Sudan: Head of AU Mission in Darfur says mandate is sufficient, security is improving, 3m war affected and rising

Amb Baba Gana Kingibe, Head of African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS) in an interview with IRIN on July 18 claims fighting between Darfur rebel groups SLA and JEM and government troops has, over the last few months, more or less vanished. Banditry continues as usual and there are still no go areas for aid workers - quote:

"The humanitarian situation is not really something cheerful, and the prognosis also doesn't look good. There are attacks on convoys, particularly food convoys, and fraud in the distribution of humanitarian materials in the camps.

Right now the number of war-affected is rising; we are looking at something like three million. Quite a number - about 200,000 - are new arrivals, so there is a lot of work that needs to be done."

To date, the African Union (AU) has 3,392 personnel on the ground in Darfur. The number is expected to increase to 7,500 troops by the end of September.

Note, in the above mentioned interview, head of AMIS says he believes AU troops in Darfur have a sufficient mandate.

See July 20 BBC report Security in Darfur 'is improving.'
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UN not responsible for security in Darfur - official

KHARTOUM, July 16, 2005 (KUNA) -- UN mission in Sudan said Saturday it was not its job to safeguard security in Darfur.



Photo: Sudanese army soldiers patrol on camels outside the Mornay camp in western Darfur, Sudan. (AFP).

"A UN official said in remarks here that the African Union was responsible for the security in Darfur in western Sudan.

The official underlined UN commitment to supporting Sudan by a peacekeeping force of 10,750 troops.

The protection of civilians is the responsibility of the Sudanese government, he added. He said the international forces would defend themselves if they were attacked."

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Photo July 17 AFP - Rwandan troops of the African Union force wait to board a plane at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda to be dispatched to Darfur. US President George W. Bush directed the Pentagon to spend six million dollars in 'commodities and services' to help transport African Union troops to Darfur. (AFP/File/Jose Cendon)

U.S. military to assist with Darfur deployment



July 16 via AP - In above picture provided by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Airmen process through a deployment line at U.S. airbase in Ramstein, southern Germany, Friday July 15, 2005 in preparation for a month-long airlift mission to Darfur. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Master Sgt. David D. Underwood, Jr.)



July 16 via AP - In a picture provided by the U.S. Air Force a soldiers signals to a plane as three C-130 Hercules aircraft and approximately 40 airmen depart from U.S. airbase in Ramstein, southern Germany, for Kigali, Rwanda, Saturday, July 16, 2005, as part of NATO's response to support the African Union's expanded peacekeeping mission in Darfur with logistics and training. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Master Sgt. David D. Underwood, Jr.)
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Dr Rice departs for Sudan

On July 19, 2005 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made her first trip to Africa since becoming secretary of state, with two stops in Sudan.

China's Xinhua News Agency reports Sudanese government welcomes Rice's visit - quote:

"I'll try to say to people that there is hope, that nobody is forgotten, that we are working very very hard," Rice said of her planned visit to Darfur.

I'll talk to the non-government organisations that are on the front lines." she said. "And I'll say that even the darkest moments in any country can be overcome. It's a very horrible situation."

July 20 Guardian report Rice Speaks on Ending Violence in Darfur - excerpt:

Rice told delegates at a U.S.-Africa trade conference that the additional $1 million in U.S. grants would help West African nations improve transportation safety and infrastructure to enhance international trade.

"Only the people of Africa can solve the problems of Africa," she said. "But for these men and women to fulfill their dreams of democracy and security and prosperity, all developed nations have a responsibility to help."

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Darfur's rebel groups reach deal

BBC report July 19 states two main rebel groups in Darfur, SLA and JEM have agreed to stop attacking each other.



Note, the report does not say the Darfur rebels have agreed to stop attacking government forces.

Still more more talk.
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July 17 via AP - Hassan Turabi (pictured above) 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)


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Ex-rebel group SPLA in joint peacekeeping force for southern Sudan

July 18 via AP - The first batch of troops of John Garang's Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) arrive in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, July 18, 2005, ready to form the joint peace keeping force in southern Sudan. The two main rebel movements in Darfur western Sudan have signed an agreement to stop all acts of enmities and friction between their supporters to maintain unity in the strife-torn province. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)



Photo: A soldier from the SPLA stands guard at a camp in Khartoum, Monday, July 18, 2005. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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USA: Oregon Divestment - Passes the House

Thanks to Sudan Activism Blog for this piece of news July 20, 2005:

Oregon Senate just voted a couple of minutes ago to pass SB 1089-which divests Oregon's pension system and other public investments from companies in Sudan. The vote was unanimous and the bill now goes to the House for consideration.

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Thought for today

From le blog de Fearless in the UK - with thanks:

If suicide bombings are inextricably linked to Islam, then why do the largest Muslim nations in the Africa/Middle East (Sudan & Iran) have no instances of suicide bombings?

Tags: Sudan Darfur African Union Islam Condoleezza Rice UN BBC SPLA Oregon Divestment Suicide Bombers Africa Middle East Iran Sudan Activism Blog le blog de Fearless Khartoum Kigali John Garang Hassan Turabi Democracy

Niger children starving to death

This morning, I received an email from someone together with the following message and link to Hilary Andersson's report at BBC News online:

** Message **
Another one for you to worry over. As we shall increasingly discover, very many people are living in the wrong place, and shouldn't have been born, anyway. The great fear amongst Niger's neighbours is that these starving folk will move across over their borders, in search of food. What is your solution?

** Niger children starving to death **
Children are dying of hunger in feeding centres in Niger where 3.6m people face food shortages, aid agencies warn.
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It is difficult to know what to say. My first reaction to Andersson's news on Niger is that it seems to have come out of the blue. The way the aid agencies sound in the report you would think they had shouted it from the rooftops and nobody responded. I receive daily email alerts on Africa but this is the first I've heard of such a crisis in Niger.

Hilary Andersson, a first class reporter, says little foreign aid has gone into Niger to deal with the crisis so far; aid agencies in the country predict the situation will get worse in the coming months and say the world has responded too late.

"The crisis in the south of the country has been caused by a drought and a plague of locusts which destroyed much of last year's harvest. Aid agency World Vision warns that 10% of the children in the worst affected areas could die. Niger is a vast desert country and one of the poorest on earth. Millions of people, a third of the population, face food shortages.

"There are children dying every day in our centres," says Milton Tetonidis of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). 'We're completely overwhelmed, there'd better be other people coming quickly to help us out - I mean, the response has been desperately slow.'"

