Sudan: Darfur 'descent into lawlessness' - Annan

A report by the Press Association in this morning's Scotsman and at Virgin.net says UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has accused Sudanese rebels of increasing abductions, extortion and banditry in a "descent into lawlessness" that has intensified insecurity in Darfur. Excerpts:

The targeting of humanitarian workers, harassment and looting of civilians, and "unprecedented criminality" in the town of Nyala are also part of the "dangerous pattern" of violence caused by the prolonged conflict, he said.

"While the daily rate of casualties from fighting has declined in recent months, the damage to the social and economic fabric in Darfur and the longer term costs of this conflict are steadily becoming clearer," Annan said in the report to the UN Security Council obtained on Tuesday.

"I urge both parties to recognise that despite some stabilisation of the security situation in Darfur, at a deeper level, living conditions are steadily deteriorating," he warned.

The secretary-general demanded "urgent corrective action" by the rebels and the government.

He noted that the government still shows no intention of disarming the Janjaweed or other militias, "and is yet to hold a significant number of them accountable for the atrocities of earlier months".

Second, Annan said, the government and rebels must prepare to reach an agreement at the next round of peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, on August 24 on the difficult and divisive issues of sharing power and wealth "which are at the root of the conflict in Darfur".

UN's Kofi Annan accuses SLA and JEM of banditry

Today's Guardian report says Kofi Annan accuses SLA and JEM, of banditry:

The secretary-general blamed the SLA and the JEM - the rebel groups that first took up arms in Darfur and last month signed a declaration of political principles with the government outlining a long-term solution to the Darfur crisis - for the "considerable rise" in July in abductions, harassment, extortion and looting.

The abduction of Sudanese working for private aid organizations reached "alarming proportions" at the beginning of July with 10 being held by the SLA, he said. Ministry of Health teams conducting polio vaccinations were also abducted, he said.

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Aug 16 - UN Mission reports fresh violence and looting in Darfur.

Tags: Nyala humanitarian workers bandits peace talks SLA JEM security Sudan Darfur Africa rebels humanitarian aid aid worker UN property rights abductions harrassment extortion looting

Sudan: Abyei Boundary Commission report

On May 26, 2004 at peace talks in Naivasha, Kenya the Sudanese government and John Garang's South Sudan rebel group SPLM/A exchanged protocols dealing with the outstanding issues of power sharing, the two disputed areas of Nuba and Southern Blue Nile, and a third disputed area, Abyei.

On July 13, 2005 UNMIS announced the Abyei Boundary Commission report was to be released to the Sudanese Presidency within a few days.

The Abyei Boundary Commission is made up of five international boundary specialists and one representative from each of the two parties. The chairman of the commission is Don Petterson, a former US ambassador to Sudan.

Excerpt from Crisis Group Report August 9, 2005:

Abyei was defined under the CPA as the traditional territory of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan in 1905. The Abyei Boundary Commission defined this as a broad area stretching from the borders of Bahr el-Ghazal, east to the border with Upper Nile, and north to the villages of Umm Sakina, Turda and Edd Dibekir.

The district of Abyei, which South and North both claim, was one of the most divisive issues during the negotiations, and it is a potential flashpoint in the immediate aftermath of Garang's death. The recent report of the Abyei Boundary Commission defined the area broadly, stretching well north of the Bahr el-Arab (River Kiir), and well east of Abyei town, to the Upper Nile border. The report was met with threats of violence by the elements of the Misseriya community who continue to view the Abyei agreement, with its built-in referendum to choose between joining the North or South, as a zero-sum game in which they risk losing their traditional grazing routes to the Dinka and ultimately to an independent South. Although the parties agreed the Commission's decision would be binding, President Bashir has stated publicly that he disagrees with it, and hard-line elements in Khartoum may seek to use the Misseriya as proxies to destabilise the region and scuttle the CPA, particularly as the Commission included the region's oil areas within Abyei's boundaries.

Many Ngok Dinka, the inhabitants of this region, have senior SPLM positions and were close to Garang. Those relationships made negotiating the Abyei issue more difficult, as Garang had little room to manoeuvre and had to satisfy their demand for the historically promised (but never implemented) referendum. That many senior Ngok Dinka in the SPLM who shared a special relationship with Garang will not necessarily enjoy the same support from Salva Kiir could emerge as a fault-line if tensions in Abyei continue to heat up. The Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities must receive assurances that their land and grazing rights will be guaranteed irrespective of the referendum's outcome.

[For analysis of the Abyei question, see Crisis Group Report, The Khartoum-SPLM Agreement, op. cit., as well as Crisis Group Africa Briefing No. 4, Sudan's Other Wars, 23 June 2003; Crisis Group Africa Report No. 65, Sudan Endgame, 7 July 2003; and Crisis Group Africa Report No. 73, Sudan: Towards an Incomplete Peace, 11 December 2003.]
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UN envoy continues talks with southern rebel leaders, civil society

UN News Centre August 15 confirms Jan Pronk, the top United Nations envoy in Sudan, has met with opposition leaders in the capitol, Khartoum, and will head to Darfur today for a two-day visit to North and South Darfur where he is expected to assess the humanitarian and security situation there. Report excerpt:

"The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reported that Mr Pronk met Friday with senior members of the SPLM and civil society groups.

The meeting focused mainly on the Abyei Boundary Commission's report, which was released in mid-July.

Abyei is a disputed enclave in northern Bahr el-Ghazal province, and negotiations on its status were considered a main concern in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which in January ended Sudan's two decade war between southern-based rebels and the Government. Mr. Pronk urged that the issue be dealt with as a high priority item on the agenda of the Presidency."

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70% of increased aid needs in Sudan are in the East and South

"Meanwhile, on the humanitarian front, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed concern about the chronically impoverished regions of Bahr el-Ghazal in the South, and the Kordofans in central Sudan and Red Sea state and Kassala in the East.

The East and Bahr El Ghazal account for 70 per cent of the increased needs in Sudan.

WFP has warned that its response is severely hampered by critical funding shortages, the late arrival of donor funds and severe shortages of Jet-A1 fuel - as well as limitations on road deliveries and airlifts imposed by the rainy season. These problems sabotaged WFP's efforts to deliver by air and pre-position food aid before rains cut road access in much of the south."

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Mistriyah in north Darfur, is the heartland of the powerful Arab Rizeigat tribe, of which Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal is the chief

The following are a series of notes to myself for future reference:

Musa Hilal, who is suspected by the US state department of being a leader of the Arab Janjaweed militia, is a tribal leader from northern Darfur who lives in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. He is thought to be running one of 16 known Janjaweed bases.

Last July, the Guardian spoke to a deserter from a training camp run by Mr Hilal, who said the Janjaweed commander whipped up racial hatred among his fighters. When the recruits first arrived in the camp, at Mistiriyha in north Darfur, Mr Hilal made a speech in which he told them that all Africans were their enemies.

"Musa Hilal said: 'Zurgha [blacks] always support the rebels. We should defeat the rebels,'" said the deserter, Mustafa Yusuf, 18. Mr Yusuf also witnessed Mr Hilal leading troops into battle. "Musa Hilal led the troops. He was in the Landcruisers, and there were people on horses," he said.

Mistiriyha, the heartland of the powerful Arab Rizeigat tribe, of which Musa Hilal is the chief.

U.N. sources say Hilal is likely to be on a list of 51 government, militia and rebel leaders suspected of crimes against humanity in Darfur which was handed to the International Criminal Court in April, 2005.

