Top British ministers looking into reports of Monday's bombing of Joghana, South Darfur

An unsourced article at Sudan Tribune today says reports of fresh fighting in Darfur prompted two senior British government ministers to voice their concern and call on all sides to make peace - excerpt:

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and International Development Secretary Hilary Benn were referring to reports that helicopter gunships, allegedly belonging to the Sudanese government, bombed a village called Joghada [Joghana] in southern Darfur on Monday, forcing women and children to flee.

Straw said: "I am appalled to hear of reports of the apparent use of helicopter gunships against a village in Darfur."

He also highlighted other clashes between different rebel groups and said Britain was trying to confirm the reports.

BBC evidence of Sudanese government's recent bombing of Joghana, South Darfur

The BBC has evidence of a recent attack by Sudanese government forces on Jogana [Joghana], a remote village (12 miles East of Kano) in southern Darfur, western Sudan.

As noted here at Sudan Watch yesterday [see Darfuris flee bombing of Joghana village by Sudan gov't aircraft and attacks by Janjaweed fighting SLA] BBC correspondent Orla Guerin in Darfur witnessed many people fleeing and could hear the sound of bombing from 40km (25 miles) away. The number of casualties is unknown. Click here to view video of Orla Guerin's report aired here in England on BBC1 TV 10pm Monday April 24, 2006.

Note, Orla Guerin says the attack took place at 7am (presumably on the day it was aired by the BBC) and African Union soldiers in the area drove away before dark, implying they did not care to protect the frightened villagers. Pity she did not explain that due to a curfew imposed by Sudanese authorities, AU soldiers are not permitted to travel after dark.

Why hasn't the media picked up on this story, particularly the bombing and curfew? Last year, when faced with the threat of a no-fly zone, the Sudanese government promised not to use aircraft for bombing raids on Darfur villages and civilians. But so far, it appears only Garowe Online, Somalia has publicised the BBC report.

On the issue of sanctions imposed yesterday by the UN Security Council, the BBC's correspondent at the UN headquarters in New York, Laura Trevelyan, said the sanctions could be difficult to enforce. BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum, says the effect of the sanctions will be more psychological than physical.

One wonders why sanctions were imposed now, at such a crucial stage in the peace talks, on the same day a draft peace agreement was presented by the AU to the warring parties. Pity there is so little investigative reporting. If the Sudanese government feels misjudged, they ought to open up to responsible broadcasters like the BBC and provide timely, factual interviews and press releases. We don't know half of what really goes on. Greedy, ruthless, ambitious, self serving men using defenceless women and children as pawns in a power game are getting away with murder and there is not much we can do about it except watch it happening in real time, like ghouls.

[Thanks to Eric at TPoTP for pointing out the link to a video of Orla Guerin's report]

US, Chad discuss delaying of presidential election

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto said Tuesday that he had discussed Chad postponing its presidential election, which is eight days away, in talks with Chadian President Idriss Deby but declined to go into details. (AP)

TEXT- AU Mediator urges Sudanese to accept Darfur Peace Agreement

In his speech before the Sudanese parties at Abuja peace talks on Darfur crisis, the African Union Chief Mediator Dr Salim Ahmed Salim urged the delegates to "accept these proposals and sign on to the Darfur Peace Agreement at the earliest time possible".

Today, the Sudan Tribune publishes full text of the Statement of Dr Salim on the occasion of the submission of the draft Darfur Peace Agreement to the Sudanese parties.

UN votes yes to sanctions on 4 Sudanese for Darfur war

Just in from Reuters via Scotsman: the UN Security Council voted today to impose sanctions on four Sudanese accused of abuses in the Darfur conflict - excerpt of report by Evelyn Leopold:

The vote on a US-drafted resolution was 12 to 0 with three abstentions -- Russia, China and Qatar, the only Arab member of the 15-nation council.

The sanctions, a travel ban and a freeze on assets abroad, were the first adopted against individuals involved in the Darfur war. The measures were first authorised by the Security Council in March 2005 against those who thwart peace efforts, violate human rights or conduct military flights over Darfur.

The four men, whittled down from a longer British list, include one Sudanese air force commander, one pro-government militia member, and two rebel leaders.

Note, sponsoring the resolution were the United States, Britain, Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, Peru and Slovakia. See Apr 25 2006 UN draft resolution names four men who would face sanctions.

Apr 25 2006 UN News Centre - Security Council imposes travel, financial sanctions on 4 Sudanese, adopting Resolution 1672 (2006) BY 12-0-3

Apr 25 2006 CNN - Diplomats said they dropped their objections after African nations expressed support for the sanctions.

Sudan: Uranium in Darfur? - Iran 'could share nuclear skills'

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says willing to transfer nuclear technology to Sudan, Associated Press reported today.

Khamenei has said his country is ready to share its nuclear technology with other nations, BBC reported today - excerpt:

Ayatollah Khamenei made the offer during a meeting with visiting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

In his meeting with Mr Bashir, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iranian scientists' nuclear capability was "one example of the numerous scientific movements in the country".

"The Islamic Republic is ready to transfer this experience and the technology and knowledge of its scientists," the leader was quoted as saying.

In return, the Sudanese president praised Iran's enrichment of uranium as a great victory for the Islamic world.

Mr Bashir said last month his country was considering creating a civilian nuclear programme.

Photo: Iranian Ahmadinejadand his Sudanese counterpart Sudanese President al-Bashir listen to Sudan's national anthem after his arrival in Tehran April 24, 2006 (Reuters) - see Sudan Tribune Apr 25 2006 Iran, Sudan discuss bilateral cooperation, investment

Further reading

Dec 4 2004 France is interested in Uranium and has drilling rights in Sudan (Oil and Mineral Riches in Darfur - Uranium discovered in Hofrat Al Nihas) and this excerpt, from a blog entry I wrote August 2, 2004:

At the moment I am searching for maps to pinpoint Hofrat Al Nihas. (Other names: Hofrat el Nahas, Hofrat en Nahas, Hufrat an Nahas, Hofrat en Nahas). I think it may be in South Darfur - maybe close to a border [--] Here's why:

Khaleej Times Online excerpt: "The oil and precious mineral resources such as uranium discovered in Hofrat Al Nihas have set off fierce competition between US and France. The US has started to invest in oil industry in Chad, France's former colony, while France Total company obtained drilling rights in Sudan."

Aug 8 2004 BBC - Press suspicion is rife in Sudan itself, where a writer in Al-Ra'y al-Am calls for dialogue and warns that outside powers could exploit the crisis to control Darfur's reputed mineral resources. "The Naivasha method and spirit ... are the best way of resolving the problem and foiling the desires of foreign states that want Darfur's uranium, copper and oil," the article says, referring to the peace talks in Kenya between the Sudanese government and rebels from the south of the country.

Dec 20 2004 Rebels attack Darfur oil

Apr 3 2005 Oil found in South Darfur

Apr 16 2005 Sudan says oil discovered in Darfur

Apr 18 2005 New oil field in Darfur expected to produce crude oil by August 2005



Photo: An agreement on oil prospecting and production was signed in Khartoum on October 21, 2003 at the Ministry of Energy and Mining for the Block 2 which extends from the Bahr al-Jabal State [southern Sudan] to the borders of the Central African Republic and Chad. Photo shows Eronat's Geneva based financial manager, Jean-Gabriel Antoni, in his grey suit (on the left, almost trying to get out of the picture) signing the Darfur oil deal with Sudan's energy minister Dr Awad Ahmad al-Jaz. Read more in Sudan Watch archive June 17 2005: Chinese sign up with Eronat's Cliveden and Canada's Encana to explore oil in Chad

Jun 9 2005 Friedhelm Eronat is behind Cliveden Sudan and Darfur oil deal

Jun 10 2005 Friedhelm Eronat and Cliveden Sudan named as buyer of Darfur oil rights

Jul 27 2005 Friedhelm Eronat's oil deals in Darfur, Sudan - Secret World of the Chelsea Oil Tycoon

Muslims in Darfur need protection, not jihad - GIF

Statements by Osama bin Laden demonstrate 'deep lack of concern' for Darfuris says the Genocide Intervention Network today.

GIF condemns the statements of Osama bin Laden suggesting that peacekeepers in Darfur, Sudan, are perpetrating atrocities against Muslims.