Note, the report clearly states

"the hunger in Niger was predicted months ago - but that did nothing to prevent the present disaster - a severe drought last year, combined with a plague of locusts, destroyed much of the crop that was needed to feed the people and the cattle they rely on".

The report says the "international community" has reacted too late to the crisis. I guess the "international community" comprises the UN and donors from 191-member states. What became of all the donations and aid pledged over the past year - not to mention the public outcry on behalf of Africa and intense lobbying on Darfur? Where are all the African voices shouting about Niger? And all those who complained about white-man helping Africa with global campaigns such as Make Poverty History and Live 8? It is sickening to know about Niger at such a late stage. What has the African Union and its neighbours - and massive number of church goers - done to avoid such a terrible crisis in Niger? Once again, the onus appears to be on the West to come to the rescue - when will it end? How much longer do we have to stomach getting criticised by Africans for coming to Africa's aid?

Going by what happened in Darfur last April [the UN admitted, when put under to pressure to answer questions later on, that it failed to respond to the world's worst humanitarian crisis quickly enough] one has to conclude the UN is not on the ball and fails to act proactively. The report says "UN bodies and NGOs are appealing for donations through their websites" - when are the African fatcats who were educated in the West going to get a grip and start doing something constructive. We cannot keep going on like this. Even the head of the African Union recently said that if Africa is not sorted within the next 27 years, by which time its population will double, Africa will not be manageable for the rest of the world. It's food and aid needs will be too great.

Sorry to admit it is emotionally draining blogging about African politics and Africa's crises. I'm afraid I cannot take on blogging about Niger right now unless I get some helping hands. If any blogger would like to co-author Sudan Watch, Congo Watch, Uganda Watch, Ethiopia Watch [and possibly Niger Watch], please make contact. In the meantime, if any blogger can put together news items/summaries/round-ups and/or blog round ups for any of those sites, please email me and I will publish them asap with full credit and blog link. Depending on suitability of content, some posts could appear at more than one blog. Thanks.

Note these snippets from Hilary Andersson's report on Niger:

A severe drought last year, combined with a plague of locusts, destroyed much of the crop that was needed to feed the people and the cattle they rely on.

Now, across the windswept plains of the Sahel, carcasses of cattle litter the landscape.

Rains have come - but so late they are now a curse, bringing malaria and other disease.

Families are roaming the parched desert looking for help. One family we came across did not even know where they were going.

"I'm wandering like a madman," the father said. "I'm afraid we'll all starve."

They were hundreds of miles from the nearest food distribution point.

Aid agencies estimate that tens of thousands of children are in the advanced stages of starvation.

Children are dying daily in the few feeding centres there are, where their place in the queue could make the difference between life and death.

Amina is so starved she cannot eat even if she wants to.

"She vomits as soon as I give her food or water," says her mother.

"As far as I'm concerned, God did not make us all equal - I mean, look at us all here. None of us has enough food."

Tags: Live 8 Niger G8 Sudan Congo Uganda Ethiopia Gleneagles Tony Blair Hilary Andersson Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Corruption Africa malaria starvation One Campaign Joe Trippi BBC Doctors Without Borders World Vision UN NGO

Ex-rebel leader John Garang was sworn in as Sudan's first southern and Christian vice president

On July 9, 2005 former rebel John Garang made a triumphant return to Khartoum. It is the first time he had set foot in Sudan's capital for 22 years. He greeted the president and hundreds of thousands of supporters hopeful for a new era after Africa's longest civil war.



Photo: Sudanese President Omer el Bashir right holds hands with John Garang, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Army at the headquarters of the ruling national congress party in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, July 8, 2005, ahead of his swearing in to the position of first vice president. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

July 15 AFP - US President George W. Bush directed the Pentagon to spend six million dollars in 'commodities and services' to help transport African Union troops to Darfur. The speaker of South Darfur state legislature is among four people who have been held captive by ethnic minority rebels for nearly a fortnight, Sudan's official media reported.

July 14 AFP - US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick talked to the press following his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Borg al-Arab town, 60 kms west of Alexandria. The two men focused on Iraq and Sudan as well as bilateral relations.

July 9 AFP - Mr Zoellick said the situation in Darfur continues to be terrible and called on Sudan's government to do more to improve security and access to relief aid.

July 13 AFP - Security has improved in some parts of Darfur but fear continues to reign among internally displaced persons, a UN official said.

July 12 Reuters - Here is a photo of Sudan's opposition Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi talking during an interview with Reuters in Khartoum, July 11, 2005.



Hassan al-Turabi promised to stick to peaceful opposition to the Khartoum government, just days after his release from 18 months in detention for allegedly plotting a coup. Above picture taken July 11, 2005. Al-Turabi hit out at Sudan's new power-sharing arrangement that put a final seal on a north-south peace deal, saying it failed to represent the country's political forces. 'I am not objecting to southern representation. They deserve it because they have been disadvantaged for so long, it is the other 52 percent,' Turabi told AFP.

July 10 AP - Sudanese former prime minister and chairman of the Umma Party, Imam Sadiq al-Mahdi held a press conference in Khartoum, Sunday, July 10, 2005. The leader of Sudan's main opposition party criticized the nation's interim constitution as deficient and said he was forming an alliance with a leading Islamist figure to monitor the new government sworn in the day before.



July 9 AP - In the above image provided by the UN, John Garang, first vice president of the Republic of Sudan meets with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Saturday, July 9, 2005 in Khartoum, Sudan. (AP Photo/UN, Evan Schneider)

The UN said on July 9 that donors must honour pledges of more than $4.5 billion in aid for Sudan or endanger a January agreement ending Africa's longest civil war in the south of the country. Speaking after southern rebel leader John Garang took the oath of office as first vice president in a peace government, the U.N. Secretary-General said he would be writing to major donor countries to remind them of the urgent needs in Sudan. (Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom)



July 9 AFP - In the above photo, former Sudanese rebel leader John Garang (L) shakes hands with former enemy Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir in Khartoum. Garang was sworn in as Sudan's first vice president as a new power-sharing constitution came into force in a bid to put a final seal on two decades of civil war. (AFP/Salah Omar)



July 9 AP - John Garang, on left in above photo, is sworn in as first vice president of the Republic of Sudan in Khartoum, Saturday, July 9, 2005 as President Omar El-Bashir, center, and the chief justice Galal edd in Mohammed Osman, right look on. Ex-rebel leader Garang, who was feted in a massive public reception a day earlier, is now Sudan's first southern and Christian vice president. Rebel groups fighting in Sudan's western and eastern regions voiced hope that Garang would help restore stability in the vast African nation. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)



July 9 AP - President Omar El-Bashir is sworn in as president of the Republic of Sudan in Khartoum Saturday July 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
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Release of soldiers and political prisoners



July 9 Reuters photo - Soldiers who were detained by the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) disembark from an International Committee of the Red Cross plane in Khartoum after being released in this July 7, 2005 file photo. Last week Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said in a speech that his government had decided to release all political prisoners and undertake other reform measures. (Reuters/Handout/ICRC/Lorena Brander)
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Garang makes it to Khartoum after 22 years



Photo: Sudanese President Omar el Bashir, right, welcomes the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement John Garang in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, July 8, 2005. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

Families and Terrorists - And the only solution to terrorism - Downing Street's list of Al Qaida inspired attacks

A few days ago, Downing Street released a list of Al Qaida inspired terror attacks.