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Excerpt from HRW Sudan: Darfur Destroyed: SUMMARY dated May 2004:

Some Arab nomads are given automatic arms and free rein to attack their usual African sparring partners, in the name of government counterinsurgency.130

Many or most of the Janjaweed leaders were emirs or omdas from Arab tribes, and several were appointed by the government in the administrative reorganization of the mid-1990s. The participation by ethnic-political leaders leads to increasing ethnic polarization as members of one ethnic group are summoned and recruited by their leaders to join in a free-for-all war against another ethnic group.

The Janjaweed are not simply a few side-lined ostracized outlaws, as the government suggests. Among the leaders participating in the war in Darfur against the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa are:

- Hamid Dawai, an emir of the Beni Halba tribe and Janjaweed leader in the Terbeba-Arara-Bayda triangle where 460 civilians were killed between August 2003 and April 2004. He has residences in Geneina and Bayda.

- Abdullah abu Shineibat, an emir of the Beni Halba tribe and Janjaweed leader in the Habila-Murnei area. He has residences in Geneina and Habila.

- Omda Saef, an omda of the Awlad Zeid tribe and leader of the Janjaweed from Geneina to Misterei. He has a residence in Geneina.

- Omar Babbush, an omda of the Misseriya tribe and leader of the Janjaweed from Habila to Forbranga, with a residence in Forbranga.

- Ahmad Dekheir, an omda of the Ma'alia tribe and leader of the Janjaweed in Murnei.

Instead of taking strong action against the Janjaweed, the government has incorporated many into its formal security structures, principally the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) and Border Intelligence Guard, but also the Popular Police (Shorta Shabiya) and Nomadic Police (Shorta Zana). In addition to these "formal" groups, there are other tribal militias armed by the government, such as Musa Hilal's infamous El-Khafif, El-Sariya, El-Muriya (The light, the fast, the fearful), based in the Kebkabiya area of North Darfur.

The Border Intelligence Guard (Istikhbarat Al-Hudud), headed by General Al-Hadi el-Tayeed, appears increasingly to be the body of choice for the integration of Janjaweed. It was created in early 2003 in a public ceremony during which the government granted amnesty to a large number of prisoners, enlisting them to fight the rebels. It is annexed to the army, which funds it, but controlled by Military Intelligence. It is given both arms and logistical help by the army and can call for air and armed support as needed. "This is now the core of the Janjaweed", explained a Sudanese observer.

The government clearly believes it can avoid penalties, making for an easy choice between inaction and the admittedly difficult process of now neutralising the militia groups it created. Unfortunately, the international community has not yet acted to influence this calculation. A government official explained candidly:

There are many in the government who are pleased with the work of Musa Hilal and other Janjaweed leaders, because they've protected the government interests in Darfur. Those who committed war crimes should be brought to justice but we are afraid of the backlash. Musa Hilal for example, has 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers under him. If we arrest him, they will turn on us. The government has to weigh that against the outside pressure to take action, and possible repercussions from inaction.

In early November, Musa Hilal was promoted from a colonel in the PDF to a brigadier general in the General Security Services.
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Excerpt from ICG report 8 March 2005 entitled Darfur: The Failure to Protect (ICG) [Note last paragraph about a third new group, al-Shahamah, is made up of Misseriya in neighbouring Western Kordofan. It emerged in October 2004 and was reportedly led by Musa Ali Muhamadein, a former follower of Popular Congress Chairman Hassan el-Turabi and a former leader of the Popular Defence Forces in Western Kordofan.]

On 18 December, the NMRD signed a separate ceasefire with the government, mediated by Chad. It reaffirms the accords signed with the SLA and JEM and calls for creation of a parallel international monitoring mechanism for its implementation. The government also reiterated its pledge to disarm militias.

While the details remain murky, two conclusions can be drawn. First, the NMRD has received significant support, presumably from either the Chad or Sudan government. Some well-placed sources suggest the seed money for Deby's help originated in Khartoum. Reports from eyewitnesses who have encountered the NMRD in Jebel Moon are that it has new cars and uniforms, rockets, and heavy guns, which suggest an outside backer. Secondly, it does not appear to be receiving Khartoum's support now. It has clashed with government forces on multiple occasions since early September 2004, and at least once with JEM, in late October. Reports of up to three NMRD camps in Chad suggest that if support is still flowing, it originates there.

The second new group, Khorbaj, is predominantly Arab and said to be based in South Darfur. Little is known of it, although anonymous statements have been distributed that claim to represent its views. It has not yet done anything in the field but two versions of its purported intentions are emerging. The first is that it is a government creation, designed to organise the Arabs into a "legitimate" political movement, thus further complicating the situation and undermining rebel claims to represent Darfur in any negotiations. The second posits that it is part of a much larger, still evolving, movement within the Arab tribes to assert their independence from and opposition to the government. There is said to be a growing realisation among many in those tribes that have joined Khartoum's counter-insurgency strategy that they have been badly used and will not benefit from continuing the conflict. Contacts between Arab leaders, in some cases Janjaweed, and the SLA have been increasing since mid-2004, when international pressure to disarm the Janjaweed was at a peak. Fearing they would become scapegoats, some Janjaweed opened channels to explore an alliance.

Some contacts go back even further. A meeting was scheduled in December 2003 between some Arab leaders fighting for the government and then SLA Secretary General Abdallah Abaker, who was killed the following month in a government attack. The government learned of the meeting and bombed the site before it could take place, thus increasing mistrust among the Arab tribes involved and the SLA. The elements within Arab tribes which have concluded the conflict does not serve their interests are now reportedly trying to establish a stand-alone Arab movement in Darfur, to fight against the government and establish ties on equal footing with the SLA and JEM. Khorbaj may be a manifestation of this but too little is known to be certain.

The third new group, al-Shahamah, is made up of Misseriya in neighbouring Western Kordofan. It emerged in October 2004 and was reportedly led by Musa Ali Muhamadein, a former follower of Popular Congress Chairman Hassan el-Turabi and a former leader of the Popular Defence Forces in Western Kordofan. He is said to have died on 30 November of natural causes in the SPLM-held town of Warawar, in northern Bahr el-Ghazal. The group has distributed anti-government pamphlets in parts of Western Kordofan, vowing to fight against dissolution of that state, which has been agreed to in the Nuba Mountains/Southern Kordofan agreement reached between the government and SPLM. There were attacks on government posts in the Western Kordofan towns of Gubeish and Magror in late September and early October, and though blame was originally given to the JEM and SLA, it may be that those operating as al-Shahamah were also involved.

A fourth group, the Sudanese Movement for the Eradication of Marginalisation, apparently debuted in mid-December with a high profile attack on government oil installations at Sharef, near the border of South Darfur and Western Kordofan. It has since emerged that this was an SLA action. Interviews with numerous SLA supporters indicate that it undertook the attack as a response to the government offensive then underway but sought to conceal its identity to avoid international condemnation.

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Read Abyei Boundary Commission Final Report 14 July 2005 here or click here for a copy.

Click on Abyei label here below to see previous reports - and latest updates - on Abyei.

Darfur training going well, Canadian commander says

Canadian troops are in Senegal, training African Union troops how to use equipment Ottawa is lending to a mission to calm the crisis in Darfur, reports Canada's CTV today:

"Defence Minister Bill Graham announced late last month that Canada would send a total of 105 armoured vehicles to Sudan.

The 100 Grizzly general purpose armoured vehicles and the five Husky armoured recovery vehicles were previously deployed in Bosnia.

The vehicles, as well as training and maintenance assistance, are being loaned to the 53-nation African Union Mission in Sudan for one year.

CTV photo: Sgt Darcy Blanchard, a vehicle technician, from CFB Gagetown, N.B., instructs an African Union soldier about the safety guiding procedures for the Grizzly general purpose armoured vehicle. (image: MCPL Marc Lacourse, Canadian Forces)

Between now and Sept. 26, some 80 Canadians are training Africa Union personnel to turn around and train their fellow soldiers in the vehicles' use and upkeep.