The international community, Arab nations must not be deterred by terrorist threats, but rather recognize their responsibility to protect civilians in Darfur.

[Well said] Full story GIF 25 Apr 2006.

Sudanese refugees burn effigy of their President Bashir

Two photos of Sudanese residents living in the Chadian capital N'djamena burning an effigy representing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Friday, April 21, 2006 during a protest condemning the situation in Darfur.



UN food programme expressed concern the unrest would further complicate the already difficult task of helping the more than 200,000 refugees from neighbouring Sudan who have fled to Chad. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo)



Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, pictured here in March 2006, is strongly opposed to the UN mission in Darfur, Sudan. (AFP/File/Awad Awad)

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour begins a one-week visit to Sudan on Saturday. In addition to Khartoum, the capital, and Darfur she is scheduled to go to Juba in South Sudan where a peace agreement in January 2005 ended two decades of war between Government and rebel forces. - UN News Apr 25, 2006.

Nick and George Clooney urge Darfur aid

Journalist Nick Clooney says he hopes a recent trip to Sudan and Chad with his son, Hollywood movie star George Clooney, will help boost humanitarian aid for two million refugees.

They both plan to attend a rally organised by the Save Darfur Coalition next Sunday in Washington. - UPI April 24 2006.

See Apr 27 2006 - Sudanese Embassy says the 'Stop Genocide' rallies April 30 tells Darfur rebels: "Don't Make Peace. The US supports you" - Hollywood actor George Clooney will speak at the Save Darfur Rally to Stop Genocide in Washington, D.C. A video of his recent trip to southern Sudan and eastern Chad is available at: www.thenewsmarket.com/clooneyinsudan

UPDATE: Apr 28 2006 The Cincinnati Post: 'You must help us,' victims cry by Nick Clooney - you can write to him at The Cincinnati Post, 125 E. Court St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. [via PoTP with thanks]

Job: Administrative Coordinator, Sudan, International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee seeks an Administrative Coordinator for its Sudan program, based in Khartoum. To apply submit resume and salary requirements on the website. [via Eldis]

Job: ACTED seeks Logistics Coordinator, Sudan

More details at: http://www.eldis.org/jobs/logmach06.doc [via Eldis]

New film project: Darfur Diaries - Message from Home

Click here to launch a clip of the film Darfur Diaries: Message from Home and see the drawings and testimony of a ten year old Darfuri boy whose father and brothers were killed in Darfur.

[via Coalition for Darfur Synopsis of the new film project]

Sudan: Child soldiers return to their families in the south

At least 300 child soldiers in southern Sudan handed in their guns and uniforms on Monday and will return to their families as part of an ongoing demobilisation exercise supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the agency said. Full report IRIN 24 Apr 2006.



Photo: Child soldiers in southern Sudan (IRIN)

AU to give warring parties draft Darfur Peace Agreement

Today, the African Union will present the warring parties from Darfur with a draft peace agreement, AFP/antara reported Apr 25 - excerpt:

The document will be given to delegates at the talks in Abuja just as the UN Security Council is expected to hear a US proposal for targeted sanctions against four individuals driving the conflict.

"Today at 6:00 pm the chief mediator, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, will convene a plenary to officially table a comprehensive peace agreement comprising protocols on power-sharing, wealth-sharing and security arrangements," AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni told AFP.

The Khartoum delegation told AFP it had submitted its position on a proposed security agreement.

"We have submitted our position to the AU today ... and that will constitute a basis for agreement, with some amendments," Khartoum government chief negotiator Majzoub al-Khalifa told AFP late Monday.

Darfuris flee bombing of Joghana village by Sudan gov't aircraft and attacks by Janjaweed fighting SLA

Last night's news on BBC1 TV here in England showed a short news report on Darfur. The reporter (a woman, I didn't catch her name) featured in the film talked of the Sudanese government and Janjaweed attacking, bombing and burning a village called Joghana. The fight was between Sudanese government forces and militiamen against Darfur rebel group SLA. Something to do with fighting for position. (See other report here below). The film showed civilians - men, women and children, walking in the dust or sitting on donkeys. Some were interviewed. African Union soldiers were shown at the roadside beside a water truck, giving drinking water to those fleeing. The film showed a government bomber plane in sky. The reporter said the attack happened yesterday morning, 7am but did not state actual date. I've not found any reports on this story, apart from the following excerpt from a BBC news report today, 25 April, 2006:

In Darfur itself, a BBC correspondent has found evidence of continuing attacks on civilians by militias.

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Darfur met streams of civilians, who said they were fleeing their remote village of Jogana [Joghana].

They said they had been attacked by government aircraft and militiamen, who were fighting rebel forces in the area.

Our correspondent said she could the sound of bombing from 40km away.

African Union peacekeepers met the civilians and gave them water but did not intervene in the fighting.



Photo: The civilians described attacks by government aircraft and militiamen (BBC)

SLA's President Minni Minnawi threatens to suspend Darfur peace talks

On April 22, 2006 Darfur rebel SLA group leader Minni Minnawi, threatened to suspend Darfur peace talks by the end of this month if the government did not retreat from its hard-line position Sudan Tribune reported April 23 - excerpt:

In a press statement signed by Menni Arkoi Menawi, the SLM said the government was responsible for the failure of the peace talks because of its persistence in rejecting the representation of the Darfur people by a vice-president of the Republic during the transitional phase and the return of Darfur to one state with its original borders of 1956 and not compromising in all other areas of negotiation.

Photo: Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) fighters on patrol near Gereida, South Darfur in Western Sudan. (Derk Segaar/IRIN) Sudan Watch archive 2 Mar 2006.

On April 22, SLM leader Menni Minawi (pictured below) handed a strongly-worded statement to the AU and partners in Abuja. The 13-point statement accused the government of violating the ceasefire following the visit of deputy ruling National Congress party leader Nafei Ali Nafei to the Darfur states and of evasiveness in order to waste time.

The statement said the SLM had already paid its dues towards peace and that its leader had ordered all the SLM forces to be on high alert and await directives at any moment to implement orders.

The statement further called on the government to withdraw its forces from the areas it seized in Al-Tinah, Bassawa, Kernwi, Ambro, Anabaji, Al-Dor, Abdelshakoor, Ain saro in North Darfur State. It also demands the withdrawal of the Sudanese army from areas seized during the fourth round of peace talks like: Ashma, Al-Layat, Jar-AlNabi, Al-Tiwasha, Abu Karninka, and Mahalia.

Photo: A soldier from the SLA stands guard against crowds who gathered to witness the rebel SLA unity conference in Haskanita, in Sudan's eastern Darfur province October 29, 2005. (Reuters). Sudan Watch archive 11 March 2006.

China wants "nothing until Abuja talks" are completed

UN draft resolution names four men who would face sanctions:

- Gaffar Mohamed Elhassan, former commander of the Sudanese air force's western region. Council diplomats said he had direct operational command of Sudan's army in Darfur from 2004-2006 and coordinated operations between government forces and the Janjaweed which resulted in scores of attacks on non-Arab villages. He was also a supplier and conduit for weapons getting into Darfur, the diplomats said.



- Sheikh Musa Hilal (pictured above) chief of the Jalul tribe in North Darfur. He is a Janjaweed leader and some of the worst atrocities, including rape, robbery and the burning of villages, occurred under his command, with government assistance. His record dates back to 1997 when he was jailed for killing 17 people in Darfur, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

- Adam Yacub Shant, a commander in the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). Diplomats said he violated the ceasefire in July 2005 by ordering SLA soldiers to attack government forces in Darfur. The attack killed three government soldiers.

- Gabril Abdul Kareem Badri, a rebel commander in the National Movement for Reform and Development (NMRD). Diplomats said he kidnapped members of the African Union peacekeepingmission in Darfur in October 2005 and threatened to shoot down AU helicopters in November 2005.

Full report by Edith M Lederer Associated Press Apr 25, 2006 via Aljazeera.

Note, the report says that when asked whether they would veto the resolution or abstain, Konstantin Dolgov, Russia's deputy UN ambassador, and Wang Guangya, China's UN ambassador, said they had not yet received instructions.

