unspecified "full range of options" to enforce compliance.

At the same time the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced plans to deal with a potential new influx into neighbouring Chad. Please click here for full story.

UK Parliament List of MPs and Constituency Locata

In response to Jim's post titled "Call your elected representatives today!" here is how a UK resident can contact their representative:

* Enter your postcode here to identify your MP.

* Phone your MP. You can contact your MP at Westminster by calling the House of Commons switchboard on 020 7219 3000 and asking to be put through.

* Fax your MP (via the internet) using FaxYourMP.com.

* Email your MP. Find your MP's email address here or here and email them directly.

* Write to your MP. MPs are often most responsive to hand-written correspondence. Send letters to: (Your MP's name), House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

PS Note to Jim: I will check out Capwiz and do a search to see if there is an equivalent for the UK. Yes, it's a great idea to make such a directory and publish it on the Passion. If any readers here know of a Capwiz like site for other countries, pointers would be gratefully received and much appreciated. Please comment here or email me via my main blog or to Jim at the Passion. Thank you.

U.N. Security Council to meet today at Britain's request

The United Nations Security Council is due to meet today, at Britain's request, for a briefing on the latest developments which have prompted strong condemnation from British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, and International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn.

"Recent rebel attacks on Tawilla and on humanitarian convoys in Darfur, along with the murder of two Save the Children UK staff are particularly horrific," Mr Benn said in a statement. "It is imperative that all parties return to the AU-mediated negotiations in Abuja [the capital of Nigeria], which is the only way that the suffering of the people of Darfur can be brought to an end."

"The recent actions by the government of Sudan have been carried out in defiance of the obligations placed upon it by three UN Security Council resolutions on Sudan," Mr Straw said. If the council received confirmation of additional ceasefire violations, he said Britain would expect it to take "further action."

Today's briefing could provide the ammunition for the Security Council to take such action, amid calls for the AU mandate to be toughened. At present, the 800 AU soldiers deployed in a region the size of France only have the task of monitoring the ceasefire and not of peacekeeping or protecting the civilian population.

UK charity pulls out of Darfur - 360,000 needy beyond reach in north and south Darfur Sudan

UK-based charity Save the Children today announced that it is withdrawing all 350 of its staff from Darfur after attacks that have killed four of its employees. The charity said it was "devastated" it could no longer serve some 250,000 children in the area but the risks facing its workers were "unacceptable".

Mike Aaronson, the charity's director, described the withdrawal as "probably the worst decision I have ever had to take in my time at Save the Children". "We hope to one day resume operations in Darfur, with a view to helping people rebuild their lives and communities, once the security situation has stabilized," he added. Full story at the Guardian and BBC.

Note, the BBC report says Mr Aaronson told BBC News world leaders must effect a ceasefire deal before setting out to solve Darfur's political problems and warned that other charities could follow Save the Children's lead. He blamed ineffectual efforts from the international community to secure stability. "This is not just about one agency deciding to leave. There is a real threat to the whole humanitarian operation at the moment," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

UN World Food Programme last week announced that security issues have now put 360,000 formerly accessible and needy civilians in north and south Darfur beyond humanitarian reach.


Rafe Bullick (right) is among one of the four Save the Children UK employees killed recently

Meanwhile there is a water shortage obstacle for Darfur refugees in Chad and the Sudanese government is still negotiating with rebels from the south, to try and establish a final ceasefire agreement by the end of the year. The Sudanese parliament has voted to extend the country's five-year state of emergency by a further year.

Rwanda film hits raw nerve for Clinton aide

Here is a copy of an interesting review dated December 20, 2004, by John Darnton of the new movie Hotel Rwanda:

In a pivotal scene in Hotel Rwanda the colonel in charge of a beleaguered UN peacekeeping force rushes to talk with the commanding officer of a fresh UN contingent that has just arrived at a hotel packed with refugees from the genocide outside its walls. The colonel, played by Nick Nolte, suddenly throws his blue beret on the ground in anger. The eyes of the hotel manager, played by Don Cheadle, slowly register concern, then fear. The truth becomes clear: the soldiers are there to evacuate the mostly white foreigners, leaving the black Rwandans to their fate.

"That gets to you - they were counting on the UN and they were abandoned," whispered Anthony Lake, as he watched the scene in an otherwise empty theatre. Lake, the national security advisor in the Clinton administration, played a role in determining US policy in Rwanda a decade ago, and he had agreed to attend the screening of a movie that, even before its release, is provoking uncomfortable memories of the collective failure by Western powers to confront an atrocity.

Hotel Rwanda, from MGMs United Artists unit, directed by Terry George, depicts the events of 1994, when Hutu extremists slaughtered some 800,000 of their countrymen. To deal with its burden of horror, the film searches out a bright spot. Like Schindler's List, it concentrates on a real-life hero, in this case Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of a luxury hotel in Kigali, who was able to save the lives of 1,268 people who took refuge in his hotel, the Milles Collines, including his Tutsi wife and their four children.

Lake requested two ground rules in agreeing to see and discuss the film: that he not be made to appear "self-serving or self-exculpatory" (a rule that tended to take care of itself), and that he be allowed to air his views on the current situations in Darfur in Sudan and in the eastern Congo. The loss of civilian life in those places, he believes, is a direct echo of the Rwandan genocide, and this time, he asserts, international powers should not sit idly by, as they have largely done to date.

In Rwanda, the United States did not simply not intervene. It also used its considerable power to discourage other Western powers from intervening. At the height of the carnage, when Belgium lost 10 peacekeepers, the United States demanded a total UN withdrawal. Some African countries objected, and eventually Washington settled for a severe cutback in the 2,500-man UN force. The commander of the force in Kigali, Maj. Gen. Romeo Dallaire of Canada, who had asked for 5,000 troops, was left with 270.

The withdrawal, Paul Rusesabagina noted, was a critical turning point. In an interview in New York, where he was promoting the film, he said it signalled to the Hutu militia, known as the Interahamwe, that their planned killing of Tutsis and moderate Hutus could continue unabated.

Lake, now a professor of international diplomacy at Georgetown University, said he had reviewed memos of the time in an attempt to reconstruct the government's position. The goal was not to "wallow in guilt," he said, but to understand why the slaughter in Rwanda registered so faintly in the Washington decision-making apparatus. "My retrospective anger and dismay is not that we made a wrong decision," he said, "but that we didn't make any decision."

Source courtesy: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=61223


Further reading: Netlex great post and pictures on "Films and the making sense of a genocide" dated December 21, 2004.

Move America Forward petition

Two-year-old refugee Alhadi Zacaria Abakar is so malnourished he weighs under 12 pounds and is only 28 inches tall. Photo courtesy MSNBC via Beck's insightful post "Your UN Contribution at Work."

Note, Beck's post "Kofi Annan Resignation Watch" points to Move America Forward's online petition that collected more than 50,000 signatures calling for the 'U.N. to Get Out of the U.S." But there is no suggestion of an alternative to the U.N. or any mention of current proposals for UN reform.