At the vehicles' base in Dakar, Senegal, Major Gilles Legacy says, so far, the training has been proceeding as planned.

"We're keeping on time with our schedule," Maj. Legacy told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday. "We've had a little bit of a challenge with the language, but other than that everything seems to be going as per plan."

But Legacy says, overall, their mission has been well-received.

"Morale among the troops is very, very high. They're quite happy about being here -- they really enjoy the Canadian soldiers' expertise."

CTV photo: Sgt Mike Andrews, an armoured gunnery instructor, teaches African Union soldiers gunnery theory on the Grizzly general purpose armoured vehicle. (image: MCPL Marc Lacourse, Canadian Forces)

AU troops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal are expected to be operating the vehicles in Sudan by mid-September. Begun a year ago, the AU mission in Darfur is expected to expand to a deployment of 7,700 troops by next month.

The UN-backed mission's goal is to enforce a series of peace pacts agreed to by the southern Sudan Liberation Army and the Sudanese government."

U.S. Congress delegation to visit Sudan Wednesday

A report at Sudan Tribune August 15 says a delegation of US Congress, headed by Chairman of African Sub-Committee, is due to arrive in Khartoum Wednesday August 17. According to SUNA, Sudan's News Agency:

"FM Ismail said that the visit provides a good opportunity to discuss with the delegation the hostile stances of the US Congress toward Sudan.

He said that the US Congress shall change its method in dealing with Sudan if it is really supporting the peace agreement and wishes to contribute to solution of Darfur problem as well as the prevalence of stability and peace in Sudan and the region."

Tags: Sudan Darfur Canada Senegal Nigeria

Tensions run high in slums of Sudan after death of Garang

Who says there is no division in the Sudan between Arabs and Africans? Seems only the Sudanese government believes so.

A report today by Andrew England in the Financial Times says tensions are running high in the slums of Sudan after the death of Garang. Excerpt:

In a nearby neighbourhood, northern Arabs express their opinions, views that become more extreme the longer the conversation lasts. "If we had guns there would be no more Mandela [camp]," says Samoal Awad, a resident of Kalakla. "Southerners should stay in the south and northerners should stay here."

Thing is, most of the oil is in Christian Southern Sudan. If South Sudan broke away, it would take the oil with it. Northerners, who are supporters of the Islamic regime in Khartoum, wouldn't put up with that, would they?

Maybe the only thing that might unite Sudan in the long term is if religion and government were separated.

Note Sudan Watch post August 8, 2005 entitled "Sudan is made up of two different worlds that will never coexist peacefully."

And see photos posted August 6, 2005 showing evacuation of "Arabs" from Southern Sudan.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Islamic Christian oil

15 killed in fighting between Darfur rebel groups

Here we go again. News of the two main Darfur rebel groups fighting between themselves in the run up to peace talks.

In the past, the Darfur rebels have had the Janjaweed and Sudanese forces to point the finger at and blame. Now, when it comes to fighting and killing [if the latest news is true] before Darfur peace talks resume August 24, the rebels have no-one to blame but themselves.

Clearly, the Darfur rebels are not serious about talking peace, nor disciplined enough to sort themselves out.

It would be interesting to know how they are supplied and funded. If they are acting without outside support, it must mean they are surviving through banditry and looting of their own people and aid agencies. None of them are gainfully employed. How else are they affording arms, ammunition, trucks, petrol, satellite phones and putting food on their tables for so long?

The following report is provided by BBC Monitoring Service, via Sudan Tribune:

Fifteen people were killed and another eight seriously injured in renewed fighting between the troops of both the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which occurred yesterday at UMM Marahik locality in Darfur.

SLA rebels enter a village in the desert east of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state November 8, 2004. (Reuters).

A reliable source told the pro-gpvernmental news service (SMC) that JEM lost six of its troops while SLM lost nine of its troops and a number of others were seriously injured.

It went on to say that JEM was able to blow up two petrol tankers belonging to SLM, as well as take command of two landcruisers.

The source added that during the fighting, which was launched by the JEM troops, SLM sought help from additional SLM troops at UMM Raya camp to help repel the attacks from the JEM troops.

The source said that SLM informed the African Union of the attacks.

Further reading:

13 August report - Darfur rebel JEM rejects postponement of Abuja talks: Darfur rebels group JEM has described the African Union's resolution, to postpone the Abuja talks to the first week of October instead of 24 August, as a wrong decision. JEM said it would continue with the negotiations at any time. The Sudanese government official said the government rejected the AU's decision to postpone the Abuja talks between the government and the Darfur rebels, which were scheduled to resume on 24 August.

24 July report - Khartoum proposes advancing next round of Darfur peace talks: The original date for the Abuja negotiations, August 24, was chosen because the mediators "noticed divisions among the rebels during the fifth round of talks and decided to allow them time for coordination".

"The August 24 date has been set for the rebel movements to harmonize their positions and, moreover, to prepare themselves for negotiating the important issues of power-and wealth-sharing in addition to the security arrangements in the forthcoming sixth round," said a spokesman from the African Union Mission in Sudan.

Tags: Sudan Darfur rebels African Union

13,000 Darfuris made homeless by floods - Sudanese government gives blankets and corn

News from Reuters today says about 13,000 refugees have been made homeless by floods in Darfur, in the worst rains for half a century:

El-Fatih Abdel Aziz, the government's manager of Abou Shouk camp in North Darfur, told Reuters the heaviest rains seen in decades had damaged a dam built to prevent flooding in the camp next to the state's main town, el-Fasher.

"This dam... was damaged because of the heavy rain at night, and after that half of the camp was flooded. The government intervened and gave every family blankets and corn," he said.



Non-governmental organisations working in the camp were to meet to decide whether to transfer the 13,000 displaced to another camp. Abou Shouk, just outside el-Fasher, houses about 50,000 Darfuris.

About 2,000 families were also homeless in el-Fasher town. (Image SABC News)

UPDATE Aug 15 AP:

An official at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs said some 2,284 families lost their makeshift shelters in Abu Shouk camp, according to a preliminary report. In El-Fasher, seven neighborhoods were leveled and 547 families left homeless, 12 schools destroyed and the central market heavily damaged, the official said.
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CARE International piping clean water to residents of Kalma

Click here to read about life in Kalma, Darfur's largest camp.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Africa rebels humanitarian aid aid worker UN rain flood Abou Shouk rebels NGO CARE Kalma Abu Shouk

Egyptian peacekeeping forces leave for Darfur, Sudan

China View report August 12 confirms a group of 29 Egyptian officers left for Khartoum late today (Friday) to join African Union peacekeeping forces in Darfur, the official MENA news agency reported.

This was the first group of Egyptian officers to take part in peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

"The peacekeeping mission has been mandated with monitoring and verifying a ceasefire agreement, helping to set up a program for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants as well as promoting national reconciliation and human rights."

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Darfur rebels trying to postpone peace talks ... again

Sudanese government August 12 rejected African Union's decision to postpone Darfur peace talks set to resume August 24.

Postponement of the talks gives rise to about rebels' commitment to the talks.
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UN WFP feeds 3.2 million people in Sudan in 2005

August 12 emergency report by UN's World Food Programme (WFP) says the security situation in Sudan following the death of John Garang has affected WFP deliveries as certain logistical hubs were closed during the week:

"Commodities allocated for the Khartoum warehouse were re-routed to El Obeid. In spite of this, WFP managed to despatch an average of 1,350 tons per day during the first week of August.

In Chad, WFP completes food distributions in southern and central camps, with full rations of 2,070 Kcal/person/day."