"We think that we should not take any steps which could have a negative bearing on the Abuja peace talks," Dolgov said. "But at the same time, decisions that have been previously taken by the council, they are to be implemented. It's a matter of how and when."

Wang said China wants "nothing until Abuja talks" are completed.

USAID resumes Sudan Mission after 15-year closure

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the resumption of its Sudan Mission after a 15-year closure to manage its program of assistance to the Sudanese people, according to a statement Monday.

The USAID said in the statement that its mission staff would be located in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, the southern city of Juba and would also maintain a field presence in Darfur.

The agency's Sudan Mission was closed in 1992 after sanctions passed by the US Congress brought an end the US development assistance.

The agency's assistance to Sudan, one of the largest recipients of its aid worldwide, which stood at less than 150 million US dollars in 2003, reached more than 855 million dollars in 2005. - Xinhua Apr 24, 2006.

UN demines south Sudan and puts first tarred roads in place

Since late 2003, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has rebuilt roughly 1,400 kilometres of roads, repaired bridges and culverts, and removed and destroyed some 200,000 pieces of unexploded ordinance.

Between 500,000 and two million landmines have been laid in Sudan, according to MineTech International, a British-based mine clearance firm which operates in Sudan. The firm says this makes the East African country one of the ten most heavily-mined nations in the world, causing the activities of international aid agencies to be severely constrained.

The United Nations Mine Action Office, established in 2003 to coordinate all mine-related programmes in Sudan, estimates that 155 communities and 4,270 square kilometres of land are at risk in South Sudan as a result of these weapons.

The mines were left by both rebel and government forces. While former SPLM/A rebels laid anti-tank mines to prevent Sudanese government troops from reaching territories under their control, government forces planted mines around garrison towns to keep the rebels away.

Full report Inter Press Service April 23, 2006 Moyiga Nduru Johannesburg.

UN dismisses bin Laden call

UN diplomats brushed aside on Monday a call by Osama bin Laden for Muslims to rise up against the West in Sudan, and vowed to go ahead with plans to send peacekeepers to the embattled Darfur region.

"The comments made by this guy (are) always, always negative. We should not be influenced by whatever comments he made," said Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya, the Security Council president for April.

Full report by Irwin Arieff Reuters 24 Apr 2006.

NATO extends training for African peacekeepers in Darfur

NATO allies have extended a training program for African peacekeepers in Darfur until September, the alliance's operational commander said Monday.

The NATO training mission for officers of the African Union peacekeeping force had been due to end this month, but the 25 allies agreed late last week to extend the program, said US Gen James L Jones, NATO's supreme commander for operations.

Jones told reporters that alliance military experts are working on plans to increase training and "capacity building" to back up the 7,000-strong African peacekeeping force. NATO is also providing planes to fly in African peacekeepers.

Full report AP/ST Apr 24, 2006.

AU to end Darfur peace talks if no deal by April 30

Sam Ibok, head of the African Union team mediating peace negotiations between the Sudan government and rebels fighting in Darfur, said his team was still working toward a United Nations-backed deadline to achieve a final peace agreement by the end of the month.

"We will respect the deadline and if there are no indications that a deal is possible, we will wind up talks by April 30," Ibok said at the talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

Representatives of the Sudanese government and the two Darfur rebel movements will be presented with the final draft agreement this week.

The document will represent a "just and acceptable compromise" to end the Darfur conflict if indeed the warring sides are interested in peace, the chief mediator says.

EAC to send peacekeeping troops to Darfur?

One week to go before we know the outcome of the Darfur peace talks. Short of invading Sudan and starting a massive war, the world has bent over backwards to help the people of Sudan and donated billions of Western taxpayers' dollars. Outsiders can't force the Sudanese to make peace within their own country but have helped put in place expertise, resources, manpower and mechanisms for political talks and peace agreements to replace the senseless violence.

After three years of war, it is now up to the Sudanese themselves to make peace.

Whatever is agreed, peacekeepers will be needed to monitor the complex security arrangements and disarmament. EAC (see below) has peacekeeping troops available to bolster the AU mission in Darfur (AMIS). NATO is helping AMIS with expertise and logistics. The UN has ongoing budget for the provision of peacekeeping missions and troops. The Egyptians have offered to help fund AMIS starting September 30. The Government of Sudan has proposed 10,000 troops. SPLM/A also has 10,000 troops available. Everybody (except bin Laden and his ilk) wants peace in Sudan.

Note the following excerpt from Sudan Watch blog entry dated August 29, 2004 EAC to send peacekeeping troops to Darfur:

The East African Community (EAC) Heads of States Summit resolved here Saturday to deploy troops to the troubled western Sudan region of Darfur to monitor a peace agreement between the government and rebel forces and not for interventionist purposes.

Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa said the three countries were awaiting the outcome of the Africa Union-led Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria under the chairmanship of the Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to proceed with their plan.

"If there is any peace to be monitored, we shall be ready. There must be a process whose implementation we will follow. We are waiting for the outcome of the Abuja peace talks," Mkapa told journalists here Saturday.

P.S. If anyone thinks bin Laden is working in the best interests of the Sudanese and muslims (Darfur is almost all muslim), note this quote:

Apr 23 2006 New Sudan Vision Bin Laden rejects CPA saying "Let (Sudanese President Omar Hassan) al-Bashir and (US President George W Bush) Bush know that this agreement is not worth the ink in which it was written with and does not oblige us in the least."

Apr 24 2006 CNS report Bin Laden tries to put religious spin on Darfur conflict saying "I urge holy warriors to be acquainted with the land and the tribes in Darfur."

Imagine what John Garang and the two million other Sudanese people who perished in south Sudan would, if they could, say about such a crazy statement. How can anyone think of bin Laden as a good man? There are thousands of different religions. One cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. Governments should be separate from religion.

Note Feb 28 2006 UN envoy Jan Pronk cites Al-Qaeda threats to his own life and non-African UN troops deployed to Sudan's Darfur.

Darfur needs up to 60,000 troops - AU

Commander of the African Union (AU) Force in Darfur Maj Gen Collins Ihikere said Tuesday that the 7,000 troops in the troubled area were not sufficient and up to 60,000 troops more were needed.

Full report Apr 18, 2006 Xinhua via COMTEX, ST.

AU mediators present security arrangement for Darfur peace

On April 22, 2006 the AU Mediation presented to the warring Sudanese Parties - GoS, SLM/A and JEM - the "Final Status Security Agreement for Darfur", at a late night Plenary Session of the Security Arrangements Commission chaired by Ambassador Sam B Ibok.

Earlier, the Coordinator of the Security Arrangements Commission General Chris Garuba, made a brief presentation on the Document which provides for the disarmament of the Janjaweed; the Integration of former rebels into the Sudan Armed Forces and other National Security Institutions; their Assembly, Disarmament and Demobilization; and their Social and Economic Reintegration, among others issues.

Full report Sudan Tribune April 23, 2006.

Khartoum remains committed to peaceful settlement of Darfur crisis

"We are committed to finding a comprehensive settlement of the Darfur crisis through the negotiation currently underway in the Nigerian capital Abuja," Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol told a forum of foreign diplomats in Sudan.

He said that the peace talks was "being strongly pushed by a visit of Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha and his intensive meeting with the African Union (AU) mediators and negotiators of the two sides."

A big progress had been achieved in the peace talks, he added.

Turabi branded apostate for pro-women comments

Clerics proposed trying Hassan al-Turabi for apostasy following recent declarations by him that women were equal to men, had the right to marry a Christian or a Jew and could even lead prayers, AFP reported:

"Turabi should declare repentance or face the Sharia Hadd for heresy," said the statement by the Muslim Scholars Committee, which has the support of the government and controls many of the country's mosques.

Hadd is a word in Islamic law that applies to punishments inflicted for some of the most serious offenses. The traditional punishment for heresy or apostasy in Sharia law is the death penalty.

Ukranian plane chartered by Libya to fly food and medical aid to Chad crashes

Six people have died after a cargo plane carrying aid to Chad crashed in Cameroon after failing to land at an airport in Ndjamena, capital of neighbouring Chad.

Full report BBC 23 Apr 2006.