Today, a BBC report on the evil of the London bombers' idealogy quotes British Prime Minister Tony Blair as saying: "This is the battle that must be won. A battle not just about terrorist methods, but their views ... It cannot be beaten, in my view, except by confronting it, symptoms and causes, head on." Mr Blair denied there was a "clash of civilisations" and said that all people, including Muslims, were united in their abhorrence of terrorist activities.
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Over the past week, after suggesting in a comment at Clive Soley's post on the London bombs that relatives of foreign nationals who commit an act of treason in Britain are stripped of their UK residency/passports, I recall something from years ago about relatives being held responsible for the financial debts of family members - and I saw this post by American blogger Don Park which told me I was not the only one making such a suggestion:

"... To stem the tide of terrorism, key terrorist origin and destination countries need to pass legislations that severely penalize families of terrorists. This will force parents of potential terrorists to take more interest in knowing what their children are up to and curb them away from their destructive path. Also this will raise the ante for suicide bombers so they'll have to put more than just their worthless lives on line.

Also, we need to put up fake Al-Qaeda recruiting websites. While the same can be done by closely monitoring the real ones, this approach offers more options. Trapped and turned, they can help us infiltrate the real ones.

These are, no doubt, extreme measures but I fear terrorism will spread like cancer if steps like these are not taken. Even now, pro Al-Queda communities are spreading. Even in Korea, an Al-Queda fan club was recently formed. It was promptly shutdown upon discovery but, by that time, its membership was 100+. While most of them were probably joking when they were carelessly posting about blowing things up, I am pretty sure a handful of them were not. Left alone, there are no limits to what misguided youths can do. ..."

See comments Don received at his post Families and Terrorists.
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CAUSES OF TERRORISM
And the only solution

Somebody just emailed me this message which puts the only solution to terrorism in a nutshell, and into the correct perspective:

".....'The root cause of almost all terrorism, for perhaps 10,000 years, has been a widely held belief in the existence of conflicting Gods who protect and reward (or penalise) their adherents. There is no empirical evidence anywhere supporting this very dubious hypothesis. As long as such a highly irrational belief continues to shackle mankind, successful terrorists will continue to provide headlines for a venal media, which is what they are trying to do. Let's get used to it and shut up'. ..."

Tags: Tony Blair Clive Soley Terrorism London bombings Don Park Korea London bombs Terrorist Al Qaeda Al Qaida Muslims Al Queda BBC

G8: 50 billion dollars for Africa aid - 3 billion for Palestinian authority - London Bombing 50 fatalities and growing

At the moment it is one o'clock Friday afternoon here in England and I am watching television news broadcast live from Gleneagles.

Surrounded by everyone attending the G8 summit, Tony Blair, president of the G8, is standing at a podium giving a press statement.

Part of the big announcement is 3 billion dollars to help the Palestinian authority live side by side in peace plus a 50 billion dollar uplift in aid for Africa along with a plan of action for Africa, in partnership with Africa. On the environment the G8 agreed a plan of action that will initiate global dialogue November 1st with the first meeting set to take place in Britain.
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LONDON BOMBING
Desperate hunt for clues to capture the killers

News reports say Britain's most intensive manhunt - on an international scale - is underway, the largest in British criminal history. Forensics are doing a painstaking search for clues in order to capture the killers.

So far there are 50 fatalities. 24 hours after the blast, emergency services are still trying to recover bodies at Russell Square station, one of the deepest tunnels on the London Underground. As many as 20 bodies could be retrieved. A makeshift morgue has been set up nearby.

Rescuers are reporting extreme difficulties getting to the front carriage. The complex operation could take time to complete because the train just fits inside the tunnel, without any space surrounding. The train is 400 yards into the tunnel and part of the tunnel has collapsed. The tiniest of fragments might lead to what, and who, caused this. Even a SIM card from a mobile phone could, like the Madrid bombings, lead to the killers. Hours of CCTV footage might show someone entering a station with a bag and leaving without one. Investigators are checking through mobile phone records to see if the bombers made calls upon entering the stations. Reports say a bomb weighing less than 10 pounds was left inside the front doors of the front carriage. Prince Charles and Camilla were just interviewed visiting some of the victims.

An official interviewed on TV said: "We assume it's over. It may not be. The people who did this, are still out there."

Most Londoners remain defiant and refuse to be cowed. People interviewed say they are getting on with their lives, putting their heads down and cracking on with things. Schools are closed. Some people are working from home but most businesses have given people the day off work as police advice was to stay away from London. Rail services are pretty much back to normal and running on time. City workers who made the journey into London this morning by public transport admit it was a nervous journey. Business is back to normal on the Stock Exchange. Share prices have recovered. Kings Cross mainline station is now open. Madrid sent heartwarming messages of sympathy and solidarity. Consensus among commenters seems to be that common sense and calmness are strong British characteristics. Terrorists will never achieve their aims - what do they want? does anybody know?



Photo: Police officers raise a British flag in front of the State Department in Washington, D.C., Thursday, July 7, 2005, in remembrance of those killed in the London bombings. It was the first time a foreign flag has been raised at the State Department.

(AP Photo/Yuri Gripas) via Publius Pundit via Instapundit who links to TigerHawk's post on Sir Rudy's BBC interview in London.

Boing Boing has updates and photos related to London bombings, blog coverage and Wikipedia.



Thank you to Eric at http://passionofthepresent.org in America for his message of sympathy and condolence and link to Beliefnet which has a major prayer circle going on for the victims of Thursday's bombings in London.

Tags: Tony Blair Jihadists Iraq Gleneagles George W Bush London bombings Paris New York Madrid bombing Scotland Channel 4 Al Queda Al Qaeda London explosion Rudy Giuliani

London bombings: Most deadliest terrorist attack on the UK - More than 38 fatalities 700 casualties, 45 serious

After logging online today at around 10am and seeing a BBC news report on today's bombing in London, I switched on the TV to find BBC1's non-stop live coverage. ITV also covered the news throughout the day and into the early evening.