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UN News Centre August 12 reports WFP is increasing its assistance and providing aid for an additional 267,000 people in the Sudan from June to September:

"More than halfway through the year, WFP has 55 per cent of the $302 million needed to feed 3.2 million people in Sudan in 2005, leaving a shortfall of $137 million, or 45 per cent. by UN News Centre August 12, 2005."

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UPDATE Aug 13: Khaleej Times says a plane load of relief supplies sent by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation to the city of El Fashir in Darfur, where torrential rains have destroyed more than 200 houses and left several dead, will land in Darfur today:

"The C-130 plane was carrying nearly 10 tonnes of necessary relief aid such as blankets, tents and clothes in addition to insecticide spraying gear.

The Al Zubair Charity Organisation will distribute the relief aid to people in the most affected parts of Al Fashir. Bu Melha said the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation had reacted immediately to calls from Sudanese government foundations to help the victims of the torrential rains."

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UN Dispatch Blog - Posts on the UN: Blog Roundup



See UN Dispatch August 9, 2005 Blog Roundup #37 for a sampling of United Nations related blog commentary.
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World Emergency Relief UK

World Emergency Relief UK (WER UK) is funding humanitarian relief and healthcare work in southern Sudan. Reuters reports WER has shipped approximately 30 tons of humanitarian relief goods, including healthcare packs and food, to southern Sudan in the last few months.

WER and its partner All Nations Christian Care are also assisting with seeds and tools for farmers and are developing agricultural programmes. Report excerpts:



"Healthcare facilities in many southern Sudanese communities are minimal and medical supplies are limited.

Ikotos in Southern Sudan is four days walk to reach the nearest electricity or telephone. Healthcare facilities in Ikotos are minimal and the only medical supplies available are those that have been provided by WER and two other relief organisations. Patients' chances of survival are further reduced by the lack of transport in the area. Medical facilities with surgical capacity are often hours or days away.

Consultation and treatment is free. Doctors and nurses are paid in firewood.

WER works in southern Sudan in partnership with African Nations Christian Care (ANCC) and Africa Inland Church (AIC) and has also provided humanitarian relief to Darfur."
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Darfur youth idle, neglected

August 12 report by IRIN concludes by saying:

"Adolescents are a relatively small but very important group and if we don't do anything for them, it might become a large problem."

Photo: Hamida Abdel Shafi, 17, a youth living in Kalma IDP camp in Darfur, western Sudan. (IRIN)
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Sudan dancing

Mica, in her blog entries "Sudan dancing" and "Going Rates" explains she has a friend called David who works in Africa for the UN. In the posts, Mica links to audio of a conversation they had in NYC.

Note, David talked to Mica about the new job he started organizing and implementing a demilitarizaion effort in Sudan.



Photo via Mica at Hello?: Sudan
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Blown Away by Blogpulse

Ethan, in his recent post on Blogpulse, says if you are interested in who is looking at your blog, or a blog you are a fan of, Blogpulse's new tools are certainly worth a close look. He explains "Sources" lists outgoing links, and "Neighborhood" matches one's blog up with other blogs that have links or terms in common.

Thanks Ethan. Blogpulse showed UN Dispatch blog (see above) linking to Sudan Watch. Seems Technorati has not yet logged the link.

Please bookmark Ethan's blog. He has too many frequently great posts on Africa and technology to list here.

Tags: Sudan Darfur peacekeepers UN Dispatch World Emergency Relief UN WFP Hello? Blogpulse Ethan Zuckerman African Union

NATO: 2,000 African Union peacekeepers airlifted to Darfur

NATO HQ in Brussels, Belgium confirms 2,000 African Union peacekeepers airlifted to Darfur. NATO update August 3-10, 2005:

"In July, NATO has airlifted over 1,300 additional African Union peacekeepers into Darfur. The Alliance will continue to airlift additional peacekeepers into Darfur in August and September.

NATO agreed on 8 June 2005 to help the African Union expand its peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

NATO's airlift mission began on 1 July. Since then United States C-130 and C-17 aircraft has moved approximately 680 troops to the region, while the United Kingdom supported the airlift of another 680 troops.

The Alliance's support is being closely coordinated with the African Union and with other international actors, particularly the European Union and the United Nations.

In addition to further airlifts, NATO will help to train African Union personnel in key headquarters functions such as command and control, logistics and planning.

Further details on the airlift operation in yesterday's post here at Sudan Watch.
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First NATO airlift of civilian police into Darfur

NATO update August 7-10, 2005:

On 7 August, NATO airlifted a team of 49 African Union civilian police as well as an additional 533 military peacekeepers into Darfur.

This is the first time that NATO has assisted in airlifting civilian police into Darfur. The airlift was carried out by the United States, in the framework of the Alliance's support to the African Union.

Enhancing NATO's support

Since July, the Alliance has been helping the African Union strengthen its peacekeeping mission in the region by airlifting forces from African troop-contributing countries into Darfur.

To date it has airlifted about 1,900 African troops into the region.

At the beginning of August, the African Union requested that NATO also assist in the transport of civilian police.

The North Atlantic Council, the Alliance's principal decision-making body, agreed to the request on 5 August. It is being carried out in close coordination with the European Union, which has the lead on police matters in Darfur.

Further airlifts are scheduled for September.

Background



Re NATO's assistance to the African Union for Darfur, see NATO's article What does this mean in practice?

Tags: Sudan Darfur peacekeepers NATO European Union African Union

Salva Kiir Mayardit sworn in as Sudan's vice president

Addressing widespread fears that the peace has been jeopardized by the death of the charismatic Garang, Kiir said:

"It is neither my intention to depart from the route of John Garang nor to change the Comprehensive Peace Agreement."

"I will work on making the unity of Sudan attractive to the people of southern Sudan."

See full report by AP via International Herald Tribune, Aug 11, 2005.



Photo: Southern Sudanese leader Salva Kiir Mayardit, left, raises hands with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, centre, and Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha following his swearing-in ceremony as Sudan's first vice president in Khartoum, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005. The former rebel commander took the oath with his hand on a red copy of the constitution in a large tent in the grounds of the presidential palace. He was also named president of the government of southern Sudan. Kiir replaced his former boss, John Garang de Mabior, who died in a helicopter crash on July 30. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

Further reading:

Keeping the peace alive in Sudan - Julie Flint looks back at Garang, and forward at the prospects for peace. - BBC Aug 11

Facts about Salva Kiir, Sudan's new vice president. - Reuters Aug 11

Chronology of key events in Sudan since start of civil war. - Reuters Aug 11

Caritas Australia - Sudan Situation Update 11 Aug 2005

Excerpt from a report on Darfur by Caritas Australia August 11, 2005:

In July, NATO airlifted over 2,000 additional African Union peacekeepers into Darfur.

On August 4, the U.N. Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) reported that the security situation in Darfur is currently calm, but warned of the potential for spontaneous unrest.

Conflict-Affected Persons in Darfur and Eastern Chad number approx. 2.9 million people (USAID 5 August 05)

There are now 1.85 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Darfur (USAID 5 August 05)

In Eastern Chad 200,000 Sudanese Refugees are living in camps (USAID 5 August 05)

There is a current risk of a locust outbreak in Darfur and neighbouring parts of Chad.

Extensive food distributions are underway. During June 2.1 million people were receiving food aid and food distributions at times have had to be via food drops because of security concerns

Caritas Australia sent approx 1 million Australian dollars directly to Darfur with funds raised through a Special Appeal.
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UN's Sudan troop deployment delayed by visa hitch

August 8 AP report says visa problems are contributing to delays in deploying thousands of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Sudan, the German Foreign Ministry said Monday.
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Three cheers for African Union peacekeepers

On August 8 about 351 Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) were decorated with gold medals for exceptional professionalism, discipline and excellent performance while on their peacekeeping mission in Darfur. Full report at AllAfrica.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Caritas NATO Chad

U.S. Air Force flys African Union troops to Darfur, Sudan

On July 14, 2005 the United States Air Force commenced airlifting African Union troops into Darfur. The operation is expected to take 30 days.