Chad rebel prisoners say Sudan recruited them

April 23 Reuters report says Sudan's security forces helped recruit rebels, including child soldiers, from refugee camps in Darfur for a revolt in neighbouring Chad, rebel prisoners told African Union investigators. Excerpt:

Meeting some of 200 captured rebel prisoners at N'Djamena's central police station, the AU investigators heard how rebel leaders met Sudanese intelligence officers in Khartoum.

"The Sudanese intelligence people were our contacts ... they were always dressed in civilian clothing," Colonel Adoum Maratis, a captured rebel commander who said he came from Central African Republic, told reporters.

"We were given transport, communications. We were well equipped," Maratis said, adding that around 1,200 fighters in 75 pick-up trucks were involved in the attack on N'Djamena.

Maratis said he was recruited four months ago in Khartoum at a meeting with rebel chief Mahamat Nour.

Nour, an ex-Chadian army capitain, leads the rebel United Front for Democratic Change (FUC) and was seeking experienced officers to launch a rebellion against Deby.

Maratis travelled to training camps in Sudan's Darfur region, where he said some 7,000 rebel fighters were gathered to wage rebellion against Deby's rule.

Some recruits trained were as young as 12 years old, Maratis said. Several of the prisoners were small boys, who looked dazed by their experience and said they had been recruited by force.

Maratis said the majority of rebel fighters were from Chad, although a few prisoners said they were Sudanese.

"I was recruited by Sudan. I was visiting my family in a refugee camp (in Darfur), when I was approached by Sudanese military authorities and recruited by force," said Said Ibrahim Isaac, dressed in military fatigues.

"We were told to get on the trucks. We were not told we were going to Chad," said another prisoner.

The FUC rebels raced 800 km (500 miles) in three days to attack the capital at dawn. Several hundred people were killed before the Chadian army repelled the assault.

Hassane Mostar Hassane, a Chadian FUC captain, said he was recruited three years ago in Sudan. "Our arms were provided by Sudan, lots of different kinds of arms," he said in Arabic via a translator.

Further reading

Sudan Watch archive date and post title:
4/14/2006 Khartoum armed Arab insurgents inside Chad and dispatched them to overthrow Deby?
4/13/2006 French Mirage fighter dropped bomb near Chadian rebels heading for N'Djamena
4/11/2006 Propaganda war in Chad aimed at sowing fear and panic
4/10/2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby
4/02/2006 Mohamat Nour's Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) aims to depose Chadian president Deby
3/15/2006 Chad's President Deby was sponsored by Khartoum and helped into power by the French secret services
2/20/2006 Two Chadian army generals desert, join rebels
2/12/2006 Reuters exclusive interview: Mahamat Nour the Chad rebel leader demands change, by force if needed
1/28/2006 Sudan accuses Chad of shelling Arm Yakui, West Darfur - NMRD Darfur rebels attack Sudan army base in Arm Yakui
1/13/2006 Sudan says UN peace force in Darfur unwelcome

Nonsensical Bin Laden calls for jihad in Sudan's Darfur

Just as the final round of Darfur peace talks nears April 30 deadline set by the AU Peace and Security Council, Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden urges his followers to prepare for a long war against "Western would-be occupiers in Darfur", according to an audiotape attributed to him and aired on Sunday, Reuters reported Apr 23, 2006.

See text of nonsensical audio statement, purportedly from bin Laden, aired on Al Jazeera. The Telegraph reported:

In the tape broadcast on the Arabic TV station this afternoon, bin Laden calls on his followers in Sudan to fight a proposed UN force in Darfur.

"I call on Mujahedin and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arab peninsula, to prepare for long war again the crusader plunderers in Western Sudan," said bin Laden, who was based in Sudan before it expelled him under threats from the US.

Apr 23 2006 Aljazeera Hamas distances itself from Bin Laden - "It's natural that this tension is going to create an impression that there is a Western-Israeli alliance working against the Palestinians" Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman.

Apr 23 2006 BBC - 'Bin Laden' accuses West - excerpts

Apr 23 2006 ST AP - "We are aware of the tape and a technical analysis of the recording is being conducted," a US intelligence official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The Al-Jazeera news reader said bin Laden, in a portion of the tape not aired by the Qatar-based broadcaster, scoffed at Saudi King Abdullah for his calls for a "dialogue among civilizations" and blasted liberal-minded Arab writers for taking part in the Western cultural invasion of Muslim lands.

Apr 23 2006 New Sudan Vision Bin Laden rejects CPA saying "Let (Sudanese President Omar Hassan) al-Bashir and (US President George W Bush) Bush know that this agreement is not worth the ink in which it was written with and does not oblige us in the least."

Apr 23 2006 Guardian AP - "It's when people have kind of forgotten about him, when he's not been on the news, that the tapes emerge," Ayers said. "It's kind of his way of thumbing his nose at the US and saying, 'Hey, I'm still out here, and you haven't caught me and you can't.' That's what he's saying."

Apr 24 2006 Olberlin Times Prophet cartoon offenders must be killed - bin Laden: "Heretics and atheists, who denigrate religion and transgress against God and His Prophet, will not stop their enmity toward Islam except by being killed," the Saudi-born militant said.

Apr 24 2006 BBC Bin Laden call falls on deaf ears - A call attributed to Osama Bin Laden for Islamic holy war in Sudan and other Muslim states has been disowned by the Sudanese government and Hamas. Jamal Mohammed Ibrahim, Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman is quoted as saying: "We are not concerned with any mujahideen or any Crusade or any war with the international community."



Photo: Archival Footage of Osama bin Laden in Sudan - see Mar 26 2006 Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal says Sudanese government call to arms is carried out through tribal leaders

FUC, RaFD, SCUD - Chadian rebels had good contacts in W Darfur

The situation in Chad, Sudan's neighbour, is getting out of control, writes Jan Pronk, UN Secretary-General's Special Represenative in the Sudan, in his blog entry April 18, 2006. Excerpt:

There are various rebel movements with different interests, different tribal affiliations and with regional backgrounds.

One of them is the Front Uni pour le Changement et la Democratie (FUC), led by Mahamat Nour Abdelkrim, a Tama.

Another one is the Rassemblement des Forces Democratiques (RaFD), getting its support in particular from the Zaghawa.

A third is the Socle pour le Changement et l'Unite Democratique (SCUD), which started in Eastern Chad. It received the support from quite a few defectors from the Deby regime and got a base in Darfur as well. The various movements are not yet united and compete with each other. But together they form a serious challenge to the present regime.

Note, Mr Pronk explains Chadian rebels had good contacts in West Darfur - in both Darfur as well as in Chad, the root causes are domestic, rebel movements in Chad exist since many years.

Canadian Mounties heading to Sudan for UN mission

Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) members are heading to Sudan to assist the UN mission in southern Sudan, Canadian Press reported April 21, 2006.

RCMP Sgt. Richard Davis and Cpl. Barry Meyer are expected to arrive in Khartoum in late April, when they will begin training and supporting Sudanese police and, where possible, advising them on policing methods.

Photo: Constables of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, dressed in their traditional scarlet uniforms, stand their horses in parade formation in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1873 to maintain peace in the Canadian west, the Mounties became a cultural symbol of Canada. Nowadays they usually travel by car, boat, airplane, or snowmobile rather than on horseback. Paul Souders/CORBIS-BETTMANN

500 displaced Dinkas set to return home to southern Sudan from Darfur's Beliel camp

International Organization for Migration (IOM) news report 21 Apr 2006 says IOM is to organise over the next six weeks the voluntary, safe and orderly return of some 10,000 internally displaced Dinkas from three sites in South Darfur to their homes in Northern Bahr El Ghazal province. Excerpt:

A first group of some 500 displaced Dinkas is scheduled leave Beliel camp for the nearby state capital town of Nyala, where they will board an IOM chartered train on 24 April. The 100-mile journey east to El Daein will be the first leg of their long journey home. Other groups of displaced Dinkas are scheduled to leave Nyala town and the nearby Saman Al Naga camp over the coming weeks.

Upon arrival in El Daein, the returnees will overnight at a rest station before starting the second leg of their journey by bus to Samaha, where IOM has recently opened a way station to provide basic facilities such as water, sanitation, and shelter for the returning Dinkas. Health facilities are being provided by the NGO, Cordaid.