News emerged, less than twenty-four hours after the euphoria of winning the Olympic Games bid, of the most deadliest terrorist attack on the UK. Without warning at 8.56 this morning in London, one of four explosive devices was detonated by terrorists on London's train subway. One of the bombs exploded inside a red double decker bus at 9.47 am and ripped off the roof. It is not known if this was the handiwork of a suicide bomber or how many people on the bus were killed.

Initial reports said there had been a power surge on the subway, but it quickly became evident that an explosion took place at 8.51 am at an underground train station near Aldgate and the City of London. A second bomb exploded 9.17 am affecting three trains coming into London's Edgware Road. The bomb on a bus exploded at 9.47 am.

Reports say so far there are more than 38 fatalities and 45 people are in critical condition with burns, amputations etc. In all, 700 casualties. Emergency services responded rapidly and could not have done better.

Prime Minister Tony Blair gave a statement via TV at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. He is now back in Downing Street and has given a press conference. A panel of emergency service chiefs gave a televised news conference for the press. President Bush and various leaders were interviewed at various points throughout the day. The Queen sent a message of condolence. The Union flag at Gleneagles and Buckingham Palace are flying at half mast.

News pundits say the barbaric attack has the hallmarks of Madrid but today's bombing is not as technically competent. They say the perpetrators could be Al Queda inspired jihadists - possibly payback time for Britain's support of the U.S. over Iraq by a group formed spontaneously over recent weeks or months. More will be known when forensics are available. How the bombs were detonated will tell a lot. Bombing may have been timed with the G8.

By the time Tony Blair greeted G8 leaders this morning, he knew the worst. All of the leaders were determined the attack would not affect their day of talks which went ahead without Mr Blair. Before he left for London he gave a press talk surrounded by the G8 leaders who stood to attention in silence. He left for London by helicopter. Reports say he would be back at the summit later.

Mainline train stations are open this evening and bus services are slowly returning to normal. But for many people in London today, walking was the only route out. London mainline stations were closed. Eurostar maintained services at Waterloo. Transport to airports was suspended. At one point terminal three at Heathrow airport was closed.

Television pictures showed some footage taken on one of the underground trains by one of the survivors who had a camera phone. London buses were commandeered by police to take 100 victims to four London hospitals as traffic could not get through the city's 9 am rush hour.

Sir Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York, is on Channel 4 TV news right now. Like many others, he says London is responding as well as one could expect. He commented how everyone is calm and very measured with a great sense of strength. He said large cities like London, Paris, New York etc., will never have perfect security.

The Olympic bid team were televised leaving Singapore for England feeling very saddened and subdued. Winning the Olympic bid was the best thing that has happened to Britain in a long, long time. Some extremist jihadists have rained on our parade. People are saying there could be a backlash against Muslims and attacks on mosques. Special news reports will be broadcast on TV later tonight and first thing tomorrow morning. Most of the nation will be watching.

Obviously we all feel very sad, but many of us are used to terrorist threats and attacks, especially in London because of the troubles in Northern Ireland. I lived in London SW1 at the time of the missile attack on Downing Street and I heard the explosion. For decades there were up to 70 bomb alerts each and every day, especially in central London.

Britain went through much worse during the World Wars and Battle of Britain. We will survive. The terrorists won't. They will be caught, one day. We Brits will be vigilant but shan't let any terrorists rule our lives. We are made of stern stuff.

God bless all of those suffering right now because of the appalling atrocity today and RIP the poor souls who lost their lives so tragically +++

Tags: Tony Blair Jihadists Iraq Gleneagles George W Bush London bombings Paris New York Madrid bombing Scotland Channel 4 Al Queda Al Qaeda London terrorist attack Olympic Games

Darfur rebels sign peace deal with Sudan's government

A few hours ago, it was announced that London won the Olympic bid for 2012. It was a nail biting event, televised live this afternoon. Final round of votes left London pitted against Paris. France's President Chirac spent the past week making snide remarks about Britain and its cuisine so it is pleasing to see he had little influence. The French were gutted.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair spent the past few days in Singapore lobbying for Britain's bid. Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, was in Singapore during the vote. He said just before the result was announced, the French bid team were surrounded by 50 reporters, cameras and live TV while the London team, which included Princess Anne, Lord Sebastian Coe and David Beckham and many British gold medal athletes, were surrounded by just three reporters. The French were so confident they'd win, a rumour was leaked they had it in the bag. Heh.

Also, British television showed the G8 summit opening today in Scotland, UK plus live coverage of an MP speaking in the House of Commons about Darfur and calling for extra African Union troops, resources and an expanded mandate.

Various news reports are emerging today saying Khartoum has agreed a peace deal with the two main Darfur rebel groups SLA and JEM. Numerous ceasefire and peace agreements have been signed in the past but were worth the paper they were written on. Whenever the warring parties come close to agreeing on something, one side does something to incite violence or the rebels split or other groups spring up trouble elsewhere in eastern or central Sudan. Who knows if the following news is the real deal reported in today's Scotsman:

Sudan's government and two rebel groups last night signed the latest agreement on how to resolve the conflict in Darfur.

SLA and JEM all signed the declaration of political principles - outlining a long-term solution to the Darfur crisis - at a public ceremony in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

Negotiators agreed to broad commitments, including upholding democracy, the independence of the judiciary and "justice and equality for all, regardless of ethnicity, religion and gender".

Salim Ahmed Salim, the African Union's special envoy for Darfur, told negotiators: "By adopting the declaration of principles, you have demonstrated your determination that you will not let down the people of Darfur ... and you will not let down our friends in the international community."
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UK announces major funding to combat polio

International Development Secretary Hilary Benn today (July 6) announced a multi-million pound package of funding to eradicate polio by the end of 2005 or early 2006 and to boost the effort to ensure the world stays polio free after that.

He said the UK is to provide £60m over the next three years.

The UK is to immediately and unilaterally plug the remaining funding gap of £20m ($36m) so that polio can be eradicated. The UK will also give another £40m in 2006-08 towards the cost of vaccinating over 500m children to ensure polio can never break out again.

There are 12 countries where there are still cases of polio: Yemen, Nigeria, Indonesia, Sudan, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Niger, Mali, Cameroon and Angola. Polio mainly affects children under five and disproportionately affects children in Africa. In 2004, 90% of the 1,255 cases were found in the region. Full Story.