Further reading: Today's FT UN puts its future up for debate in biggest challenge yet - US advocates for the UN suggest that the administration has realised it still needs the organisation. “It is very difficult to think of an exit strategy from Iraq, even in the long-term, without the UN,” notes William Luers, head of the United Nations Association in the US. But the next few months still promise to be tempestuous. UN members will hold a series of meetings to discuss the high-level panel's reform proposals.
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Blogger's Sudan Mission at Easter

Rev. Mike Kinman, Episcopal Campus Missioner, Washington University in St. Louis announces he is travelling with several others to the Sudan at Easter.
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Filipino car firm exports vehicles for Malaysian company in Sudan

A company engaged in used-vehicle trading has penetrated the international market, sending its first batch of “remanufactured” sports utility vehicles and pick-up trucks to Sudan on Monday.

Subic Bay Motors Corp. (SBMC), a Filipino company shipped 14 Isuzu Bighorn SUVs and six Mitsubishi Strada pick-up trucks with a market value of P19.6 million. The vehicles were ordered by Ranhill Engineers and Contractors Sdn. Bhd., a Malaysian firm engaged in the construction of power and water supply facilities, for its Sudan-based affiliate, Petrodar Operating Company Ltd.

AU suspends work in South Darfur - New rebel group claims Sudan oil attack

Here's an interesting development that sounds like advice has been given by AU security council or even the UN (or those in the international community behind the scenes supporting the AU): Reuters UK says AU truce monitors have suspended operations in South Darfur after the attack on an AU helicopter, an AU official said today.

"To my knowledge, this suspension is only in South Darfur state," said a senior AU official, asked about a report that the observers had called off monitoring throughout the region. South Darfur state makes up about one third of the region. The official, who asked not to be named, did not say how long the suspension was likely to last. - Reuters
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NEW REBEL GROUP CLAIMS SUDAN OIL ATTACK

Note in the below excerpt, the mention of "east and central Sudan". It seems clear (to me anyway) the aim of the rebels is not to make peace but to overthrow the current regime in Khartoum. It's the only thing that makes sense as to why there was a six week delay between the last UN Security Council meeting and the December 31 deadline for the signing of the peace agreements. What were the warring parties expected to get up to during those six weeks? Play happy families? My hope is the international community is totally behind the AU and secretly behind the rebels - that way, all of what is happening makes sense. The rebels appear so sophisticated with their tactics and strategy, I can't help thinking there are other forces at work here. The following is an extract from a Reuters report today:

A previously unknown rebel group the Sudanese National Movement for the Eradication of Marginalisation, claimed responsibility today for an attack on an oil field in Darfur and said it was the group's first military operation. The movement says it is based in the central areas of Sudan and Kordofan, which lies immediately to the east of Darfur. A spokesman said the movement supported peace processes to end the Darfur conflict and more than two decades of civil war in Sudan's south, but felt other areas like the east and central Sudan were being left out of these talks, which will decide how to share power and wealth in the country.

A Western diplomat in Khartoum said the plethora of armed movements in Sudan did not bode well for a southern peace deal, due to be signed by the end of the year and which will usher in a new government. The United Nations has expressed concern at new movements emerging in Darfur, where four rebel movements are now active. Only two of them are represented at the talks in Abuja. - Reuters.
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UPDATE: Sudan rebels reject Libyan proposal on Darfur, talks end Tuesday. Spokesman on behalf of the two rebels SLM and JEM said the rebels accepted the AU's conclusion that the Sudan government should withdraw immediately from the area being occupied by its troops to their original position.

After announcing an end to the offensive, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said that troops would only respond if fired upon first. However, he ruled out any withdrawal of government troops from positions they had recently taken from rebels.

What now? Stalemate. Something has to give. But what? Maybe the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting and give Chapter 7 mandate to the AU troops so they can fight back if attacked. Their role as observers and protectors of the ceasefire monitors has changed. There is no ceasefire to monitor or observe. The whole picture has changed. Security is needed for aid workers and unimpeded access for aid. The oil operation in South Darfur that was attacked by a new rebel group probably belongs to China. As I've said here before, I don't see why China can't provide 70,000 special police in Darfur to provide the security that's needed while protecting their oil interests at the same time. The 10,000 UN peacekeepers that are preparing to enter Sudan after the peace agreements are signed December 31 will be needed for Southern Sudan. As mentioned here earlier on today, trouble is brewing for Eastern and Central Sudan which, as far as I know, are not part of the power sharing agreements.

I've noticed over the past eight months that three things seem to happen whenever a deal is close (1) the LRA from Uganda spring up trouble somewhere (2) trouble connected with Eastern Sudan looms (3) something to do with Eritrea flares up.

Perhaps the rebels get their supplies from Eritrea; the LRA are onside with Khartoum; and Garang's rebels in Southern Sudan stir up trouble within Eastern Sudan to bring it to the fore. I've noticed a pattern which may of course be a coicidence. Purely guesswork, and a personal view. I would not be surprised if the international community were behind Garang who in turn is behind the new rebel groups attacking oil operations. My imagination is working over time, better go to sleep now. Goodnight. And God bless the people in Sudan. They sure need some guardian angels and a few miracles to happen in order to bring about peace.

Rebels attack Darfur oil, Libyans mediate in Abuja, AU probe attack on AU helicopter

Yesterday, following massive international pressure, Khartoum announced that it was calling off the offensive, but AU diplomats told Agence France Presse that reports from the field had said that fighting was continuing.

Rebels attacked a South Darfur oil pumping station at the weekend, the police chief said today. An oil ministry official in Khartoum said the operations of the Sharif field, pumping about 3,000 barrels a day, had not been affected by the attack.

AU official said shots fired at an AU helicopter had hurt efforts to monitor military activity in the region. The AU in Darfur has launched an investigation into the attack. Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the aircraft at 1545 GMT on Sunday as it flew over the southern Darfur town of Labado to monitor fighting.

Talks in Abuja broke down last week after the Sudanese government breached an African union-brokered ceasefire deal and ordered an attack on Labado by a large contingent of soldiers and allied Janjaweed militia.

AU spokesman Assane Ba said the pan-African body would give Libyan peace brokers more time to persuade the feuding parties to resume negotiations and was not yet planning to report the Darfur situation to the U.N. Security Council.

Britain condemns Darfur violence

British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw has condemned the ongoing violence in Darfur and promised to support the African Union if they decide to refer the matter to the Security Council. He condemned the actions of both sides and was particularly stringent in his criticism of the government's recent offensive in south Darfur.

Speaking late on Sunday night, Mr Straw said: "The recent actions by the government of Sudan have been carried out in defiance of the obligations placed upon it by three UN Security Council Resolutions on Sudan.

"If the UNSC receives reports from either the African Union, or its own Secretary General, confirming additional serious ceasefire violations, then we would expect an urgent meeting of the UNSC to be convened to take further action."

Britain's International Development Secretary Mr Hilary Benn, added: "The international community will not stand by while these violations are committed by either the Sudanese Government or the rebels.