Today, Nigeria sent some 700 soldiers to Darfur:

"The troops from the 174 Battalion in Ikorodu, Lagos, will depart Nigeria for Sudan today," Brigadier-general Ganiyu Adewale told AFP.

He said the troops were the second battalion to be deployed by Nigeria to to replace three companies of Nigerian soldiers in Darfur.

"As you are aware, the first battalion left early last month. The third will leave in about two months' time," he said.

"The troops' deployment is part of Nigeria's contributions to the AU mission in Sudan," he added.

In April, the AU agreed to increase the size of its Darfur mission from the 3,320 to be deployed by the end of May to 7,731 by the end of September.



Archive photo of Nigerian troops preparing to board a U.S. military plane in the Nigerian capital Abuja, October 28, 2004.
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U.S. plane flys African Union force to Darfur

August 8, 2005 report by AFP Stuttgart, Germany confirms an American civil aviation aircraft flew 49 civilian police officers from Rwanda to Darfur in response to a request from the African Union (AU) to NATO, said a US military press statement. Excerpt from AFP:

The statement said the movement of civilian police by US contracted commercial aircraft began July 14 as part of the African Union's expanded mission in Sudan.

"The AU wanted to move the civilian police into theater as quickly as possible, said Brigadier General Richard Mills, who is overseeing the operation from the United States European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart.

"Once we were notified, a plan went into action to rapidly transport them, space available, with the ongoing deployment of the second Rwandan military battalion." said Mills.

As part of a larger NATO effort, the US is airlifting three battalions of Rwandan troops and cargo to Darfur by mid-September.

The AU plans to increase its presence in the region to more than 7,700 personnel by September.

In July President Bush authorized an additional six million dollars (4.8 million euros) in emergency funding to transport AU troops to Darfur.

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U.S. Air Force helps Rwandan troops deploy to Darfur

The following report is by Capt. Morgan J. O'Brien III, 86th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs, dated July 19, 2005:

A C-17 Globemaster III departed Kigali International Airport, Rwanda on July 18, 2005 carrying 95 Rwandan troops deploying to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. The airlift started the 86th Aerospace Expeditionary Group's involvement in NATO's support to the African Union expanded mission in the region. The airlift is expected to last 30 days.

"The people of Darfur need help," said Col. Scott Schafer, the group commander. "This first airlift means that Rwandan troops are on the way."



Photo: Kigali International Airport, Rwanda -- Rwandan forces stand by to board a C-130 Hercules from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, here July 19. The Ramstein Airmen were here to provide transportation for 1,200 Rwandan forces to Sudan in support of NATO's response for the African Union's expanded peacekeeping mission in Darfur with logistics and training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley C. Church)

The troops were sent off with the music of a Rwandan military band, and marched to the C-17 through a Rwandan military honor guard hailing them with fixed bayonets. The aircraft was from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., and was flown by a crew from McChord AFB, Wash.

"All of our efforts in support of (the mission in the Darfur region of Sudan) underscore our commitment to an important team effort," said Capt. Joel Harper, the group's public affairs chief. "We are working with the international community, specifically the African Union and NATO, to help achieve peace in a unified Sudan."



Photo: Kigali International Airport, Rwanda -- Tech. Sgt. Phillip Derenski talks with Rwandan Lt. Kadhafi Ntayomba on a C-17 Globemaster III from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., after arriving at the airport July 17. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley C. Church)

During the operation, about 150 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Royal Mildenhall, England; and strategic support from U.S. Transportation Command will move about 1,200 Rwandan troops from Kigali to Al-Fashir, Sudan.

"We're not alone in this mission," Colonel Schafer said. "We're working with our allies in NATO and the AU to ensure Darfur gets help."



Photo: Kigali International Airport, Rwanda -- Rwandan forces prepare to board a C-17 Globemaster III from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., on July 17. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley C. Church)

The U.S. airlift is part of the larger multinational effort to improve security and create conditions in which humanitarian assistance can be more effectively provided to the people of Darfur. NATO Secretary Gen. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced June 9 that the alliance would help the AU expand its peacekeeping force in Darfur from 3,300 to about 7,700 in the coming months.

U.S. European Command began deploying Airmen and equipment here July 14.

About 120 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen and three C-130 Hercules aircraft from Ramstein deployed to Africa in October 2004 to conduct a similar mission. By mission's end, the C-130s had carried about 350 AU troops and 118,000 pounds of cargo. (Courtesy of USAFE News Service)
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Egyptian troops to leave for peacekeeping mission in Darfur

Aug 10 report from Khartoum by Sudan Tribune claims

"A 60-soldier military force is to arrive in Khartoum on Friday 11 August ahead of leaving to Darfur, said Egypt's Ambassador to Sudan Mohamed Abdelmunim al-Shadhili."

The report says Egypt is taking part in the African Union's force in Darfur to observe ceasefire between the Sudan's government and rebel groups.
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Rains, insecurity hampering aid delivery to Darfur

The long forecasted rainy season has started in Darfur. A report at IRIN Aug 10 says heavy rainfall and ongoing insecurity are slowing down the delivery of aid to parts of Darfur.



Photo: A commercial truck stuck with food in a wadi east of Kabkabiya town North Darfur. (IRIN)

WFP emergency coordinator for Darfur, Carlos Veloso, confirmed that the amount of rain that had fallen in Darfur was above the region's average.

"In terms of the quantity of rain, this is very good news for the expected harvest next year, but right now it does delay the turnaround of our trucks to El Fasher and Nyala [the capitals of North and South Darfur respectively] by a couple of days," Veloso said on Wednesday.

"The rains [in North Darfur] started at the beginning of July, and it rained for 13 days in a row," Mawut Deng, a WFP field monitor in Kabkabiya, added.

Full Story.

Tags: Sudan Darfur USAFE African Union Nigeria

Garang foes may lose in Salva Kiir's regime

Salva Kiir Mayardit, pictured below, arrives in Khartoum after 22 years of absence to take his place in the national unity government.



Photo: Salva Kiir Mayardit arrives in Khartoum, Wednesday, Aug 10, 2005 after 22 years of absence to take his place in the national unity government, stepping into the vacancy left by the death of his commander and partner in the southern rebel movement that is now committed to peace.

Kiir was named leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement after Garang's July 30 death in a helicopter crash. He will be sworn in as first vice president and president of southern Sudan on Thursday. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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Garang foes may lose in Salva Kiir's regime

Interesting piece here by an un-named correspondent at The East African, August 8, 2005, listing some unfamiliar names. Not sure of the accuracy of the information, time will tell. It is good to see Mrs Garang had, and hopefully still has, a role. More women are needed in Sudanese politics and government. Here is the report, entitled "Garang foes may lose in Salva Kiir's regime" copied in full for future reference, incase the link becomes broken:

With the exit of Garang from the scene, the power equations within the Sudan People's Liberation Movement are likely to change in major ways.

In terms of profile and seniority, one would say that the next in the hierarchy after Salva Kiir is Dr Riek Machar.

Yet the truth of the matter is that Machar, like the other warlords, such as Dr Lam Akol and Theophilus Ochieng, who confronted Garang militarily, will be viewed with suspicion by SPLM stalwarts who dismiss them as recent converts.

Salva Kiir will want to avoid the perception that he is bringing closer to the centre of power former defectors who differed with Garang.

In terms of influence, the group whose political stock is likely to soar are Salva Kiir's longstanding military comrades, who have served as his deputies, including Oyay Deng Ajak, Salva Mathok, Riek Machar and field commander Kuol Manyang.