Live 8 global concerts under way

Concerts are taking place around the world to put pressure on political leaders to tackle poverty in Africa.

Three billion people are watching. So far, 1.5 million people have added their name to the message being delivered to the Group 8 leaders on Wednesday in Scotland, UK. No matter where you are in the world, please add your name to The LIVE 8 List and visit Make Poverty History if you have not already done so.

Japan kicked off the first concert.



Photo: Japanese band Rize started proceedings in Tokyo (Material and photos courtesy BBC)

The biggest concert, in London's Hyde Park, has opened with Sir Paul McCartney singing with U2 in front of an audience of up to 200,000. Bill Gates and Kofi Annan made a surprise appearance on stage to say a few words for the cause. Click here for line-ups of other Live 8 concerts.



Photo: Great performance by Bono and U2

Mariners begin Sail 8 round trip

The first of the boats answering Bob Geldof's call to ferry people from France for the G8 protests has left Portsmouth harbour. Full report.



Photo: Geldof wants protesters to collect their 'French cousins' (BBC)

Thousands flock to poverty march



Thousands of protesters are taking part in a Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh, Scotland as musicians perform in Live 8 concerts around the globe.

Early estimates are of about 100,000 people involved in the event to highlight their message to G8 leaders meeting at Gleneagles on Wednesday.

1.5 million people turned up for Live 8 in Philadelphia.

Tags: Live 8 Sail 8 G8 Technorati Live Aid Italy Tony Blair Gordon Brown Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Germany George W Bush Kyoto Johannesburg Tokyo London Paris Toronto Philadelphia Rome Spain Edinburgh Scotland Georgia Soweto Freetown Senegal CAP AIDS GCAP White Band Uganda Corruption Africa sustainable development environment European Union Sydney Australia Sierra Leone One Campaign One Blog Joe Trippi Nelson Mandela Nick Lezin AOL Music Buzztone U2 Destiny's Child Coldplay Dave Matthews Band Tim McGraw Madonna Sting BBC

New Statesman threatens a blogger - Defending Oxfam and Barbara Stocking's rebuttal

This afternoon, I contacted American blogger and journalist Curt Hopkins after receiving an email from Kathryn Corrick, Online Manager at the New Statesman (a UK magazine on political, cultural and current affairs) telling me to cut the majority of a post entitled "In Darfur, Sudan 700,000 people rely on Oxfam to survive" published here at Sudan Watch 2 June 2005.

Curt is director of the Committee to Protect Bloggers. They have good connections with Media Bloggers Association which has as its General Counsel the Coleman Law Firm.

The email from the New Statesman does not explain what they propose to do if I ignore it, so I emailed Curt at the address given at his blog Morpheme Tales.

See the post NEW STATESMAN THREATENS BLOGGER that Curt published today in response. I would have liked to have written a more in-depth post on this but will have to make do for now with posting just the link to Curt's post. I've overdone my time online today and am over tired.

By the way, the folks that do great petitions for the Committee to Protect Bloggers are at Sudan Activism Blog



Tags: Curt Hopkins Morpheme Tales Committee to Protect Bloggers Technorati Media Bloggers Association USA Sudan Activism Blog Kathryn Corrick New Statesman Copyright Infringement Coleman Law Firm Oxfam Barbara Stocking Blogger

Joe Trippi's blog announces ONE blog is alive

American readers might like to follow ONE Blog which covers the Live 8 event in America. Just like Live Aid concert 20 years, Live 8 is being held on the east coast of America, in Philadelphia.

[via Joe Trippi's Blog ONE is alive with thanks]
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Great links and images at Live 8 Concert - live 8 - with thanks to Live 8 Concerts for sharing the pointer in the comments at Congo Watch post entitled "The Greatest Show on Earth July 2: Geldof's Live 8 concerts to promote G8 Summit and Make Poverty History Campaign."
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Buzztone promotes Live 8: The world's largest interactive event

A few minutes ago I received an email from Nick Lezin of Buzztone saying he is working on promoting Live 8. Buzztone, The Change Agency, is smart looking marketing firm with a perfect sounding pitch.

Nick says, on Saturday, Live 8 will become the largest interactive event the world has ever seen:

"Worldwide concerts featuring the biggest names in music-U2, Destiny's Child, Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Tim McGraw, Madonna, Sting and more-along with one million spectators and millions of viewers. All coming together with one purpose-to make poverty history. You can check out all of your favorite performances, on-demand throughout the summer-available to everyone, only at AOL Music.com

Make sure to check it out and add your name to the live 8 petition. If you would like to help spread the word about this great cause, go to http://www.buzztone.com/live8 for a variety of Live 8 content that you can host on your blog or website. We have banners, blurbs about Live 8, and the official press release available."

If you are a blogger and can put something up, please send Nick [nick AT buzztone DOT com] a link so he can check it out. Thanks.

Note, a BBC news report June 23, 2005 says AOL which has exclusive rights to broadcast the Live 8 event on the internet, also licensed it to North American TV and radio stations. Also, the report says AOL will screen the five main concerts on the internet and make them available for download six weeks after the event.

Tags: Live 8 Sail 8 G8 Technorati Live Aid Italy Tony Blair Gordon Brown Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Germany George W Bush Kyoto Johannesburg Tokyo London Paris Toronto Philadelphia Rome Spain Edinburgh Scotland Georgia Soweto Freetown Senegal CAP AIDS GCAP White Band Uganda Corruption Africa sustainable development environment European Union Sydney Australia Sierra Leone One Campaign One Blog Joe Trippi Nelson Mandela Nick Lezin AOL Music Buzztone U2 Destiny's Child Coldplay Dave Matthews Band Tim McGraw Madonna Sting BBC

US Aid Chief: Land, grazing rights complicate Darfur issues

UNITED NATIONS, June 28, 2005 (AP) via Sudan Tribune -- The conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region will not be settled until disputes over land ownership and animal grazing rights are resolved, the U.S. aid chief said.

"Unless we deal with the land issue, and the grazing rights issue in Darfur, there isn't going to be a resolution of the political stalemate," he warned.

See full report.
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"Loss of livestock hurts eastern Sudan tribe"" - report.
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Sudan's Darfur rebels attack UN plane

KHARTOUM, June 28, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) -- Darfur rebels have attacked an Antonov plane belonging to the UN in Labadu area in Southern Darfur State in western Sudan. The plane was on its way from Khartoum to the capital of Southern Darfur State, Nyala.

The African Union blamed the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) for the attack. An informed source said JEM had used a bomb to carry out the attack, the pro governmental newspaper Al-Anba said

The state police commissioner, Gen. Abidin al-Tahir, said 30 UN officials, including some Sudanese nationals, were on board of the aircraft. However, he added, the plane was able to land safely at Nyala Airport and no casualties had been reported. He further said an investigation into the incident was now under way.