"Recent rebel attacks on Tawilla and on humanitarian convoys in Darfur, along with the murder of two Save the Children UK staff are particularly horrific."


Straw says Sudan is defying the UN's will

PVC drinking tubes are saving lives in Sudan

About 400 Hydro Polymers staff at a plastics plant in England agreed to give-up a proportion of their salary as part of an initiative run by the company's Norwegian-owned parent company to purchase special PVC drinking straws for use in Sudan.

The staff were moved when they heard of the plight of thousands of Sudanese children who suffer from Guinea worm. The disease is prevalent in Sudan and is contracted from drinking water, contaminated with microscopic fleas. The cash is being used to part-fund a Guinea worm eradication programme in the African country.

About a year after the victim drinks infected water, one or more worms emerge through the skin. They can be up to one metre long and can take weeks to fully emerge through blisters on the skin. The illness can leave those affected completely or partially disabled.

The straws have special filters that prevents the intake of harmful bugs when drinking from infected water. So far donations have been used to purchase 450,000 pipe filters.

Dr Jason Leadbitter of Hydro Polymers, said: "It is very rewarding to know that the efforts of our staff can make such a significant contribution to improving the quality of life for people thousands of miles away. It is very impressive how a simple PVC pipe can play a huge benefit to the social welfare of these people."


The PVC drinking tubes are saving lives in Sudan
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Treating the sick in Darfur

As the plane flew over the refugee camps of Darfur, in the Sudan, Morven Murchison Lochrie was amazed by their size. Mile after mile of blue plastic sheeting form temporary shelter for over a million displaced people. Looking at the camps, she began to realise just how great her challenge would be - co-ordinating the Red Cross health operations in the area.


A woman and child at the hospital in Darfur, pictures ICRC

As an experienced aid worker she had steeled herself to expect distressing scenes. But the sheer scale of the tragedy unfolding in Darfur took her breath away. She said, "When you are flying over the camps you think 'so many people'. Just the size of it takes you back. And the fact is that people have walked so far just to get help in the camps. It is the worst population movement that I have seen. The overwhelming image of the situation is that it is bad, even compared to other places in Africa. It is a massive displacement of about 1.5 million people and it is an increasing burden on a poor country." [Full Story]


"If people forget about Darfur there will be trouble" - Morven Murchison Lochrie

NGO latest: Darfur is a tinderbox of war, dread and very little hope.

Darfur truce not being observed, AU chopper fired on: African Union

 Marco Longari - (AFP/File)

The latest Agence France Presse reports say fighting rages on in Darfur where an African Union helicopter was fired on despite promises by both government and rebels to respect a ceasefire, an AU spokesman said.

"One of our helicopters has been shot. They are firing on our helicopters. This shows that the ceasefire is not being observed. They did not comply. They have not stopped fighting," AU spokesman Assane Ba told reporters in Abuja.

Of the Sudanese government, the rebels say "Their words do not match their deeds. If they are serious let them stop the offensive. They don't honor their words, we will not accept mere words, we want action this time," Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) spokesman told Reuters.

German troops airlift AU soldiers and equipment from Gambia to Darfur, Sudan

Sat Dec 18, 5:45 AM ET Associated Press

A Transall C-160 cargo plane is loaded at the military airbase Penzing, 50 kilometers (28 miles) west of Munich, southern Germany, on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004. The German Bundeswehr is supporting the Mission 'African Union Mission in Sudan' with one Airbus A310 passenger plane, five Transall C-160 cargo planes and 70 soldiers, who will transport Gambian soldiers and equipment from Banjul in Gambia to El Fashir in the Darfur region in Sudan. (AP Photo/Jan Pitman)


Sat Dec 18, 5:45 AM ET Associated Press

German soldiers enter a Transall C-160 cargo plane at a military airbase in Penzing, Germany. (AP Photo/Jan Pitman)

Sudan rejects ceasefire ultimatum - Darfur talks: is this a turning point?

Further to earlier reports today, conflicting news reports are saying Sudan has withdrawn its troops -- is withdrawing its troops -- or is rejecting the ceasefire ultimatum.

Several breaking news reports from Switzerland and Australia say Sudan rejects ceasefire ultimatum.

Apparently, just before the deadline expired, a senior AU diplomat said government troops had not yet began to withdraw as demanded today, pushing peace talks to the brink of collapse. The chief negotiator of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement said the government had done nothing to halt its advance. "We expect fighting in a few hours from now," he said.

Sudan Tribune confirms Sudan rejects ultimatum.
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UPDATE: Agence France Presse quotes AU spokesman as saying, "General Okonkwo informed us that there is some fighting going on around Labado (in southern Darfur) which means that the government did not comply with the ultimatum to withdraw its troops from Labado," he told reporters.

"General Okonkwo said he has spoken with his mission on the ground and said that up until now helicopters are firing on Labado," he added. This information was correct at 1730 GMT, 30 minutes after the AU ultimatum expired, he said.
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DARFUR TALKS: IS THIS A TURNING POINT?

Fighting in Darfur continued into Friday night despite a 24-hour ultimatum set by the African Union for both rebels and the government to end all ceasefire violations.

The African Union says there has been a massive military build-up in the region in the last two weeks and that it will report ceasefire violations to the U.N. Security Council if the fighting does not end by 1700 GMT on Saturday. Referral to the United Nations would raise the stakes.

"If the government does not comply we will know that they are not really ready to continue with the talks. By 6:00 pm we will know what to do," said Sam Ibok, a senior AU diplomat who chairs the political negotiations which are at the heart of the Abuja process.

The U.N. has expressed its concern at the reports, while Britain has informed the Sudanese government that it is in breach of three UN resolutions.

German President Horst Köhler, who held talks earlier with AU commission chairman Alpha Omar Konare, urged the international community to assist the pan-African body in resolving the deadly Darfur conflict. "I don't think that the international community is helpless," he said. "The most important thing now is to listen very closely to what the AU proposes about ways of settling the conflict, and it is on this basis thatthe international community should come together to finally resolve that conflict."
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INDIAN OIL COMPANY WANTS TO RAISE $600m FOR SUDAN PROJECT

Hindu Business Online reported yesterday the Indian oil company ONGC is approaching bankers to raise $600m for financing a refinery expansion project in Port Sudan, which was awarded to its subsidiary, ONGC Videsh Ltd.
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TURKISH MINISTER MEETS WITH SUDANESE OFFICIALS

Turkish Press reveals that the Turkish Transportation Minister met with Sudanese officials on Thursday to further improvement of Turkish-Sudanese relations. Noting that Turkish businessmen should give priority to the urbanisation projects in Sudan, they said Sudan could make use of Turkey's experiences in construction sector.

On the other hand, Sudanese Parliament Speaker al-Tahir said that Turkey had become a door for Sudan opening to Europe, and stated that his country could improve its relations with Europe via Turkey.

The European Union is 'writing history' with its decision to start membership talks with Turkey next October, the bloc's Dutch presidency said Friday at the close of an EU summit.