His longstanding military aides like Malong Awan and Commander Jadalla are also likely to be more visible in the new regime.

In determining the direction of relations with the Arab north, the people to watch are Yasir Arman, a Northerner and SPLM spokesman based in Eritrea and Cairo, the chief negotiators of the comprehensive peace agreement; Commnders Nhial Deng and Elijah Malok, and people like secretary general James Wani Iga and Pagan Amum.

Who is going to be who in Kiir's Cabinet? SPLM insiders are reluctant to make predictions.

Weeks before he died, Garang confounded pundits by dispersing key party stalwarts and appointing them as "caretakers" of the separate regions of south Sudan.

For instance, Riek Machar, a Nuer from Bentui, was sent to Bahr el Gazal as the caretaker of the region, while Theophilus Ochieng - an Acholi from Magwi - was appointed caretaker of Western Upper Nile; Pagan Amum - a Shilluk from Malakal - was sent to East Equatoria and James Wani Igga, a Bari from Juba, was posted as caretaker of Central Equatoria.

Initiallly, the postings elicited murmurs, with critics saying that it was a ploy to weaken key figures politically by posting them to the countryside.

But as it emerged later, these were temporary postings effected to avoid a power vacuum following the dissolution of the administrative structures that existed before the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement.

Thus, the most reliable guess about how Garang wanted to structure his Cabinet would appear to be a confidential document that showed how he had nominated key party leaders to a capacity building programme that was to take place in Pretoria, South Africa.

People were nominated for training in specific areas of government, suggesting that they were being groomed to take up posts in those areas.

Salva Kiir and James Wani Iga were to travel to South Africa to be exposed to how a liberation movement can be transformed into a robust mass political party.

Oyang Deng, Abdal Aziz al Hilu, Obuto Mamur Melle, George Athior Deng and Butrus Bol Bol were selected to study South Africa's military.

Gabriel Mathong Rok, speaker of the National Leadership Council, Kuot Deng Kuot and Peter Longole Kuam were nominated to study the South African parliamentary system.

Dr Machar was among the group who were to study the area of transport and comunications and information technology and communications, while Army Commander Paul Malong Awan was nominated for training in the environment, tourism and wildlife resources area.

Elijah Malok Aleng, the designate governor of the central bank, was to train in central banking, while Pagan Amum Okech was nominated for training in the area of public expenditure management and training

Kohl Manyang Juuk, Castello Garang and Stephen Ali Kamanyungu were nominated for training in the areas of railways, transport, and power projects.

Garang's wife, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, was slotted in the area of rehabilitation of wounded heroes and orphans.
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Demining Southern Sudan



Photo: Stafford Molelekoa, a South African demining dog handler, moves across a dirt road with his dog in Juba, southern Sudan, Tuesday Aug. 9, 2005 during an operation to locate possible explosives and clear them. A Sudanese soldier walks at right. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
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Servant's Heart Relief - Sudan Council of Churches USA - Sudan Mercy

Sudansong left a comment at Kendall's blog Titusonenine, thanking him for the link to Sudan Watch. I too am grateful. As mentioned here earlier, there was a spike in traffic here for a few days - lots of extra visitors a day - maybe 400 or more - I lost count - all arriving from Kendall's blog. Here is a copy of Sudansong's comment that provides new links:

"Thank you for this link.

There are also some great resources from those who have worked on Southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and elsewhere – where the genocide started two decades ago, and from Sudanese Christians themselves, now working with the Darfurian refugees in Chad. For instance:

Servant's Heart Relief - Risk management banker turns into Indiana Jones and and helps the Sudanese in Eastern Blue Nile and elsewhere to dig wells, build schools, detect landmines, as well as follow the oil money in Sudan from China to Canada to Malaysia, etc.

Sudan Council of Churches USA and Sudan Mercy: Sudanese Christians reaching out to their former persecutors (standing with the Muslims of Darfur), bringing food aid, clothing, and a message of forgiveness and reconciliation to the refugees in Chad.

That's just a sampling, there are plenty more. Very soon, the first Christian newspaper in Sudan, The New Sudan Christian, created by the Rev. John Daau from Kakuma Refugee Camp, will be online, too.

Please pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters upon the devastating blow of losing Dr. Garang."

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UN and SPLM say 17 bodies recovered at Garang crash site

The UN said on Wednesday 17 bodies had been recovered from the site of a helicopter crash that killed John Garang, although Uganda has said only 14 were on board its chopper.

The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear, although a member of the southern Sudanese leadership council had earlier also said 17 bodies had been recovered.

A joint commission between the government and Garang's SPLM was formed this week to investigate the causes of the crash and officials have said they welcome any input from the U.N. or other international experts.

The commission, headed by SPLM official and former Vice President Abel Alier, is to offer a preliminary report within four weeks of starting work.
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Photo: Red Cross officials carry the coffins of seven Ugandans who died in the helicopter crash with Sudanese First Vice President John Garang at the Entebbe military base, Uganda, August 9, 2005. Garang was travelling on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's helicopter back to southern Sudan after a meeting with him on July 30, 2005 when it disappeared from radar screens. (Reuters/Stringer)
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First Anniversary of Sudan Watch

This month is the first anniversary of this blog. Sudan Watch has a Site Meter that logs visitor numbers. Recently, new features were introduced enabling users to see country locations of visitors.

It was astonishing to see visitors from almost every country in Africa, including the Sudan. I had no idea there were so many from Africa - or Malaysia, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Canada, USA and UK ... I have lost track of all the different countries.

Although I can only identify a visitors by country, I can see what brings them to the site, i.e. Google search words used. It is encouraging to see 99% of visitors at this site know exactly what they are looking for and do not arrive by accident. As I can recall, without even looking, most of the material posted here over the past 12 months, it pleases me to know that visitors probably find what they are searching for. Thank you.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Garang John Garang Kiir

UN envoy urges quick decisions on status of oil-rich regions in central Sudan

Aug 8 AFP report via Gulf Times:

UN special envoy for Sudan Jan Pronk said quick decisions were needed on the status of several oil-rich regions in central Sudan claimed by both Khartoum and the SPLM where militia activity continues despite the accord.

"The problem is not in the north or south of Sudan," Pronk told reporters after meeting Salva Kiir, Garang's successor as head of the SPLM. The problem is on the fringes of central Sudan.

"There are groups, armed groups, that have become agitated, people are afraid of each other in Abyei," he said, referring to one of three disputed oil-rich zones that were left out of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in Kenya.

"They need political discussions," Pronk said.

Full Story.
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UPDATE - AP report Aug 7 excerpt - with thanks to Coalition for Darfur and Passion of the Present:

"Pronk pressed the government and SPLM to form commissions to guide and monitor the implementation of key aspects of the peace accord.

"When these institutions are not there, you cannot easily go forward because the SPLM works separately, the government works separately and the United Nations (works separately). So we have to do it together," Pronk said.

He said he urged Kiir on Sunday to resolve differences with pro-government militia in the south which are not part of the SPLM.

"There are groups which have become quite agitated of late," Pronk said. He declined to say more about them, but NGO workers have told The Associated Press that some pro-government militiamen have recently kidnapped women and children, holding them as bargaining chips.

The NGO workers spoke on condition of anonymity as they feared straining their relations with the Sudanese government.

The peace provides for the militiamen to be integrated either into the national army or into a new army of southern Sudan, which will be dominated by their former enemy, the Sudan People's Liberation Army."

See full report at Sudan Tribune
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Click here to see map showing the current concessions of oil exploration and production activities in Sudan.

If any reader here at Sudan Watch has snippets of news relating to what is happening these days with oil companies in Sudan or any conflict in or around Blocks 6 or C, please email for future pieces on oil and Darfur. Thanks.