The displaced will then cross the river Kiir on board two boats chartered by the NGO Concern to arrive in Kiir Galama, a locality on the southern banks of the river. From there, the returnees will be transported by IOM to their final destinations in Northern Bahr El Ghazal province.

IOM and partners have recently provided emergency assistance to another group of some 2,300 displaced Dinkas who were stranded in Kiir Galama to help them return to their places of origin in the central highlands of Northern Bahr El Ghazal.

Note, the article tells us the Dinkas are part of a much larger group of tens of thousands of fellow tribes people who were displaced by conflict and drought in South Sudan to South Darfur 19 years ago and who were again displaced by the fighting in Darfur in 2003.

For further information, please contact: Louis Hoffmann IOM Juba Tel: +882 16433 38260 Email: lhoffmann@iom.int Anne Marie Linde IOM Khartoum Tel: +249 912 141 757 Email: amlinde@iom.int



Photo: IOM assists displaced Dinkas in Kiir Galama, Northern Bahr El Ghaszl province (Louis Hoffman/IOM 2006).

See Apr 13 2006 Difficult journey for displaced Dinkas in Darfur returning home to Sudan's Northern Bahr El Ghazal province



Photo: Doctors from the Bangladesh Contingent Medical Company treating patients from the local community. Juba, Bahr el-Jabel State, Sudan. UNMIS Photo/Arpan Munier, 21 February 2006

AU mission in Chad to probe Sudan role in attacks

An African Union delegation flew in to Chad on Friday to probe President Idriss Deby's accusations that neighbour Sudan is backing rebels bent on ending his nearly 16-year rule, Reuters report 21 Apr 2006 - excerpt:

Deby has accused Sudan of attacking his country and his government says it has abundant proof Khartoum equipped and armed the rebels, some of whom were captured and who residents say had to ask their way round N'Djamena when they arrived. Khartoum denies the charges.

"It is an information mission to ascertain where the responsibilities lie in the current crisis," Chad's Foreign Minister Ahmat Allam-Mi told Reuters. "We're ready to show them the prisoners we took and show them the equipment we seized during the fighting," he said.

African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare, one of the continent's top diplomats, said this week the mission would have to establish the facts before the 53-member continental body could make any condemnation of "the aggressor".

Former colonial power France, which has more than 1,000 soldiers in Chad, has been flying reconnaissance missions across the vast country in what officials say are efforts to get to the bottom of Chad's accusations of Sudanese involvement.

Foreign diplomats said many of those captured during the fighting appeared not to speak Chadian dialects, while the arms seized and shown to journalists after the raid included Chinese munitions, which analysts said were likely to be from Sudan.

Libya funding AU observers to monitor Sudan-Chad border

African Union security experts have arrived in Darfur to monitor the border with Chad after N'Djamena accused Khartoum of supporting Chadian rebels.

AU observers are to set up posts along the border towns of Tina, Kulbus, Gineina, Khur Bernagah and Wadi Sair.

Libya, which has been a mediator in the conflict, had agreed to foot the bill for the operation.

Libyan Minister of African Affairs Ali al-Triki held talks with leaders in Khartoum on Monday in a bid to ease tensions with Chad, which broke off diplomatic ties with Sudan on Friday, a day after a rebel attack on N'Djamena.

Full report ST 21 Apr 2006.

Chad expels JEM rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim after occupation of Sudanese embassy

According to an unsourced report at the Sudan Tribune Apr 21, the Chadian authorities expelled the chairman of the rebel JEM, Khalil Ibrahim, and his group after they occupied the Sudanese embassy in the Chadian capital, N’djamena, for some hours and looted the properties of the embassy.

Note the report says Khalil Ibrahim has political asylum in France and that it seems he went to Libya after his forced departure from Chad. Full report.

AU chief mediator briefs UN Security Council on Darfur

Peace agreement for Darfur close Alarab Online report Apr 19 - excerpt:

"We are working full steam to meet this deadline," Salim Ahmed Salim, the AU special envoy and chief mediator for the inter-Sudanese talks in Abuja, said on Tuesday in his first Council briefing since January.

"As we enter the home stretch of this marathon negotiating session," he cautioned, however, "the anxieties of the parties are understandably intensifying." Concessions still need to be made on the sharing of wealth and power, security arrangements and other issues, he said.

The security arrangements will make or break the negotiations, he said, underscoring the complexity of both an immediate ceasefire and long-term final status arrangements.

"Darfur is home to a myriad of armed and dangerous militia, included the Janjaweed, the armed movements that are fragmenting, bandits of sorts, foreign combatants and tribal forces," he observed.

The mediation team, he said, had made proposals on the disengagement of forces, disarmament of the Janjaweed, the control and neutralization of militias, protection of displaced persons, security of nomadic migration corridors and the demilitarization of humanitarian supply routes.

The proposed Enhanced Ceasefire Agreement stipulates that the neutralization of the Janjaweed and "undisciplined militia" is a prerequisite for any peace agreement, he said.

As this, and all such steps, will have to be monitored by the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), he stressed that it was crucial to follow up any peace agreement, once signed, with maximum support to those forces, which are not even adequate to fulfil their current mandate.

"My plea to you in this esteemed Council is that you do not wait for the transition to take place from AMIS to a UN Force before strengthening the implementation mechanism of any agreement to be reached in Abuja," he said.

Militia in Darfur must be controlled to ensure peace, says AU

(IRIN Apr 20) Neutralisation of the Janjawid and "undisciplined militia" - stipulated under the "Enhanced Ceasefire Agreement" as put forward by the AU mediation team at negotiations in the Nigerian capital, Abuja - was a prerequisite for any peace agreement, AU chief mediator, Salim Ahmed Salim said. Security arrangements would make or break the negotiations:

The proposals included the disengagement and redeployment of the forces, disarmament of the Janjawid, the control and neutralisation of militias, protection of displaced persons, security of nomadic migration corridors and the demilitarisation of humanitarian supply routes, he said.

Despite these difficulties, Salim was optimistic about the recent progress the Sudanese government and the two main Darfurian rebel groups had made. He expressed hope that a deal could be reached by the 30 April deadline set by the AU. "We are working full-steam to meet this deadline," he said.

AU says Sudan negotiators progressing in peace talks

"We are in the final stretch of concluding the Darfur peace agreement. The mediation is ready, and we believe the time is right for the parties to move beyond arguments to decisions," the top African Union mediator said April 19.

Here's lighting a candle in hope of an enhanced ceasefire agreement being signed for the long suffering people of Darfur by April 30.



Image courtesy of a new blog Bloggers for Darfur.

Note another new blog Darfur - Call to Action.

Sanctions delay on two rebel commanders, Janjaweed leader and Sudan Air Force commander in Darfur

Both the US and Britain said none of the four men facing sanctions were involved in the two-year Darfur peace talks in Abuja.

"Actions would be against individuals responsible for gross violations of human rights or violations of the ceasefire, Deputy British Ambassador Adam Thomson said.

"It would have the incidental benefit of sending an indirect message to Abuja that the council is absolutely serious about returning peace to Darfur," he said.

The four Sudanese include two rebel commanders, a pro-government militia leader and a Sudan Air Force commander who had been in Darfur.

Full report (Reuters) 20 Apr 2006.

Russian peacekeepers join UN mission in south Sudan

Photo ITAR-TASS news agency - an advance team of the Russian helicopter group is on its way to Sudan 20 Apr 2006 to operate as part of the UN mission in south Sudan:

"An Il-76 aircraft will deliver about 30 people as well as munitions and over 10 tons of outfits and property necessary for deploying the helicopter team at the place of location," the Air Force spokesman said.

General Sergei Shevchenko, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, told Itar-Tass that up to 200 servicemen as well as four Mi-8 helicopters with a full set of equipment and ammunitions and more than 100 tons of various cargoes onboard would be airlifted to Sudan.

The An-24, An-22 and Il-76 military transport planes will make nearly 40 flights.

Sudan denies visas to Darfur for UN military group

Sudan's president refused to grant visas to Darfur for a UN military assessment mission that wanted to plan for a UN peacekeeping mission, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

"They felt this was not the time for a UN assessment mission to go into Darfur until the Abuja process was completed," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "We have a clear political line from the Sudanese at this point."

Full report by Evelyn Leopold (Reuters) 19 Apr 2006.