Note Britain's Blair hails EU deal on Turkey seeks to allay fears.

Further reading: Annan urges Europeans to play lead role in talks on new collective security structure.
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SUDAN'S DARFUR INQUIRY THREATENS FRESH CONTROVERSY OVER ICC

A report in the Financial Times yesterday explains European and U.S. United Nations ambassadors are struggling to head off what could be their most pointed battle yet over the International Criminal Court, as a U.N. commission of inquiry prepares to report in January on alleged genocide in Darfur.
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KHARTOUM TO BAN U.S. OFFICIALS FROM ENTERING SUDAN

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said Khartoum will ban U.S. officials from entering Sudan in response to a similar measure taken by the United States. The U.S. had banned the entry of Sudanese officials to show its disapproval with the way Khartoum handles the situation in Darfur.
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BRITISH COUPLE RISK CHARITY MISSION TO SUDAN

A British couple who have dedicated the last five years of their life to charity work are set to spend the New Year in one of the dangerous areas of the world. Relief-aid workers Ed and Rachel Walker will depart in early January for Darfur

The husband and wife team will be working for Tear Fund, which is launching its feeding and sanitation programmes in some of the worst affected areas inside Darfur. Teams are digging more than two thousand latrines, as well as training members of the community about sanitation and personal hygiene.
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WHY I DECIDED TO GIVE AWAY £7MILLION TO AFRICA

British entrepreneur Tom Hunter has pledged £7 million to tackle third world poverty. He vows to match Band Aid penny for penny.

Read "Why I decided to give away £7m to help Africa."

1,542 Dhaka peacekeepers to land in Darfur in two months

According to a report from India, Bangladesh plans to send 1,542 troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan in the next two months. "We are now preparing to send our troops to Sudan to provide humanitarian aid," a senior army official told The Daily Star yesterday on condition of anonymity.

Note, the report does not make clear if the troops would be sent in the absence of a signed peace agreement. As reported here earlier, at the last UNSC meeting in Nairobi, Britain proposed 10,000 peacekeeping troops and said it would be prepared to contribute British troops after a peace deal is signed December 31.

John Fitzgerald reports on candlelight vigil in NYC for Darfur, Sudan

Warmest thanks to American blogger John Fitzgerald of Secession for attending the candlelight vigil in NYC on Monday and for posting this write-up to share with readers at Sudan Watch and the Passion. John is a trainee lawyer living in New York and is such a fine writer, he would make a great journalist.

John made a super effort to take photos of the vigil but sadly a technical hitch made it not possible to publish them here. Thanks for trying John, and for the following report:

Vigil for Sudan

One of the speakers at a candlelight vigil for Sudan last night in Washington Square was Simon Day, a former slave. That in the twenty-first century a man could be introduced as a “former slave” is a sad commentary on humanity in general, and a particular indictment of certain African regimes, principally in Sudan. A hundred or so mostly young people showed up in the bitter cold to convey their solidarity with those suffering the consequences of genocide at the hand of the radical Islamic government in Darfur.

In a dramatic plea, Mr. Day, now living in New York, noted the respect and concern Westerners have for their pets, and begged Western nations to show at least as much humanity toward the people suffering now in Sudan as they show their own dogs. Day seemed to have given up on assistance from the United Nations, and remarking its continued indifference to ongoing African genocide, said that the body would more appropriately be called the “United Racists.”

Other speakers included an individual from Mauritania who, noting that he was not a politician, could therefore “say things as they are,” a refrain he repeated several times. He accused the Sudanese government of trying to Islamic-ize sub-Saharan Africa, and said the attack on black Africans was an “Arab conspiracy to take our African land.” A Jewish rabbi also spoke, invoking the memory of the Holocaust, and saying that Jews in particular could sympathize and understand the current plight of the Sudanese. (I was surprised to see no one in the crowd shout out something about the plight of Palestinians at that comment.)

At the conclusion of the vigil, those in attendance were asked to sign letters to U.S. government officials calling for action against Sudan immediately. Whether that ever comes to pass remains to be seen. “In July and September,” The Economist recently reported, “the UN Security Council threatened unspecified sanctions on the Sudanese government if it failed to disarm its genocidal militias in Darfur. The government did nothing of the sort, but no sanctions followed. Last week, the Security Council issued a new, milder threat, to 'take appropriate action against any party failing to fulfil its commitments.' Carlos Veloso of the WFP, asked if the forecast of 2.8m starving Darfuris next year was a worst-case scenario, said: 'No, that is the medium-case scenario.'”
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PROTEST RALLY FOR SUDAN IN NYC JANUARY 17, 2005

Note, iabolish.com says thank you to everyone who made the candlelight vigil to protest the ongoing genocide in Darfur a success! Save the date: Monday, January 17th, 2005 Protest Rally. Register for the rally at iabolish.com.

Canadian PM could lead the way on Sudan?

It would be interesting to know what readers think about an idea by Ottawa University law professor, Errol Mendes and his proposal that Sudan be offered debt relief, with some very stringent conditions attached. Anything is worth considering. What do you think, could it work?

Two more aid workers killed in Darfur Sudan

Reports from the BBC and Telegraph today confirm two aid workers were shot dead on Sunday when their convoy came under fire in South Darfur.

The pair, from Save the Children UK, were helping to distribute food in the area when their vehicles came under fire yesterday. The British charity has now suspended aid operations in South Darfur following the killing of Abhakar el Tayeb, a medical assistant, and mechanic Yacoub Abdelnabi Ahmed, while investigations by AU military observers take place. It is not clear who is responsible. Both the victims were Sudanese nationals. The charity says their workers were travelling in a clearly marked humanitarian convoy.

In October, two Save the Children UK workers were killed by a landmine in North Darfur. 13 violations of a ceasefire agreement were confirmed in September and 54 documented between October and mid-December, said Assane Ba, a spokesman for the AU mediating the talks in Abuja.

"That means the violations are growing" he said. "This is poisoning the atmosphere and we can't have meaningful negotiations in this situation."

Save the Children UK is one of the largest food distributors, reaching more than 300,000 of the 1.6 million refugees forced from their homes.

Sudan expects no oil sanctions - Turn off the oil spigot!

Sudan's oil minister said on Saturday he hoped to award a contract for a new refinery at the country's main port in two months. He told reporters he was not worried that plans to expand the country's oil industry would be disrupted because of threatened sanctionsover Darfur.

The Sudanese government felt that international pressure was diminishing, he added.

Here's calling on EU-US naval forces to get their destroyers and subs out to the Port of Sudan and turn off the oil spigot!

Arjun Singh agrees that as little as one well placed Naval destroyer could force the stonewalling.

Further reading:

Thinking out of the box: Why not launch unilateral US military action to save lives in Darfur, Sudan?
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Danforth hails role of Americans' idealism in shaping foreign policy

STL Today: John Danforth said, after working the Sudan issue the past three years, first as President George W. Bush's special envoy and since June in the U.N. post, he had learned that when progress toward peace occurs, it is only through the will of a country's own people and leaders.