He explained that in their preliminary statements, the passengers had said the plane had been shot at from the ground but only one of its windows had broken. He affirmed that investigations would continue: "We are now waiting for a report from the Civil Aviation technical body of investigation", he added.

For his part, the armed forces spokesman, Gen Abbas Abdelrahman, said no armed forces were present in the area where the incident took place and the people who had carried out the attack were thought to be outlaws.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.
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Sudan planes 'bomb' rebel forces in eastern Sudan?

Not sure how much truth there is to this BBC report: Sudan planes 'bomb' rebel forces.

'Africans must save Darfur' says Botswana's former president Sir Ketumile Masire

Boston Globe opinion piece by Ketumile Masire has an eyecatching title "Africans must save Darfur." Sir Ketumile Masire was president of Botswana from 1980 to 1998.

The piece is great in theory but with an oil rich country like Sudan presided over by Arabic dictators who hang on to power at any cost, no matter if the cost exceeds the loss of well over two million lives, how can Africans overcome the obstacle of sovereignty?

It is easy to say the African Union should increase its troops and expand its mandate in Darfur but how can it be done when Sudan's dictators reject offers of help and refuse an expanded mandate for African Union troops? Khartoum says an expanded mandate would be perceived as an occupying force and cause more violence. More than likely they see it as a threat and fear being overthrown. They stole power from a democratically elected government. Nobody voted them in.

[Note, the African Union's stand on Zimbabwe. African reaction to Zimbabwe's evictions is "disappointing", says the EU Commission head. See full story]

Live 8 Africa Calling at Eden in Cornwall, England, UK

The Eden Project in Cornwall, England is to stage a major Live8 concert on 2nd July under the banner of "Africa Calling" presented in association with WOMAD and its co-founder Peter Gabriel, together with Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour.

The evening itself will be hosted by Peter Gabriel, who has championed World Music for the past 25 years. Youssou N'Dour and Peter Gabriel have invited many of their favourite African artists to perform at the event.



The concert will be held on the stage in the Eden arena with the world's biggest greenhouses providing a spectacular backdrop in the crater.

This outstanding line-up will bring the spectacular Eden site alive with unbeatable African party spirit. Transmissions will be made from the event by the BBC as part of the Live8 celebration.

Tags: Live 8 Sail 8 G8 Technorati Live Aid Italy Tony Blair Gordon Brown Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Germany George W Bush Kyoto Johannesburg Tokyo London Paris Toronto Philadelphia Rome Spain Edinburgh Scotland Georgia Soweto Freetown Senegal CAP AIDS GCAP White Band Uganda Corruption Africa sustainable development environment European Union Sydney Australia Sierra Leone One Campaign Joe Trippi Nelson Mandela

This Week's Good Idea - Send a message to the G8

Snippets from Keith's insightful post:

Next week is the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY festival in Edinburgh before the start of the G8 summit. Even if you can't go, you can send a message to the G8 leaders.

When you live around people who are struggling to provide for their families day by day, much of the political posturing, and criticism of Live 8, "Saint Bob", and stuff is really hard to listen to. There is injustice in the status quo, resulting in millions of people dying. The answer can never be charity alone, if we don't address the fundamental injustices. How can we not fight to change it? We need to recognise that for the poor to get a good deal, we need to be willing to pay a price, and that international structures and decisions should reflect this. Surely this is an expression of righteousness - to help others at our own cost. You too can send a message to the G8 leaders to tell them you want them to act for the poor.

Tags: Live 8 Sail 8 G8 Technorati Live Aid Italy Tony Blair Gordon Brown Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Germany George W Bush Kyoto Johannesburg Tokyo London Paris Toronto Philadelphia Rome Spain Edinburgh Scotland Georgia Soweto Freetown Senegal CAP AIDS GCAP White Band Uganda Corruption Africa sustainable development environment European Union Sydney Australia Sierra Leone One Campaign Joe Trippi Nelson Mandela

Global Call to Action Against Poverty July 1 - International White Band Day

July 1, the first Global White Band Day will see people around the world wearing their white bands and wrapping public buildings in white to send a message to the G8 world leaders that they demand action on trade justice, debt cancellation, and more and better aid. International White Band Day will prove to be one of the largest global actions ever taken.

Below are just some of the White Band events planned. More will be announced soon. For more information or to get in touch with national coalitions, please visit the GCAP Country Coalitions section.


Source: GCAP - United Kingdom Coalition against Poverty: Make Poverty History.

Massive white bands will be wrapped around buildings across the world, including:

- The Soweto township of Johannesburg, South Africa, a group of shacks will be wrapped in a white band, to symbolise perpetuating poverty in Africa.
- In Freetown, Sierra Leone, the famous cotton tree, planted by freed slaves when the nation was founded, will be draped in a white band.
- In Senegal, the slavery archway will be wrapped in a white band.

From June 30 to July 14 the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in Australia, will be wrapped in a white band, with the Australian coalition's slogan "Make Poverty History" across it.

- The Coliseum in Italy.
- The Brandenburger Tor in Germany.
- In Paris, France, the Trocadero's buildings which sit either side of the Eiffel Tower, will be wrapped with two white bands.
- In Spain, bridges will be wrapping on the main highways of Spain.
- In Georgia all the trees along the Central Avenue of the capital, Tbilisi, will be wrapped in white bands.

[via White Band Blog with thanks]

Tags: Live 8 Sail 8 G8 Technorati Live Aid Italy Tony Blair Gordon Brown Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Germany George W Bush Kyoto Johannesburg Tokyo London Paris Toronto Philadelphia Rome Spain Edinburgh Scotland Georgia Soweto Freetown Senegal CAP AIDS GCAP White Band Uganda Corruption Africa sustainable development environment European Union Sydney Australia Sierra Leone One Campaign Joe Trippi Nelson Mandela

The Greatest Show on Earth: Geldof's Live 8 concerts July 2 to promote G8 Summit and Make Poverty History campaign

50,000 people are dying, needlessly, every day of extreme poverty. Everyday, poverty kills 30,000 children in Africa alone. Another 100 will have died in the time that it takes you to read this post.



Image: Live Aid concerts were staged on 13 July 1985 to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. It is estimated the concerts reached an audience of 2 billion people, raised $140 million and saved 1-2 million lives.