French President Chirac to seek Egypt's Mubarak's help as regional mediator

French President Jacques Chirac heads to Egypt on Wednesday for a two-day visit. Along with several other issues, Chirac and Mubarak are also set to address the continuing bloodshed in Darfur, AFP/DS reported April 19, 2006.

Libyan envoy Abdel Salam el-Treiki arrives in Khartoum to try to defuse tensions between Sudan and Chad

(AlRai AlAam - 18 Apr Khartoum via UNMIS) Talks in Khartoum yesterday between President Bashir and an envoy of the Libyan leader focused on Libya's efforts to defuse the tension between Sudan and Chad.

Libyan envoy Abdel Salam el-Treiki said he delivered a letter to President Bashir from the Libyan leader and revealed that he was in Chad before coming to Sudan and held talks along the same lines with the Chadian leader.

The envoy said the two leaders have agreed that the Monitoring Committee formed by virtue of the Tripoli Agreement and the border monitors continue their work. He said he felt the Sudan and Chad were committed to improving relations and expressed hopes that a meeting will soon be held between the two countries at ministerial levels.

The envoy also held talks with Sudan's foreign minister who said that Sudan had tried to send an envoy to Chad recently but Chad was not welcoming. "We will not try again," said the minister. Minister Akol further said that the AU Peace and Security Council turned down Chad's accusations on Sudan.
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Darfur rebels briefly occupy Sudan embassy in Chad

Apr 18 2006Reuters report excerpt:

JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim earlier said he had taken control of the embassy. "We are speaking from within the embassy of Sudan," he told Reuters in Cairo by telephone. "It's under my full control."

A member of Sudanese government delegation in Abuja, said the rebels had attacked the embassy and that they had stolen equipment including mobile phones. "They assaulted the building and attacked the charge d'affaires ... Then the Libyan authorities came to the embassy and took control. They've raised the Libyan flag on the embassy because they are representing Sudanese interests," he said.

Sudan's Taha holds closed-door meeting with SLM's Menawi

Sudan Tribune article April 17, 2006 says Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Taha continued his closed-door meetings with leaders of the rebel movements where he met Sunday Meni Arko Menawi, the chairman of one of the SLM factions. Excerpt:

The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Al-Samani Al-Wasila, said in a press statement that this is the fifth meeting between Taha and Menawi, pointing out that the focus now is on the security arrangements axis. Al-Wasila added that there are now no outstanding issues in the file of the security arrangements.

The spokesperson of the AU in Abuja talks, Noureddine Mezni, said to SUNA that the AU mediator, Salim Ahmed Salim, left for New York where he is expected to submit on Tuesday a report to the UN Security Council on the latest developments of the Darfur peace talks.

Libya makes first donation to WFP - for millions at risk in Darfur, Chad

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed its first ever contribution from the Government of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

The donation of 6.1 million Libyan dinars (US$4.5 million) will help feed 2.7 million people in the Darfur region of western Sudan and 200,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad.

Note, among other things since August 2004, Libya has also provided a crucial ground transportation corridor from the Libyan port of Benghazi through the Sahara Desert to eastern Chad. This continues to deliver substantial amounts of WFP food aid. To date, WFP has transported by truck 55,501 tons of food through this corridor.

Pope Benedict includes Darfur in his Easter message

Pope Benedict, in his first Easter message as pontiff, on Sunday lamented that the humanitarian crisis in Darfur was "no longer sustainable." - CBC Apr 16.

Sudan asks Libya's embassy in Chad to take care of its interests

On April 15 Sudan asked the Libyan embassy in N'Djamena to take care of its interests in Chad as Chadian authorities gave Sudanese diplomats in N'Djamena five days to leave Chad, reports Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Chadian president calls Sudan's al-Bashir "traitor". The Chadian leader, who is fighting for his political life after almost 16 years in power, also referred to al-Bashir in Arabic as "a donkey". Heh.
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'Somalisation' of Chad

AFP report Apr 15 says a French diplomat warned on Saturday that if the rebels in Chad toppled the Chadian president, it could create a power vacuum that would destabilise the desperately poor country:

"If Deby goes, there is a risk that Chad will descend into chaos. An anti-Deby coalition does not amount to a real opposition and there is nobody to take over the reins," he said.

This view was backed up by a French geostrategic analyst, who pointed out that the rebel movement was composed of several disparate ethnic groups with different political interests and that it might well fall apart if it actually gained power.

A forced exit for Deby could trigger a situation similar to that Somalia, which has no government and is run by a multitude of armed groups, the analyst said, on condition of anonymity.

The aim is "now to avoid a bloody and violent transition", he said. "Without a peaceful exit from the crisis, the risk is of a 'Somalisation' of Chad."

- - -

Chad's rebel groups FUC and MDJT deny support from Sudan but fail to declare who is funding them.

SLM/JEM want power, position and wealth not ceasefires

Darfur rebel groups SLM and JEM Press Release Apr 14, 2006 claims Sudanese Vice President Taha, in the latest peace talks, stated the same views and positions already presented by the Sudanese Government - that there would be no Vice-President, no Region and no compensations and this was the final position.

SLM/JEM hold the view that the Vice-President's visit at the peace talks brought nothing new and call upon the AU, the Mediators, and the international and regional partners to intervene.

[Note, no mention of the enhanced ceasefire agreement - only power, position and wealth. Shame on them. They seem no different from the regime they're trying to weaken through violence. What makes any of them fit to govern?]

UPDATE: SLM Press Release Apr 15, 2006 re meeting between Abdulwahid Elnur, Chairman of the SLM/A, and Sudanese Vice-President Taha, at the Nicon Hilton, Abuja, Apr 14, 2006 - "Sudan's Taha, SLM’s Nur committed to achieve peace in Darfur"
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AU envoy, Sudanese VP Taha hold talks for second time

AU special envoy and chief Mediator, Salim Ahmed Salim met Sudanese Vice-President Taha at the Darfur peace talks April 14 and discussed a broad range of outstanding issues relating to power and wealth sharing as well as security arrangements, SudanTribune reports April 15, 2006:

Both sides agreed on the need to proceed with deliberate speed. Salim described his discussions with Taha as "very constructive", adding that the presence of the Vice-President in Abuja has been very helpful in terms of building confidence and creating renewed momentum for the Talks.

Photo: Sudan's Taha and AU's Salim at the Darfur peace talks (ST)

Salim said that the talks are moving in the right direction and that the AU Mediation is operating strictly within the mandate given by the AU Peace and Security Council.

"We have spent almost five months continuously in the current Round of the Talks. Now is the time to take decisions. Our hope is to conclude by the end of this month", Salim asserted.

Sudanese president meets with UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations

Sudanese President al-Bashir reiterated refusal on Saturday of deploying international forces in Darfur to take over the peacekeeping mission of the African Union, reports Xinhua Apr 15, 2006:

Al-Bashir made his remarks at a meeting with visiting UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi, Sudanese official sources told Xinhua.

"Sudan is persistent in its position refusing the handover of the AU mission in Darfur to the United Nations," the president told the UN official, according to the sources.

Al-Bashir said that the international peacekeeping troops should not be sent to Darfur without an approval of the Sudanese government.

The Sudanese president also stressed his commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the Darfur conflict through negotiations currently underway between the government and Darfur rebel groups under the AU auspices in the Nigerian capital Abuja. It was the latest statement by al-Bashir over Sudan's firm refusal of international forces in Darfur.

Meanwhile, the sources said that al-Bashir and Annabi reached an agreement during the meeting that a technical team would be sent by the UN to Khartoum to conduct consultations with the government on a possible "smooth and natural transfer of the African mission" after the mandate of the AU peacekeeping forces expires on Sept. 30.

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Apr 14 2006 Annan says a UN force should be sent to Darfur, even if Sudanese won't agree?

Apr 15 2006 Don't Intervene in Darfur: Let the African Union do it

UN peacekeepers from Cambodia heading for South Sudan hope their de-mining experience helps the Sudanese

Pictured here is a Cambodian mine-clearing soldier holding the UN flag before departure at the military airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 15 April 2006.