That doesn't mean U.S. policymakers don't benefit from the persistence of Americans demanding that the world's problems be addressed. "That idealism ... keeps pushing us and pushing us," he said. "It's so characteristically American. We should never lose it."

Khartoum: A peace agreement in Darfur "maybe" within two months

Sudan's minister of humanitarian affairs expects the war in Darfur to be over "maybe" within the next two months.

Three months ago, Khartoum said there would be peace in Sudan within three months. As per usual, they have gone back on their word. In two months time they will move the goalposts again.

The EU is discussing matters connected to Darfur. The British government recently held an internal committee meeting about Darfur. UN Ambassador John Danforth has urged: we need to get European troops in there.

Here's hoping for an EU-US protection force to back up AU troops in Sudan.
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UGANDAN REBELS KILL SEVEN IN SOUTH SUDAN

A Reuters report today says Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels hacked to death three children and four women in an attack in lawless southern Sudan, a local religious leader said.

"The LRA are becoming very dangerous now for our people because they are operating in small groups and you never know where they will attack," he told Reuters.

British Oxfam boss has left Sudan - Travel ban on some Sudanese

Reuters UK confirms the head of charity Oxfam in Sudan, Shaun Skelton, has left the country, days after Sudanese officials ordered him to leave for working under a wrong visa.

Last month, Sudan tried to expel Mr Skelton and a director of Save the Children UK. Sudanese officials had accused Oxfam and Save the Children UK of dealing in political affairs, which broke the law, and of making statements it said indicated their support for the rebels.

The month before last, two members of staff from Save the Children UK were tragically killed by a landmine (freshly laid by the rebels) on 10 October in North Darfur.

Expelling aid officials was not "the way to treat those of us who come there to help," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland told journalists on Wednesday.
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TRAVEL BAN ON SOME SUDANESE IS ALREADY IN EFFECT

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osmal Ismail said a travel ban is already in effect, as entry visas are now denied except to him and officials travelling to participate in meetings of international bodies, like the World Bank and the United Nations.

"If they want to impose the ban on the excepted officials, we are going to reciprocate and will see which side will be harmed," Ismail warned. [Here's guessing this could also mean aid workers].

European Union must act to stop violence in Darfur

This post features the European Union and US relations, the new rapid response European battle groups, NATO, EU summit Dec. 17 to discuss UN reform which Kofi Annan will be attending following his meeting in Washington on Thursday, Colin Powell's visit to Europe, and other snippets of news and information.

I'd gathered the information within a single post to see if any of the initiatives could tie in with the United States, and try to gauge if there's a way of bypassing the UN to get around the problem of China and Russia blocking action against Sudan. During the past several months, a few news reports (one from FT in April - see here below) said it is possible for the EU to intervene in Darfur.

After spending yesterday on this post, today I find a report in the Scotsman titled "Blair told plan for EU army may hit relations with US". Here are some excerpts:

"The US is turning away from international defence pacts such as NATO and becoming increasingly suspicious of the EU’s long-term ambitions.

Despite the British Prime Minister’s avowed intent to be the US’s closest international ally and to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the US in President George Bush’s "war on terror", Britain is also backing the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), which is creating a EU defence force with its own planning "cell".

The current UK approach of going along with ESDP, cutting defence spending and trying to pretend the EU-USA tensions do not exist will destroy the bridge described by the Prime Minister, not preserve it.

The warning chimes with talk in Washington about transatlantic relations. US officials have worries about the EU force, as well as European initiatives such as the Galileo satellite programme and moves to relax the EU arms embargo on China.

The need for unity between Western nations could not be greater, the author warns, since the danger from groups like al-Qaeda will not fade."
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EU must act to stop violence in Darfur

A recent press release by Oxfam urges the European Union (EU) must immediately take robust action to force the warring parties in Darfur to comply with their commitments to protect civilians in Darfur.

Following the UN Security Council's failure to agree a strong resolution on Darfur in Nairobi the statement issued by Oxfam said "the European Union is one of the last hopes for tough action to press the parties to stop the continued violence and insecurity in Darfur."

The call came as EU Foreign Ministers met to discuss the crisis at the General Affairs Council meeting November 22. "The European Union must step in to the void left by the UN Security Council's failure, and take action to stop the violence in Darfur," said Jo Leadbeater, Head of Oxfam's EU Advocacy Office.

Increased insecurity on roads as vehicles are looted by bandits, enter ambushes or are caught in the cross-fire between rival armed groups, has meant that in four towns across Darfur, Oxfam can only get aid in by helicopter. "Without road access, we are not able to get essential aid to Garsilla. Thousands of people fled their homes with nothing and are in urgent need of mosquito nets and blankets," said Caroline Nursey, Oxfam's Regional Director.
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Crisis in Darfur : The European Commission’s response

The European Commission (EC), the EU’s executive, website states it is extremely concerned about the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

Note, the European Union is the largest overall donor by far, having pledged more than €285 million this year (more than two thirds of all aid pledged).


Mother holds malnourished child - Darfur - Sudan
Photo : Peter Holdsworth
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The European Union

EU foreign and defence ministers met on Monday November 22 in Brussels to discuss the situation in the situation in Iran, Sudan, the Ivory Coast and the Middle East.

One of the main topics on their agenda was the EU's plans to create battle groups - a series of 1,500-strong forces deployable within 15 days to deal with trouble-spots in the world. [Some reports say these could become a reality by January]
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EU-US Partnership

Those who have followed the news on Sudan closely will know that for several months France has 200 soldiers on the Chad/Sudan border. They were the first European troops to airlift massive amounts of emergency aid into Darfur.

Germany has 200 soldiers currently preparing to airlift African Union (AU) troops into Darfur. American and Norwegian troops also transported soldiers and equipment into Sudan. Britain is supporting the Nigerian contingent of AU soldiers on the ground in Darfur.

American contractors are currently in Darfur building facilities for the AU soldiers who will be stationed there for at least one year. Negotiations and funding are underway by the World Food Program for the clearing of landmines throughout Sudan to make way for the return of the displaced people. Massive numbers of people around the world are working hard to help Sudan.

Given its history with Sudan, Britain pays close attention to what is going on in Darfur. Several months ago it sent a military reconnaissance team into Sudan and has 4,000 troops on standby. Behind the scenes, the UK and a host of other countries (Germany, Norway, Denmark, France in particular) are providing huge support and logistics for AU troops.

Britain is the second largest cash donor for Darfur. Europe is the single largest donor having provided two-thirds of the aid. Prime Minister Tony Blair is the most senior Western official to visit Khartoum. Following Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's visit to Khartoum, Mr Blair met with Sudan's President Bashir and delivered a five point plan with a deadline by the new year. Yesterday, Britain confirmed it is supplying 143 vehicles to the AU troops in Darfur within the next week.

Europe is responsible for the start up and support of the fledgling African Union and creation of the huge African Peace Facility fund for the expansion of the AU and its troops to provide African solutions for African problems.