Photo: The new leader of southern Sudan Salva Kiir (L) greets the UN special envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk in a private residence in the southern town of Juba, a day after former rebel leader John Garang was buried in an emotional ceremony that was attended by tens of thousands. (AFP/Simon Maina) August 7, 2005
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London suspects have ties to East Africa

Aug 8 AP Nairobi report says experts suggest terror strengths may be growing in East Africa. Excerpt:

At least three of the four suspects in the July 21 attempted bombings on the London subway and a bus were born in East Africa, where al-Qaida-linked groups still operate and may be growing in strength, according to a new assessment by counterterrorism experts.

The attackers, at least two of them naturalized British citizens, were born in Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea and there is no evidence they have been back there recently. But East Africa has several indigenous terror groups and has suffered three al-Qaida attacks since 1998.

Note, the report says "Osama bin Laden moved to East Africa in 1991 at the invitation of Hassan al-Turabi, an Islamic fundamentalist once considered the spiritual, if not de facto, leader of Sudan. Bin Laden brought with him Afghan war veterans, millions of dollars and plans to start al-Qaida."
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Hassan al-Turabi



Following on from the above, here is a photo and caption from a previous post at Sudan Watch: July 17, 2005 AP - Hassan Turabi, the Islamist leader recently freed from a year and a half of house arrest for allegedly plotting a coup, told the Associated Press in Khartoum, Sunday, July 17, 2005 that he wants to bring free democracy to Sudan. He criticized the new constitution and said he wants closer relations with the U.S. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

Click here for Sudan Watch posts on Turabi.

Tags: Sudan Darfur oil Pronk Abyei Garang John Garang Gulf Times rebels Central Sudan

Sudan is made up of two different worlds that will never coexist peacefully

Note this copy of another gem of a post by Captain Marlow July 21, 2005 entitled 'Sudan shame.'

WESTERN DARFUR, Sudan (CNN) -- Sudan's foreign minister has apologized to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after authorities roughed up journalists and staff members traveling with her.

Do we have to take this crap from this failure of a state?

Also rarely mentioned in media coverage is the fact that the two-decades old "civil war" in Sudan* is an effort by the Muslim north (often referred to as "the government") to slaughter the Christian and Animists (often referred to as "rebels") who populate the southern areas of the country. The situation is further complicated by the more recent battles* (more accurately: ethnic cleansing) raging between Arab Muslims (often referred to as "the government") and African Muslims (often referred to as "rebels") - mostly in the Darfur region of western Sudan*. None of this should be confused with the even more recent conflict in eastern Sudan*.

IMHO there is no way that Sudan will or should retain its territorial integrity: it is made up of two different worlds that will never coexist peacefully.

* please click here for links within original post.

[Well said. It would be interesting to know what exactly Marlow means when he says: "there is no way that Sudan will or should retain its territorial integrity."]
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Why Darfur Can't Be Left to Africa

Thanks to a reader here at Sudan Watch for sharing the following report. Sorry not yet had time to read it, or reply to all of the emails and comments received. Apologies and regards to all. Hope to catch up soon.

Why Darfur Can't Be Left to Africa
washingtonpost.com
By Susan E. Rice
Sunday, August 7, 2005

Tags: Sudan Darfur Arabs Islamic Muslims Garang John Garang Christian Animist Washington Post

John Bolton - Machar's Lady MacBeth

Hopefully, John Bolton will give the UN's World Food Programme a shake up to help prevent another disaster like what happened in Darfur and Niger.



AP report and cartoons via Cox & Forkum Aug 1, 2005:

Bush Appoints Bolton, Bypassing Senate

President Bush sidestepped the Senate and installed embattled nominee John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations on Monday, ending a five-month impasse with Democrats who accused Bolton of abusing subordinates and twisting intelligence to fit his conservative ideology.

"This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform," Bush said. He said Bolton had his complete confidence.


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UPDATE: Copy of Aug 1 post at Captain Marlow blog:

"Bolton ambassador to the UN

President Bush today used a recess appointment to sidestep the U.S. Senate and install John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.

Before anyone starts crying "abuse" and criticizing Bush for exceeding his powers:

Clinton made recess appointments for everything from the judiciary, to a controversial ambassador, to three seats on a library commission and others. The Dems are either lying, or have less than four years of historical memory and no access to the internet. I'll let you decide which. [this refers to the Dems reaction to Pickering's recess appointment, but it will be the same, I bet]"

Captain Marlow says he looks forward to seeing Bolton at the UN. Me too.
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Lady MacBeth in mini skirt is still talk of Sudan - and Hollywood

"[Riek] Machar - long neglected and today little known outside southern Sudan - might well emerge as a national leader of considerable consequence.

But in Khartoum he is best remembered as the husband of the late Emma McCune, an aid worker dubbed by John Garang as 'Lady Macbeth in a mini skirt'.

Full story in The Scotsman Aug 7, 2005.
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Why Museveni Didn't Bury Sudan's Garang

Excerpt re Riek Machar from AllAfrica today:

Salva Kiir Mayardit, the First Vice-President of Sudan and the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), has appointed Riek Machar as his deputy in both the SPLM and Southern Sudan region. The Al-Ittihadi (Democratic Unionist Party) website reported the appointment.

Machar belongs to the Nuer ethnic community, the second largest tribe, in Southern Sudan, after the Dinka tribe, which is the tribe of the late Garang and his successor. Last month before his death, Garang appointed Riek Machar as supervisor of Western Equatoria State.

Machar had disassociated himself from Garang in 1991, and signed a peace agreement with Khartoum in 1997, and was appointed assistant to President Omar al-Bashir. Machar later resigned from his position and rejoined Garang as his deputy. Kiir was expected to be sworn in today.

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At long last, pictures of U.N. peacekeepers in South Sudan



Jan Pronk, Special Representative of the United Nations for Sudan, walks with Bangladeshi U.N. troops to lay a wreath at the tomb of the country's Vice President John Garang, who was also president of the autonomous government for southern Sudan, in Juba, Sudan Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005. Southern rebel-leader-turned politician Garang, who died in a helicopter crash on July 30, was buried in Juba on Saturday. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

Sudan bids rebel leader farewell - John Garang Obituary

Tributes have been paid to former rebel leader John Garang at his funeral in southern Sudan, attended by thousands of mourners wailing in grief and shaking green leaves in a traditional symbol of mourning. Leaders from Kenya, Uganda and South Africa attended the funeral.



Photo: The President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir, South African President Thabo Mbeki and Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki, with other foreign dignitaries walk behind the coffin of John Garang, First Vice President of Sudan (AP)

BBC says Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir pledged that Sudan's peace process would be implemented to the letter.



Photo: Sudan's President Omar Hassab al-Bashir (R) and Salva Kiir, successor to the late vice president John Garang, shake hands after a funeral service for Garang in Juba, southern Sudan August 6, 2005. (Reuters/Radu Sigheti)

Mr Kiir will be sworn in Sunday as the new Sudanese First Vice President.

See obituary on John Garang at BBC News online.

And BBC readers' comments on Garang's death.

Tags: Juba Garang John Garang

Evacuation of "Arabs" from Southern Sudan

This photo and caption by Associated Press are confusing because the Islamic regime in Khartoum insists ethnic cleansing could never occur in Darfur as there is no difference between Sudanese Arabs and Sudanese Africans - that they are so interbred there is no such thing as Arab v African conflicts in the Sudan.



AP photo and caption: Arabs from northern Sudan walk in single file to board a Russian-build cargo plane sent by the government to evacuate them from Sudan's southern town of Juba on Friday, Aug. 5, 2005.

Several Arab traders were killed in two days of riots in Juba after officials announced on Monday the death of southern Sudan's political leader and country's Vice President John Garang in a helicopter crash in southern Sudan. Southerners are suspicious the Arab-dominated government had a hand in his death.