The Cambodian soldiers heading to Sudan for a UN-backed landmine clearing operation, have said they hoped they could use their experience recovering from civil war to help the war-torn Sudanese, AFP reports:

"I feel very proud that our country, which just got out of the war, can help others", said police warrant officer Som Chantha, 40, one of around 100 soldiers attending a farewell ceremony Saturday.

"I hope I can do good work in mine clearing for our nation."



Photo: A Cambodian mine-clearing soldier receives the UN peacekeeper cap at the military airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday 15 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA)

The Cambodians, whose heavily-mined country is slowly emerging from three decades of civil war that ended in 1998, are expected to leave for the northeast African nation around 8:00 pm (1300 GMT) Saturday.



Photo: A monk blesses flowers to Cambodian mine-clearing soldiers before their departure at the military airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday 15 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA)

Separately, in a letter to the soldiers seen by journalists Saturday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said it was an "honour" for the deminers to serve. Hun Sen urged the Cambodians not to abuse Sudan's sovereignty.

"We are not invading soldiers and not colonial soldiers, but we are soldiers for peacekeeping who have to respect the independence and sovereignty of that country," the letter, dated Wednesday, said.

Photo: A Cambodian peacekeeper (R) is bid farewell by a relative before leaving Phnom Penh for Sudan at the Royal Cambodia Air Force base. (AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy)

Sadly, according to UN estimates, between 15,000 and 20,000 people are killed or disabled by landmines and unexploded ordnance around the world each year. Some 20 percent are children. There is no accurate data available on the number of landmine victims in Sudan, but the UN has reported some 1,800 people have been killed or injured over the past five years.

Sudan: Bolton blames British for "erroneous" leak

Washington Post piece by Edith Lederer Blog: Behind the Scenes at the UN says leaks are part of daily life at the UN, but it's rare that one country accuses another publicly of deliberately leaking what it considers to be misinformation -

"And it's even rarer when the two countries are considered close allies, like the United States and Britain.

But US Ambassador John Bolton was obviously upset at published reports last week by several British journalists saying the United States was opposed to including the name of any Sudanese government official on a Security Council list of people who should be subject to UN sanctions for blocking peace and violating human rights in Darfur.

The reports, quoting unidentified diplomats, said Britain and other nations recommended a list of eight names, including government officials, but the U.S. wanted only a middle-ranking militiaman and one rebel.

Bolton said this wasn't true - and blamed the British for an erroneous leak."

[Bolton upset? Poor little flower]

See Apr 13 2006 UK, US call for sanctions against 4 Sudanese over Darfur.

Don't Intervene in Darfur: Let the African Union do it

The solution to helping Darfur must come from Africa, with the world's help, not the other way around [this blog author agrees], writes Christopher Preble, director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, and a founding member of the Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy.

Excerpt from his opinion piece at Reason April 13, 2006 [hat tip PoTP] entitled Don't Intervene in Darfur: Let the African Union do it:

"The neighboring African countries recognize what is at stake. Although no one has known for certain what the United States and NATO might do, this uncertainty did not stop Nigeria and Egypt from sending peacekeepers to Darfur last year. ... Leaders in Chad, Kenya, and even Libya have expressed a willingness to help resolve the conflict.

The deployment in Darfur is an important test case of the African Union's credibility. Given the many urgent demands on American and European troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, the United States and its allies should do nothing to discourage Sudan's neighbors from taking the initiative; unfortunately, that is exactly what NATO involvement would do."

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UN resources and helicopters

In his blog entry April 7, 2006 Jan Pronk, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Sudan and Head of UN mission in southern Sudan, writes:

"The text of the so-called Enhanced Humanitarian Cease Fire Agreement which seems to emerge from the present talks is much better than the D'Jamena cease fire agreement of May 2004. However, it is also more complicated, because of the zoning of positions, which have to be verified, and the introduction of buffer zones and corridors between the zones, which requires checking and monitoring of troop movements. I am afraid that the African Union peace force in Darfur, given its present size, strength and composition, will not be able to carry out that task. Success in the talks may breed failure on the ground. The only way to avoid a new failure is to bring a more robust force to Darfur. In my view that can only be a UN force."

- - -

AU in Darfur needs bolstering

Apr 14 2006 NATO not UN should be protecting Darfur - Annan says a UN force should be sent to Darfur.

Last opportunity to demand postponement of Chad's May 3 elections

When it comes to journalists and Darfur, Julie Flint is my favourite. She has written extensively on Sudan and, with Alex de Waal, authored "Darfur: A Short History of a Long War."

In the following excerpt from her latest piece in The Daily Star April 15, 2006 entitled "The lethal link between Chad and Darfur" [hat tip CfD] Flint offers a great solution that makes sense:

"If concern for peace in Darfur extends beyond rhetoric, serious action is needed to avert a further deterioration in Chad in the event that Deby can, on this occasion, cling to power. Deby has scheduled presidential elections for May 3. He won fraudulent elections in 2001 and broke a promise not to stand again by amending the Constitution to enable a third term. The chaos in Chad is reason enough to demand a postponement of the May elections, which are set to repeat the farce of 2001, and to convoke, under international supervision, a national conference to launch a genuine democratic process. Sudan's Military Intelligence must be made aware that involvement in a proxy war against Deby will carry a heavy price.

Sudan's denial of any connection to the Chadian rebels should be treated with the contempt it deserves. But the Sudanese connection must be put in context: Chad's crisis is essentially a domestic crisis and its solutions are primarily domestic. In the 15 years since Deby took power, the international community has failed signally to push for democratization of his brutal, authoritarian regime. Chad, like Darfur, requires a genuine, truly popular political process that will create enduring peace. This may be the last opportunity to demand it."

AU, UN teams hold meeting on Darfur

Two teams from the AU Commission and the UN Secretariat have met in Addis Ababa over Sudan's Darfur region, the AU has said today to discuss the implementation of the AU Peace and Security Council communique of March 10. They also discussed the UN Security Council's Resolution 1663 of March 24, 2006 pertaining to the envisaged transition to a UN operation in Darfur. - UPI/AND April 14, 2006:

The statement said the teams agreed to work together to expedite planning for the envisaged transition to a UN operation in Darfur. In the meantime, the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), which currently has about 7,000 personnel, including peacekeepers and observers, would be strenghtened, the statement said.

They also agreed to establish mechanisms for coordination and joint planning, in consultation with the Sudanese government and other parties concerned, it said.

The AU delegation was led by Commissioner for Peace and Security, Said Djinnit while the UN team was led by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi, the statement said.

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Chad hosts 250,000 refugees and displaced people in its eastern region

Today, Chadian President Deby said if the international community did not solve the Darfur crisis by June and guarantee security on the border then his country would no longer shelter Sudanese refugees.

Apr 15 2006 The Times President threatens to expel 200,000 who escaped Darfur

Apr 14 2006 IRIN President threatens to expel Darfur refugees as attacks surge in lawless east - There are 250,000 refugees and displaced in eastern Chad.

Annan says a UN force should be sent to Darfur, even if Sudanese won't agree?

According to a report at Radio Netherlands 14 April 2006 "Mr Annan told the NOVA television programme that a UN force should be sent, even if the Sudanese government were not to agree." Copy of report, in full:

"NATO not UN should be protecting Darfur"
by RN Security and Defence Editor Hans de Vreij:

Lord Owen, a former international peace negotiator believes the plea by UN's Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk for a 'robust' UN force to be sent into Darfur is unlikely to materialise. Lord Owen, formerly EU representative during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina and now a member of Britain's House of Lords, told Radio Netherlands that only NATO would have the capability to do "hard peacekeeping" as he phrased it.

However, he added that NATO was likely to continue with the new tasks it has in Afghanistan first, before engaging troops to establish peace in Darfur. For the time being, the alliance's role there is limited to providing logistical assistance to a small peacekeeping force from the African Union.

NATO problems

Jan Pronk last week strongly spoke out against any NATO intervention in the region of Darfur. He said that action by NATO would cause,

"...massive support by the whole of the [Sudanese] population against such an intervention. People will think that this is just a third theatre of Western intervention after Afghanistan and Iraq. They will fight."

Instead, Jan Pronk believes a UN peacekeeping force consisting mainly of African and Asian troops with 'enabling' support from Western UN member states would be acceptable for the Sudanese government.