Thinking out of a box

As an aside: Following the recent outbreak of violence in the Ivory Coast, the UN Security Council recently imposed an immediate arms embargo on the country. Security Council members unanimously backed a resolution proposed by France to stop either government forces or rebels importing new weapons. Since the civil war reignited on November 8, more than 10,000 people have fled from Ivory Coast into Liberia. Would the UN arms embargo help to revive the peace process? Were the French right in their response? Have you been affected by the current crisis? See readers answers and views at BBC Have Your Say.

Here is one comment extracted from the above "Have Your Say" re the Ivory Coast:

"Each and every resident in sub-Sahara Africa (including our leaders) should ask themselves this question: what will become of my dear country (or continent) 50 years from now? And what can I do to make it better? If you find it hard to answer this question, then try providing an answer to this alternative question: where did our leaders go wrong 50 years ago? And what should they have done? It's about time we begin to think out of a box. Ed K, Ghana"
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Why Not Launch Unilateral U.S. Military Action in Sudan?

Booker Rising: "Why Not Launch Unilateral U.S. Military Action in Sudan?" writes:

"We would support it. Genocide shouldn't be happening anywhere."
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EU-US Partnership

New EU Ambassador John Bruton who met with President Bush on Thursday, is upbeat on future of EU-US relations.


John Bruton December 9, 2004
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Bush to visit Europe



(Photo: Swedish EU Presidency)

December 9 report via EUobserver says Mr Bush is scheduled to touchdown in Europe February 22, his first foreign trip of the new presidency, which begins in January. Mr Bush’s visit is likely to be taken as a symbolic gesture aimed at underscoring the importance of transatlantic ties.

The announcement comes as Colin Powell visits Brussels December 9 for meetings with NATO (see here below) and yesterday in The Hague for an EU-US ministerial meeting.

Mr Powell has pressed European countries to pledge more troops to help bolster security in Iraq. He has also spoken of his administration's commitment to transatlantic ties. "We are reaching out to Europe and we hope that Europe will reach out to us", he said on Wednesday.
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North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

NATO is an international organisation created in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty for purposes of collective security. Read the core provision of the NATO treaty and debate on future of NATO at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

NATO Summit 2002
Photo courtesy Wikipedia

NATO Flag


Photo courtesy Wikipedia
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EU-led forces 'could intervene' in Sudan conflict

Here is an excerpt from an FT report April 12, 2004:

" ... In an interview with the Financial Times, General Hägglund said the possibility of the EU sending a force to Sudan had been raised by Louise Fréchette, the United Nations deputy secretary-general. "Sudan is on the list of the UN [for some form of peacekeeping mission]," Gen Hägglund added. ..."
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Further reading

British Embassy, Sudan: UK Aid Programme In Sudan

Europa: EU Relations with Sudan

Dec 2004: The European Union and peacekeeping in Africa: "Sudan"

Nov 26: Commission earmarks a further €51 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan.

Nov 25: Louis Michel starts mandate by visiting Sudan and Kenya

Oct 26: EU mobilises an additional € 80 million from African Peace Facility to support enlarged African Union observer mission in Darfur, Sudan.

Aug 25: Commission releases a further €20 million in humanitarian aid for Darfur.

July 30: The humanitarian crisis in Darfur – response of the European Commission – UPDATE EU by far the biggest donor

July 12: Sudan/Chad: Commission earmarks further €18 million for victims of Darfur crisis

Nine-year-old victim of the crisis
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Peace talks on Darfur to resume today

Yesterday peace talks on Darfur were to resume but were put back a day because of logistical/travel problems for delegates. Political adviser to the AU envoy to Darfur, Doubou Niang, told the BBC: 'We are worried about these violations [between warring parties], but we haven't lost faith.'"

UN envoy sceptical of resolution talks in Sudan

UN envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk of The Netherlands, says he is sceptical about the talks that were due to resume later today. He said none of the parties have stuck by any of the agreements they had signed in Abuja in April. "During the last couple of weeks there is increased fighting," he said. "The Abuja agreement in the field of security has not helped anything, there are many cease-fire violations after the Abuja agreement as before. "Both parties have violated the agreement." --BBC
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DEC Sudan Emergency Appeal raises £32m

Compassion fatigue is a thing of the past, judging by the overwhelming public response to the Sudan Emergency Appeal, which has raised an outstanding £32 million since it was launched in July.

Chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) which works on behalf of eleven of the UK’s leading international charities says that all the aid agencies have been moved by the remarkable generosity of the British public.

“We are overwhelmed by people’s desire to help  ease the suffering in Sudan,” he said.  “The response is one of the most generous in the DEC’s 40 years of existence. It signals a clarion call to the world’s leaders to solve this crisis.”

The killing of two aid workers from DEC member Save the Children has underlined the desperate nature of the situation.
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Christian Aid address UN Security Council

An agency of the churches in the UK and Ireland, Christian Aid works wherever the need is greatest, irrespective of religion. It supports local organisations, which are best placed to understand local needs, as well as giving help on the ground through 16 overseas offices.

Christian Aid partners delivered a powerful and simple message, that the people of Sudan want peace and they want it now to the UN Security Council at the special session in Nairobi.
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Band Aid 20 single reaches No. 1 in UK charts

Today, Travis singer flies out to Sudan to see how money raised from the Band Aid single will be used to help the country. He's spending a week meeting people returning to their homes from refugee camps and will also witness how the Save the Children charity distributes food.

Band Aid 20's Do They Know It's Christmas? is currently number one in the charts in Britain.

FACT OF THE DAY

On December 10, 1948, the U.N. General Assembly adopted its Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

[Source: New York Times]

Britain to send 143 vehicles for AU force in Darfur

Reports out yesterday confirm the British government said yesterday it was airlifting 143 vehicles to Darfur, to help African Union troops monitor a cease-fire in the remote western region of Sudan.

British International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said he expected the vehicles - 131 four-wheel drive sports utility vehicles and 12 three-ton trucks - to arrive by mid-December.

"These vehicles will make the AU mission more effective, enabling the observers and troops to carry out more proactive monitoring, and to respond to specific incidents more quickly," he said.

There are currently 833 AU soldiers in Darfur, a region the size of France, monitoring a cease-fire between government troops and two rebel groups which took up arms in February 2003.

Britain may deploy troops to quell fighting in Darfur Sudan

According to a November 10 report in the Guardian Britain could be asked to contribute troops to a 10,000-strong UN peacekeeping force for Sudan under a draft resolution discussed in the security council, government officials in London indicated November 9, 2004.

The proposal for a UN force is part of a British package of incentives designed to gain Sudan's agreement to a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Darfur. Asked whether Britain would send troops to Sudan as part of the proposed UN force, as Tony Blair appeared to suggest earlier this year, Chris Mullin, the Foreign Office Minister for Africa, declined to rule it out saying it was "premature" to comment.

The UN resolution, drafted by Britain, was presented to an extraordinary security council meeting held in Nairobi on November 18-19, 2004.