Once again, the ball is rolling on tackling extreme poverty and after many years of hard work by the British Government, Sir Bob Geldof (of Live Aid fame), Bono (leader of the Irish rock band U2) and many others involved in the Commission for Africa things are starting to come to fruition that could, eventually, lead to the scrapping of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

With only nine days left before the Live 8 concert is beamed to billions of people around the globe on July 2, things are hotting up here publicity wise in Britain. The countdown is beginning to the greatest concert on Earth.

There are just 14 days to go before the G8 Summit takes place at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, UK July 6-8.



This year, the UK -- as well as holding the presidency of the European Union (EU) for the second half of the year starting next week -- holds the presidency of the G8, which is why the summit is hosted in Britain with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the chair.



Tony Blair has travelled to the countries of the G8 leaders to garner support for initiatives on the environment and to help make poverty history.



Photo: Mr Blair last year in Ethiopia at a meeting of his Commission for Africa

Britain's Chancellor, Gordon Brown, was born in Scotland, UK where the G8 summit is to be held July 6-8 at the famous Gleneagles Hotel. He and Tony Blair have spent several years lobbying hard to help countries such as Africa. They have worked closely with Bob Geldof, Bono and many others on the Commission for Africa which, after initial meetings in Ethiopia chaired by Mr Blair, produced its first report 11 March 2005.



Photo of Bono by Barry Brecheisen. [See article "Bono Assembles an Army" and Bono's DATA campaign website Debt AIDS Trade Africa.]

Britain's Make Poverty History campaign brings together a cross-section of over 100 charities, campaigns, trade unions, faith groups, church leaders and celebrities who are united by a common belief that 2005 offers a unprecedented opportunity for global change.

At last year's G8 summit, Tony Blair came close to getting Britain's proposal for cancelling the debts of the world's poorest nations accepted, but US President George W. Bush rejected it. This year, the historic proposal succeeded. On June 11, 2005, following a meeting of G8 finance ministers held at Gleneagles, Scotland, Gordon Brown announced the world's richest countries had agreed to write off the debt owed by 18 mainly African countries. This is just the beginning.



Photo: Nelson Mandela and Gordon Brown [see below copy of Mandela's poverty speech given ahead of the meeting of G8 finance ministers June 11, 2005]

On Saturday 2 July, as the leaders of the G8 summit gather, tens of thousands of people will attend a rally in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, to demand trade justice, debt cancelling and more and better aid for the world's poorest countries.

Bob Geldof and friends have generated global publicity for Live 8, G8 summit and Make Poverty History campaign, sponsored by America Online, BBC, Nokia Nseries, 95.8 Capital fm, O2.

British TV news reports say the British police, coastguards and security forces were alarmed when Geldof used the media to call for one million people to turn up in Edinburgh. He launched Sail 8 and called for those with access to a boat to set sail on July 3 and recreate D-Day to be part of the Long Walk to Justice. He even called for sailors to bring over as many French as possible to support the protest action against poverty.



Photo: Bob Geldof calls for sailors and boat owners, to form a massive flotilla across the English Channel in July as part of the global call for action against poverty (GCAP). Dame Ellen MacArthur is supporting the Make Poverty History campaign and international transport and travel companies have pledged their support by providing planes, trains, coaches to get people to Edinburgh by Wednesday 6 July when world leaders arrive for the G8 meeting.

Henry Northover of Make Poverty History says:

"It is imperative that thousands turn out on the streets of Edinburgh on 2 July to demand action from the G8 that they fulfill their promises to halve poverty by 2015."

Bob Geldof, with the help of some great supporters, is chief organiser of the Live 8 concerts. Unlike Live Aid in 1985, Live 8 is not about raising funds for charity, it is about raising awareness of extreme poverty and the G8 Summit 2005. Live 8 aims to reach as many people around the world as possible. Geldof has spent the last few months browbeating top names in the rock business to participate. Groups like The Who and Spice Girls may reform for the special event that will be beamed by satellite all over the world and reach an audience of 2 billion. There is even talk of Status Quo, the band that opened Live Aid with "Rockin' All Over the World".

The aim of the global Live 8 concerts is to fight world poverty. Live 8 will take place on July 2, ahead of the G8 summit July 6-8 . So far, the latest concert locations are: Johannesburg, Tokyo and Toronto which add to a growing list of venues that includes London, Philadelphia, Paris, Rome, Berlin and Cornwall. According to the BBC, Geldof, who originally co-ordinated five main concerts in Europe and the US, said he decided to arrange more after the European Union agreed to double its development aid to poorer nations. He said he hoped former South African president Nelson Mandela - who has also campaigned for the alleviation of poverty in Africa - would head the Live 8 Africa concert.

British blogger and journalist Stephen Pollard, in a May 23 article in the Times, suggests activists campaign for property rights and the rule of law - in other words: for better governance which is what I have said here in many previous posts. Another point he made is for campaigns to focus on:

"...not to abolish free trade but to extend it - attacking, for instance, the EU Common Agricultural Policy and its immoral tariff barriers against the developing world. The EU spends EUROS 2.7 billion a year subsidising farmers to grow sugar beet; at the same time it imposes high tariff barriers against sugar imports from the developing world. And the EU’s agricultural tariffs average 20 per cent, rising to a peak of 250 per cent on certain products. The European market remains barely open to the majority of low-cost textiles from the developing world."

The Live 8 concerts around the globe on July 2 will mark the start of The Long Walk To Justice. It will be watched and listened to by more than 2 billion people.

Click here to find out more, including where the concerts are taking place, how to get tickets and who is performing. Note, there may be arrangements to allow hundreds of thousands more into the London concert at Hyde Park on the day.
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Educ8 The G8

Does your school want to hold a MAKE POVERTY HISTORY day or week of events during the G8 summit? You can dowload lesson plans to introduce the G8 here. The lessons are suitable for a variety of subjects, and help pupils critically engage with the concept of the G8, as well as the themes of Africa and Climate Change.

Understanding the G8 - Lesson Plan1 (suitable for ages 10 to 13)
Understanding the G8 - Lesson Plan 2 (suitable for ages 13 to 16)
Assembly ideas and suggestions for getting involved.
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Live 8 List

Wherever you are located in the world, you can add your name to The Live 8 message addressed to the 8 most powerful leaders in the world:

"At this year's G8 summit meeting, it is within your power to put an end to this tragedy. It is an extraordinary opportunity which it would be shameful to ignore. We urge you to take these 3 steps to make extreme poverty history...

- double the aid sent to the world's poorest countries,
- fully cancel their debts,
- change the trade laws so that they can build their own future."