More than 130 people were killed in riots in Khartoum, the capital, and Juba and Malakal in the south, according to the Sudanese Red Crescent. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)



AP photo and caption: Arabs from northern Sudan walk to board a Russian-build cargo plane sent by the government to evacuate them from Sudan's southern town of Juba on Friday, Aug. 5, 2005. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
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Read eyewitness account by BBC's Jonah Fisher: Khartoum violence.

And BBC report Police patrol after Sudan clashes.
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Sudan's Yamile Aldama competes in world athletics championships



Photo: Yamile Aldama of Sudan competes in the women's triple jump at the world athletics championships in Helsinki August 6, 2005. (Reuters/Ruben Sprich)

Tags: Sudan Darfur Arabs Islamic athletics Juba Sudanese Red Crescent ethnic cleansing Garang John Garang

Sudan: Artwork - Africa On My Mind

Marc, pictured above, has a great post here and here about this deep and thoughtful piece of art he has created to symbolize Sudan's current situation.



In the post, Marc describes how he came about designing the piece and says he thought up the following quote while in the process of finishing it:

"It's amazing what you can do with little supplies and lots of motivation."

And, explains why he finds this quote to be true:

"This year at my school we raised $2,008 in 12 school days to send to Doctors Without Borders to aid innocent civilians in Sudan. The amazing thing about that is not only the fact that we have less than 750 students at my school, but we are also a fairly poorer school to begin with; so it really goes to show how much you can do when you're motivated.

I began this project on Friday, April 8.
I completed it today, Saturday, April 16.
It took a little over a week to complete.
It's probably my favorite piece out of all the artwork I've ever created.

Funny how I finished it all in one week, too. It usually takes me weeks upon weeks to get everything "correct" in my eyes in my pieces.

THEY REALLY
NEED YOUR HELP.

Peace.

I worked hard on putting this post together so please comment and let me know what you think."

[Note, Comments can be left at Marc's Xanga or Live Journal sites. See Marc's Darfur t-shirt designs]
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Project Unity t-shirts



Some energetic young Americans at Project Sudan are promoting Project Unity t-shirts.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Africa art Project Sudan

Hope endures for Sudan's fragile peace

Today's BBC Africa report quotes Roger Winter, the US state department's senior Sudan adviser, as saying of the new leadership in South Sudan:

"The level of leadership is something I've not often seen among the rebel movements I've worked with on this continent. They're capable in terms of intellect, and they're capable in terms of vision. I fully recognise how difficult it is to work out of this current situation, but I must say I'm optimistic because the leadership is there."

Also encouragingly, the report says:

Another diplomat closely involved in the peace talks said the death of John Garang may in fact make the surviving commanders more effective.

He said the late chairman often controlled his organisation through the sheer force of his personality.

His successor will have to spend more time building consensus - something that should make them more unified than before.

John Garang's widow, Rebecca, agrees.

She has been receiving visitors in the light, airy tent in a quiet corner of the compound.

Seated on low cushions in the shade, she said her late husband's vision would survive, and that the leaders were committed to it.

"I told them that the death of John Garang was a wake-up call to you people," she said.

"You used to rely on him, now it's time to stand on your own feet, and they are."

Tags: Sudan Darfur Africa peace John Garang Garang

Son of John Garang mourns and helps prepare grave in Juba

Excerpt from Aug 5 report at the Conservative Voice [note it reveals John Garang's son, Chol Garang, is/was a fine arts student at the University of Kent here in England]:

Juba was calm Friday. Women cooked red beans, okra and sorghum porridge in large aluminum pots to feed the thousands expected at the funeral.

Mourners from surrounding villages were already gathering Friday. The grounds of Juba's All Saints Cathedral, where Saturday's proceedings will begin with a multi-denominational service, were expected to be filled Friday night in keeping with the tradition of spending the night with the dead before burial. A choir rehearsed in the cathedral Friday.

After his death, John Garang's body was first taken to New Site, a remote camp of his Sudan People's Liberation Movement. The body began a journey Thursday by plane from town to town in southern Sudan, allowing people to pay last respects. The body was to arrive in Juba later Friday.

Chol Garang, a fine arts student at Britain's Kent University and one of six Garang children, broke ground Thursday for his father's grave on a hilltop next to the Provincial Legislative Assembly, predecessor of the legislature for the autonomous southern zone over which Garang was to have been president. Traditional chiefs first blessed the site by sacrificing a white bull, then reading out the names of ancestors.

Carpenters and welders were working around the clock trying to finish the tomb, a one-story structure with a star-shaped chamber over the grave representing the "guiding star" in the SPLM flag. The entrance hall symbolizes all of Sudan and the exit hall the new Sudan John Garang promised would come with peace, said the project's chief engineer, Alikaya Aligo Samson.

The site was chosen because it "is the highest point in Juba ... so that the vision for the new Sudan can start in the south," Samson said.

John Garang's family brought the bed he slept in while a rebel leader to be buried with him, said cathedral provost Frasier Yugu.



Photo: Chol Garang the son of the late southern Sudanese leader John Garang waits Friday Aug. 5, 2005 for the body of his father to arrive in Juba, southern Sudan. Chol Garang, a fine arts student at Britain's Kent University, broke ground Thursday for his father's grave in Juba . (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

Chol Garang was in neighboring Kenya when he heard the news of his father's death, and flew immediately to New Site. Chol Garang said he had been in despair until he joined his mother, Rebecca de Mabior, a leader in his Sudan People's Liberation Movement, at New Site.



Workers prepare the gravesite for former rebel leader John Garang in Juba, Sudan Friday, Aug. 5 2005. Garang will be buried in a red-brick and granite-stone tomb in the town on Saturday in a state funeral, a week after dying in a helicopter crash in southern Sudan.(AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
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African Union Peace and Security Council - 36th meeting

4 Aug 2005, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia - Excerpt from report via ReliefWeb:

Council urged all Sudanese Parties concerned to vigorously pursue their efforts aimed at bringing about lasting peace and reconciliation through the effective implementation of the CPA, which will, no doubt, facilitate the settlement of the other conflicts facing the country, in particular in the Darfur region of the Sudan.

Council reiterated AU's determination to continue to support the efforts of the Sudanese parties in their quest for peace, justice and reconciliation. In this respect, Council appealed to the donor community to fulfill the pledges made during the Oslo Conference.

Council further urged the international community, including the AU Member States, to redouble their efforts in support of the post-conflict reconstruction of the Sudan.
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In the wake of John Garang's death - Peace is still possible

Eric Reeves, in his latest opinion piece Aug 3, says:

SPLM officials should support Salva Kiir as leader, but encourage him to create a leadership council that functions as a collective source of wisdom and guidance in making key political, diplomatic, and military decisions. As the NIF begins testing southern leadership in earnest, the historic peace agreement of January will become only a bitter memory if the legacy of John Garang is not preserved with vigilant, disciplined efforts by all within the SPLM leadership. Yet greater inclusion of southerners in the new governance structures is also imperative. Peace is still possible for Sudan, but it became a great deal more difficult with this tragic death.

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John Prendergast and David Mozersky, in their WSJ opinion piece Aug 5, say:

If calm and stability begins to return to Sudan, then the CPA will still have a strong chance for success. The SPLM can use this opportunity to democratize and strengthen what had largely been Mr. Garang's movement. It will take years for the Sudanese to get over the loss, but nothing would better serve his legacy than a return to peace for a country plagued by a history of civil war.

- Mr. Prendergast is special adviser to the president of the International Crisis Group, where Mr. Mozersky is a senior analyst.

Tags: Sudan Darfur Africa African Union Chol Garang Garang Ethiopia