Further reading:

Nov 15: UK Wants 10,000 Troops for Darfur. Note the report says UN troops will not, however, be sent if there is no peace agreement and sanctions are still on the agenda.

July 22: Guardian UK report "Blair draws up plans to send troops to Sudan."
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Malawi sends 30 peacekeepers to Darfur

Malawi is sending 30 peacekeepers to Darfur. The 30-man team of soldiers are part of the AU peacekeeping force and would leave in about five days when logistics were finalised, the Malawi Defence Force Public Information Officer, Colonel Clement Namangale, told Reuters.

He said the team had undergone 13-days of special training.

Further reading:

Nov 15: UK Wants 10,000 Troops for Darfur. July 22: Guardian UK report Blair draws up plans to send troops to Sudan.
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THE HISTORY OF THE BRITISH ARMY

Egypt and the Sudan

British intervention in Egypt

Britain’s interest in Egypt was increased by the construction of the Suez Canal, which was opened in 1869. The Canal considerably shortened the sea route to India, and in 1875 the British Government had bought shares in the Suez Canal Company. However, Egypt had become virtually bankrupt by 1878 and this led Britain and France to take control of Egyptian finances and, in effect, run the country. This caused considerable discontent amongst many Egyptians and the situation was exacerbated by the decision of the Khedive (Viceroy) to dismiss many Egyptian Army officers as an economic measure.

In May 1882, one officer, Colonel Ahmed Arabi, overthrew the Khedive and led a revolt against what he saw as unwarranted foreign interference in Egypt’s affairs. Gladstone’s government concluded that in order to protect Britain’s strategic and financial interests in the region, military intervention was unavoidable. In August 1882, a British and Indian force of 35,000 men under Lieutenant-General Sir Garnet Wolseley sailed into the Canal and landed at Ismailia. On 13 September, after a daring night march, Wolseley’s troops surprised the Egyptians at Tel-el-Kebir and drove them from their trenches.


Picture: Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
 
Wolseley entered Cairo the following day and Arabi and his army surrendered. Although the authority of the Khedive was restored, the British remained in Egypt in order to ensure stable government.

The Mahdist Rising

In occupying Egypt, Britain had also assumed responsibility for the Egyptian Sudan where an Islamic revolt had begun in 1881, led by Mohammed Ahmed, who styled himself the ‘Mahdi’ or ‘guide’. By the end of 1882, the Mahdists controlled much of the Sudan, and on 5 November 1883, at El Obeid, they annihilated an Egyptian force that had been sent to restore order. The Mahdi was supported by Osman Digna, leader of the Beja tribesmen of the Red Sea area. In January 1884, the Beja, whose extravagant hairstyles earned them the nickname of ‘Fuzzy-wuzzies’ from the British, wiped out an Egyptian force under Colonel Valentine Baker outside the Red Sea port of Suakim. To rectify the situation, a 4,000 strong British force under Major-General Gerald Graham was sent to Suakim. On 29 February, they defeated Osman Digna at El Teb, but two weeks later were almost defeated themselves at Tamai. The British fought in two brigade squares, one of which was temporarily broken by the Mahdist forces. The situation was only retrieved when the second square moved up in support. Whilst these two victories were a boost to public morale, they had little long-term effect. Osman Digna was able to recover from his losses and Graham’s force was withdrawn. Meanwhile, Major-General Charles Gordon had been sent to Khartoum. His orders were to oversee the evacuation of the Sudan, but instead he elected to stay and defend the Sudanese capital. Khartoum was invested by the Mahdi in May 1884 and Britain was forced to organise a relief expedition to rescue Gordon.

The fall of Khartoum

Wolseley’s relief column set off from Cairo in October 1884. Realising that his infantry, travelling in boats up the Nile, might not reach Khartoum in time to save Gordon, he detached a desert column under to travel overland by a faster, but more dangerous route. On 17 Jan 1885, this column, commanded by Brigadier-General Sir Herbert Stuart, was attacked by the Mahdists at Abu Klea. Winston Churchill later described the resulting battle as, ‘the most savage and bloody action ever fought in the Sudan by British troops’. Despite suffering heavy losses to British rifle fire, the Mahdists succeeded in penetrating the British square, which was closed only after desperate hand to hand fighting. The British suffered 168 casualties, the Mahdists about 1100. The column finally reached Khartoum on 28 January, 2 days after Gordon had been killed and the town had fallen.

The reconquest of the Sudan

Britain saw the death of Gordon at Khartoum as a national humiliation, and there was strong pressure on the Government for an expedition to be sent to avenge him and restore Egyptian rule. A Mahdist invasion of Egypt was defeated in 1888, but it was not until 1896 that the Government, possibly concerned that if Britain did not conquer the Sudan, then the Italians and French would, authorised military action. In that year, an Anglo-Egyptian army, led by Major-General Herbert Kitchener, entered the country. Kitchener understood the importance of keeping his force supplied, and he built a railway as he advanced. Moving forward slowly but surely, he inflicted a number of defeats on the Mahdists. On 8 April 1898, at Atbara, on the Nile, Kitchener’s force of about 12,000 attacked the fortified camp of a Mahdist army under the Emir Mahmood. After a fierce struggle, the Dervishes were completely routed and their commander and 4000 of his men were captured.
 

Picture: Charge of the 21st Lancers, Omdurman

Finally, at Omdurman on 2 September 1898, Kitchener inflicted a crushing defeat on the forces of the Khalifa, the Mahdi’s successor. Though they attacked with fanatical bravery, the Mahdists were no match for the rifles and Maxim machine guns of Kitchener’s army. By the end of the day, they had suffered approximately 27,000 casualties. The Anglo-Egyptians lost 43 dead. Omdurman broke the power of the Mahdists and although the Khalifa remained at large until the following November, the Sudan was quickly pacified.

© Copyright: National Army Museum 2000
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Lord Kitchener of Khartoum (1850 - 1916)



Best known for his famous recruitment posters bearing his heavily moustachioed face and pointing hand over the legend, 'Your country needs you', as secretary of state for war at the beginning of World War I Kitchener organized armies on an unprecedented scale and became a symbol of the national will to win.

Commissioned in the Royal Engineers, in 1886 Kitchener was appointed governor of the British Red Sea territories and subsequently became commander in chief of the Egyptian army in 1892. In 1898 he crushed the separatist Sudanese forces of al-Mahdi in the Battle of Omdurman and then occupied the nearby city of Khartoum, where his success saw him ennobled in 1898.

In 1900 he became commander in chief of the Boer War, where he fought the guerrillas by burning farms and herding women and children into disease-ridden concentration camps. These ruthless measures helped weaken resistance and bring British victory.

On returning to England in 1902 he was created Viscount Kitchener and was appointed commander in chief in India. In September 1911 he became the proconsul of Egypt, ruling there and in the Sudan until August 1914. When war broke out, Kitchener was on leave in England and reluctantly accepted an appointment to the cabinet as secretary of state for war. Flying in the face of popular opinion, he warned that the conflict would be decided by Britain's last 1,000,000 men. He rapidly enlisted and trained vast numbers of volunteers for a succession of entirely new 'Kitchener armies'. By the end of 1915 he was convinced of the need for military conscription, but never publicly advocated it, deferring to Prime Minister Asquith's belief that it was not yet politically practicable.