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Bloggers talking about Live 8

See Joi Ito's post Technorati Live 8 launches re tags, badges and tracking what bloggers are saying.
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Make Poverty History Campaign

What is Make Poverty History campaign? BBC explains about the campaign that bids to end poverty trap.

Click here to get the code for a whiteband on your website and here for white bangles.
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Mandela's poverty speech

Via BBC News online: the full text of Nelson Mandela's speech in London's Trafalgar Square for the campaign to end poverty in the developing world.
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Quotation

'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world'. - Nelson Mandela
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Photo: ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans - ONE by ONE - to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. The campaign was launched at a rally in Philadelphia with the help of U2's Bono.

Readers, especially those from America, might like to follow the ONE Campaign and Joe Trippi's blog.

Tags: Technorati Live Aid Africa Commission Tony Blair Gordon Brown G8 Gleneagles Bob Geldof Make Poverty History Live 8 Joi Ito George W Bush Kyoto Johannesburg Tokyo London Paris Toronto Philadelphia Rome Ellen MacArthur Sail 8 Edinburgh Scotland Henry Northover Status Quo Spice Girls The Who CAP AIDS BBC Times Uganda Corruption Africa sustainable development environment European Union Bono Stephen Pollard One Campaign Joe Trippi Nelson Mandela

Al-Qaeda said angry at Sudan for passing data to US

LONDON, June 18, 2005 (Al-Sharq al-Awsat) -- Fundamentalists in London say that the unprecedented attack on the Sudanese government by Ayman al-Zawahri, the number one ally of the leader of Al-Qaida Organization Osama bin Ladin, in his new tape that was broadcast by the Qatari satellite channel Al-Jazeera yesterday (June 17) was due to Khartoum's handing over to Washington of files on Al-Qaida's leaderships.



Photo: Ayman al-Zawahri - see further details at Wikipedia.

Hani al-Subaie the director of Al-Maqrizi Research Centre in London told Al-Sharq al-Awsat "Khartoum has turned over files with photographs for most of the leaderships of Al-Qaida and the Egyptian Jihad" who used to live in the Sudanese capital until they broke off and left Sudan in 1995.

He said that most of the fundamentalists who lived in Khartoum used fictitious names or forged passports for security reasons, but the Sudanese government knew their identities by virtue of a special agreement between the security bodies and the leaders of the Islamic groups.

Ayman al-Zawahri, the number two man in Al-Qaida Organization criticized "the American visualization of reforms" and attacked, according to the tape, the Sudanese, Saudi and Egyptian governments according to what the channel cited.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring service - copy via Sudan Tribune.

Further reading:

June 20, 2005 report by Scott Shane "CIA meeting with Sudan security chief angers some in U.S," New York Times via International Herald Tribune.

June 19, 2005 report by Ken Silverstein "Sudan intelligence chief's visit stirs internal debate in D.C.," Los Angeles Times via Seattle Times.

June 17, 2005 post at Sudan Watch - scroll down for following two reports:

Sudanese intelligence visitor split US officials - A decision by the CIA to fly Sudan's intelligence chief to Washington for secret meetings aimed at cementing cooperation against terrorism triggered such intense opposition within the Bush administration that some officials suggested arresting him here, sources said. See full report via Sudan Tribune by Ken Silverstein, Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2005.

U.S. probes reported Sudan link to terror - U.S. intelligence and security agencies are investigating reports that Sudan's government has renewed its covert support for al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists, The Washington Times has learned. See full report by Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, June 17, 2005 via World Peace Herald.

May 2, 2005 Sudan Watch post - scroll down to read "CIA supports genocide in Sudan?"

April 29, 2005 Sudan Watch post - scroll down to see "US Report: Sudan Proves Ally in U.S. War on Terrorism" by Ken Silverstein LA Times: despite once harbouring Bin Laden, Khartoum regime has supplied key intelligence, officials say.

Here is an excerpt from a Reuters report on the LA Times piece:

The Times said US government officials had confirmed that the CIA flew the chief of Sudan's intelligence agency to Washington last week for secret meetings, sealing Khartoum's sensitive and previously veiled partnership with the administration.

The newspaper said Sudan had detained al Qaeda suspects for interrogation by US agents, given the FBI evidence seized from raids on homes of suspected terrorists, handed over extremists to Arab intelligence agencies and foiled terrorist attacks against US targets.

The paper cited interviews with American and Sudanese intelligence and government officials.

Sudan has "given us specific information that is ... important, functional and current," said a senior State Department official speaking on condition of anonymity.

The chief of Sudan's Mukhabarat intelligence agency, Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, told the Times: "We have a strong partnership with the CIA. The information we have provided has been very useful to the United States."

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail acknowledged in an interview that the Mukhabarat already had served as the eyes and ears of the CIA in neighboring countries, including Somalia, a sanctuary for Islamic militants.

September 18, 2001
BBC news: Who is Osama Bin Laden?

Tags: Darfur Khartoum Sudan Africa Oil Sudan Al Qaeda Al Qaida LA Times Osama Bin Laden CIA Osama Bin Ladin CIA Mukhabarat Ayman al-Zawahri

World Refugee Day

Photo and caption via Reuters: "A Sudanese refugee girl sits in the shadow of her hut as they celebrate Refugee Day at Ikafe camp in northwest Uganda near the borders of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo June 20, 2005. Marking World Refugee Day with his first overseas trip in the role to Ikafe camp, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said on Monday that nations like Uganda that host hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighbouring African conflicts should serve as a lesson to the West, where asylum policies are increasingly restrictive. (Reuters/Radu Sigheti)"

Note, "celebrate" is not a word I would use in connection with World Refugee Day. Not sure what the new UN High Commissioner Antonio Guterres is getting at when he says Sudanese refugees in Uganda should serve as a lesson to the West. What is he suggesting, that millions of people from the Sudan, DR Congo, and Uganda, to name a few countries in Africa, be given residency in tiny countries like England with the British taxpayer footing the bill?

I suggest the lesson lays with African people and their leaders - not the West. African countries are rich in oil and other natural resources. Billions of dollars of taxpayers money have gone from the West to Africa. It is the fault of corrupt African leaders and African people not getting their act together for so many years that is the problem. For too long poor people in Africa have been marginalised and denied access to the law and land/property ownership. And too many are coming to the West to get educated and not returning home to spread their knowledge, training and skills. The fault lays with African people and their leaders, not the West. They need to wake up. The population of Africa will double in 27 years time. If Africa does not pull itself up by its bootstraps like many Asian countries have done so admirably, it will become unmanageable for the rest of the world. African people must get educated and get rid of despotic dictators who spend Africa's wealth on arms and decades of continual war.