In his recruitment of soldiers, planning of strategy and mobilisation of industry, Kitchener was handicapped by bureaucracy and his own dislike for teamwork and delegation. His cabinet associates did not share the public's worship of Kitchener and gradually relieved him of his responsibilities for industrial mobilisation and then strategy. He was killed in 1916 when HMS Hampshire was sunk by a German mine while taking him to Russia.

© Copyright: BBC History
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General Charles Gordon (1833 - 1885)



British general Charles Gordon became a national hero for his exploits in China and his ill-fated defence of Khartoum against Sudanese rebels.

The son of an artillery officer, Gordon was commissioned in the Royal Engineers in 1852. He distinguished himself in the Crimean War (1853-56) and in 1860 volunteered for the 'Arrow' war against the Chinese. In May 1862 Gordon's corps of engineers was assigned to strengthen the European trading centre of Shanghai, which was threatened by the insurgents of the Taiping Rebellion. A year later he became commander of the 3,500-man peasant force raised to defend the city. During the next 18 months Gordon's troops played an important role in suppressing the Taiping uprising.

He returned to England in January 1865, where an enthusiastic public had already dubbed him 'Chinese Gordon'. In 1873 he was appointed governor of the province of Equatoria in the Sudan. Between April 1874 and December 1876 he mapped the upper Nile and established a line of stations along the river as far south as present Uganda. He was then promoted to governor-general, where he asserted his authority, crushing rebellions and suppressing the slave trade. However, ill health forced him to resign and return to England in 1880 before travelling once more to places including India, China and South Africa.

In February 1884 Gordon returned to the Sudan to evacuate Egyptian forces from Khartoum, threatened by Sudanese rebels led by Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi. Khartoum came under siege the next month and on 26th January 1885 the rebels broke into the city, killing Gordon (against al-Mahdi's instructions) and the other defenders. The British relief force arrived two days later.

The British public reacted to his death by acclaiming 'Gordon of Khartoum' a martyred warrior-saint and by blaming the government, particularly Gladstone, for failing to relieve the siege. However, historians have since suggested that Gordon defied orders and refused to evacuate Khartoum even though that remained possible until late in the siege.

© Copyright: BBC History

Escalate level of activism about Darfur, Sudan around the New York area

A candlelight vigil to protest the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan will take place at the Fountain Plaza, Washington Square Park, NYC on Monday Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m.



This multi-denominational event is co-sponsored by the students of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, Judson Memorial Church, the Massaleit Community in Exile, the Columbia Coalition for Sudan, the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Brooklyn Parents for Peace, NYU Law Students for Human Rights, the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, the Darfur Rehabilitation Project and the American Anti-Slavery Group's New York Chapter.

A large push needs to come from civil action

Washington Square News, the student newspaper of New York University, reports on a meeting held yesterday to educate students about the Sudan Crisis.

Speakers offered outlets to students interested in getting involved in the activism for Sudan.

"We want to escalate the level of activism about Sudan around the New York area," said speaker Williams.

Another speaker, John Prendergast, director for African affairs for the National Security Council under the Clinton administration, said:

"Five million people have died in genocidal conflicts in the Congo and Sudan. Besides physically killing Sudanese civilians, the government virtually starved its people, preventing humanitarian groups from reaching villages in need. "[The government] used food as a weapon of war. U.S. citizens essentially have control over what the higher powers in government do. [Congress] will only take on the president if there's a large push which comes from civil action."
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Please help spread the word

Although I am writing this from England, UK, there is still something even I can do to contribute to the vigil. I know of some bloggers in the New York area and John Fitzgerald at Secession asked me to keep him informed of any events in New York on Sudan so he can attend. I shall email John, Nick and Pauly in hope they may be free to attend and take some photos and write-up some feedback for sharing here.

It's a pity there are no candlelight vigils set to take place simultaneously in central London and around Europe. Here's pinging NYC Indy Media and London too, plus Indy Media for UK, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Paris (sorry cannot list complete European network here).

Please spread the word on the vigil for Monday evening. From little acorns grow trees. Thank you.



Notes for visitors to New York - the United Nations, 1st Ave. & 46th St. Officially an "international zone," the U.N. Headquarters is a symbol of global cooperation. Guided tours daily ($8.50 adults)

Washington Square Park: 5th Ave. and 7th St. Villages' main park shared by NYU students, street musicians, skateboarders, jugglers, stand-up comics, joggers, chess players, and bench warmers, watching the grand opera of it all. At the square's north end, stands the triumphal Washington Memorial Arch.

P.S. Please do not miss Jim's important posts on Human Rights and the blogging community: A Digital Green Ribbon Campaign for Darfur, Sudan, Africa! - and More on the Digital Green Ribbon Campaign for Darfur, Sudan. Feedback by email is invited and comments are open at both posts.

Launch at Harvard Conference of Digital Green Ribbon Campaign for Darfur, Sudan

Jim says "it looks like we may be able to launch the Digital Green Ribbon Campaign for Darfur, Sudan this week at the Harvard Internet and Society Conference."

Also he explains "... the Digital Green Ribbon Campaign is about learning to project the power of witness and the power of communications-enabled social organization into situations of conflict and repression - it's an opportunity for civil society to learn to use the techniques of modern communications to develop rapid response communications systems that can penetrate national borders, can evade censors, and that can help people connect with each other to liberate themselves. ..."

Great stuff. More later. Please note, Jim is asking if anyone out there knows folks in the ham radio scene the might have relationships in Sudan, or could work with us to develop them? He says: " ... the content of ham radio communications could be immediately blogged, and might develop into "ham moblogging" and "ham podcasting." By the way, for the middle east and Africa we might want to rename 'ham' to 'lamb'. ..."

(Heh). If anyone can help with lamblogging please email Jim Moore at the Passion or Jim Moore's Journal. Thanks.



Wear the green ribbon of the Save Darfur Coalition of over 100 faith-based and humanitarian groups:

"It’s easy to make green ribbons. Simply cut 3.5 inch strips (with diagonal ends) of 3/8 forest green ribbon and fasten with a pin. Wear your ribbon everywhere and distribute them to your friends, family, and neighbors."
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ARE "WIRED" CITIZENS CHANGING POLITICS?
December 9-11, 2004, Harvard University

Note details on Harvard Internet Society 2004 conference:

How are technologies changing politics, both in the U.S. and abroad?  The purpose of this conference is to take a skeptical, results-oriented look at the current state of politics after the 2004 election and from an international perspective in terms of issue-based campaigns, emerging business models, and new tools that affect politics both online and off. The conference will focus on the following questions:

- Has "citizenship" changed in the online era?
- Are online business models helpful guides for politics and political organizing?
- What international examples are promising?
- Did the web affect the 2004 election?