During a brief visit to the Netherlands, UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan said on Thursday that he had sought unspecified military support from the Netherlands and countries like France and the United Kingdom for a new peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

Mr Annan told the NOVA television programme that a UN force should be sent, even if the Sudanese government were not to agree.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is yet to give a green light for the dispatching of such a force. But according to Lord Owen, the UN lacks key capabilities for "hard peacekeeping", such as an air force or heavy artillery.

"In many of these regions, you will need this. You can subcontract that to NATO, as we did in Bosnia, but there were a lot of problems with that, such as 'dual-key' command."

Referring to Jan Pronk, Lord Owen added that he respected his views.

"He is an experienced figure; he is there in the field, so I respect his judgment. But he has got a history, he has not always been strong on defence.

Disgrace

Lord Owen referred to the situation in Darfur as,

"... a disgrace. The trouble is, at the moment I don't think the African Union is yet ready to ask for NATO to come in. What we are doing in NATO is right, we are helping the African Union, flying troops in, we're giving them logistical support, we're acting in the background. Personally, I doubt the African Union can deal with Darfur and I think there will come a moment when the states in the region will ask us to go in."
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See NATO ready to help UN in Darfur - What happened to NATO supporting African Union Mission in Darfur?

US Deputy Secretary Zoellick Welcomes AU Chair Konare

US State Department transcript of remarks before meeting with Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, April 14 2006.

Statement on Chad, Darfur by Security Council President

Statement to the press, delivered today by Security Council President Wang Guangya (China), says the situation in Darfur and the mounting tension at the border between the Sudan and Chad was under consideration by the members of the Security Council. Excerpt:

The members of the Security Council express support for the efforts of the African Union and invite the Secretary-General and the African Union to make available their good offices to address this crisis.

Chad Conflict At 800 Casualties?

Prensa claims some 400 soldiers and rebels died and 387 were injured in the past few hours in Chad, Administration Minister Mahamat Ali Abdallah reported Friday. Ali Abdallah did not mention civilian victims, but humanitarian organizations said about 100 civilians went to hospitals.
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Chad: Around the clock surgery in N'djamena's main hospital

"We had to perform quite a lot of double inferior limbs amputations. Most of the wounded are quite young. We've been treating girls and even a three-year old baby." - MSF Press Release:

Since yesterday afternoon, MSF has been treating heavily wounded civilians after widespread violence in Chad reached its capital city, N'Djamena. So far, surgical teams have provided treatment to more than 60 people in the Hopital General de Reference National (HGNR), the main reference hospital in the country. [via PoTP]

Central African Republic closes border with Sudan

Central African Republic closed its border with Sudan on Friday in protest at what it called Khartoum's "aggression" following rebel attacks on its neighbour Chad, its foreign minister said.

"We are closing the border. We condemn the aggression against Chad," Central African Republic's Foreign Minister Jean Paul Ngoupande told Reuters, adding the country was stopping short of cutting diplomatic ties with Khartoum.



Full report Reuters (Image courtesy AFP) 14 April 2006.

Chad cuts Sudan ties after attack

"We have taken the decision to break our diplomatic relations with Sudan today and to proceed to close our frontiers," Chadian President Idriss Deby told a rally in N'Djamena.

Mr Deby warned that the international community had until the end of June to resolve the conflict in Darfur, otherwise they would have "to find another country" to shelter some 200,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. He said he had ordered all Sudanese diplomats to leave the country. Full report BBC 14 Apr 2006.
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Sudan's government denied it was helping anti-Deby rebels

"Let me repeat that Sudan is not involved in these Chadian internal affairs. They have a revolt, we are not involved," said Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim. Full report Reuters 14 Apr 2006.

During a press conference at Khartoum Airport today Sudanese FM Lam Akol said Sudan hoped that Chad would remain stable. "Chad's instability would negatively affect the security in Sudan. What is taking place at the moment was a Chadian internal concern that has no connection with us" he said.



Photo: Chadian rebels from the United Front for Democratic Change (FUC), an alliance of nine rebel groups, on drill in rebel territory, February 10, 2006. Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom

Chad says to stop oil output if no World Bank deal

Chad will stop its oil production from Tuesday unless it reaches an agreement with the World Bank to end a dispute over the use of oil revenues, a government minister said on Friday - Reuters 14 Apr 2006:

"We will turn off the tap in a week if there is no agreement with the World Bank," Human Rights Minister Abderamane Djasnabaille told a news conference after a cabinet meeting. He said production would be stopped on Tuesday, April 18 at midday.

The World Bank suspended loans to Chad on Jan. 12, saying the government had breached an agreement with the bank when it changed a law to access oil profits from a pipeline operated by a U.S.-led consortium that were meant to benefit the poor. The bank also froze pipeline profits saved in a London escrow account, which it has refused to release to the government. The savings include royalties from the pipeline's operator, Exxon Mobil.

"The World Bank does not have the right to block funds that do not belong to it," Djasnabaille said.

Chad parades captured rebels incl Sudanese police officer

Reuters report by Daniel Flynn says Chad's government on Friday paraded captured rebels it said were recruited by Sudan. Excerpt:

The 160 prisoners, looking downcast and some wearing bedraggled camouflage uniforms, were displayed sitting on the ground before reporters and dignitaries in Independence Square at a rally aimed at bolstering popular support for Deby.

At least one was wounded, his arm dripping blood onto the ground, while another slumped forward in a faint. The captives were shown along with 14 military vehicles, some damaged, which the government said it seized while repelling Thursday's rebel assault. Some of the vehicles were mounted with machineguns and rocket launchers.

"What you can see here are mercenaries the Sudan government has recruited among Sudanese and Chadians over there (in Sudan)," Chad's territorial administration minister, General Mahamat Ali Abdallah Nassour, told reporters.

One of the prisoners displayed in N'Djamena told reporters he was a Sudanese police officer of Chadian parents who had been offered 500,000 CFA francs to fight with the rebels.

Mahamat Ali Mahamat, 31, said he entered Chad for the first time three weeks ago and that a "difficult social situation" obliged him to join the rebels.

Photo: Prisoners captured after a rebel assault on the capital, N'Djamena, put on display at the Place d'Independence (BBC)

Khartoum armed Arab insurgents inside Chad and dispatched them to overthrow Deby?

Western diplomats believe Sudan is trying to oust Mr Deby in retaliation for his role in the Darfur war, writes David Blair in Telegraph April 14. Excerpt:

Western diplomats believe Sudan is trying to oust Mr Deby in retaliation for his role in the Darfur war.

Khartoum has accused him of arming the rebels who began the fighting in Darfur three years ago.

Mr Deby comes from the black African Zaghawa tribe, also present in Darfur. The Zaghawas were among the tribes who rose up against Khartoum's control of Darfur.

Sudan believes Mr Deby sent arms to the main rebel group in Darfur, styling itself the Sudan Liberation Army.

Western diplomats have no doubt Sudan responded by arming Arab insurgents inside Chad and dispatching them to overthrow Mr Deby.

He is deeply unpopular in much of Chad, where Zaghawas make up only seven per cent of the population. The Arab tribes are his traditional opponents and they look to Khartoum's Arab-dominated regime for support.

Further reading

Apr 02 2006 Mohamat Nour's Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) aims to depose Chadian president Deby

Apr 10 2005 African military monitors now on Sudan-Chad-CAR border - On Feb 8, 2006 the leaders of Sudan and Chad signed a peace agreement to end increasing tension over Darfur, pledging to normalize diplomatic relations and deny refuge to each other's rebel groups. The agreement is known as the Tripoli Declaration. On March 21, 2006 the African Union Peace and Security Council endorsed plans to deploy military observers on the Chad-Sudan border as per the Tripoli Declaration. Next day, the African Union sent observers on the Chad-Sudan border.

Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby

Apr 13 2006 France supports Deby - Chad says rebel attack on capital N'Djamena defeated - Chad claims rebels replused, blames Sudan for fomenting 'coup'

Apr 13 2006 French Mirage fighter dropped bomb near Chadian rebels heading for N'Djamena

Apr 13 2006 UN evacuating 148 staff from Chad into Cameroon - French planes had fired "warning shots"



Photo: Leaders of Chad and Sudan on the evening of Wednesday 8 Feb 2006 signed a peace agreement in Tripoli, Libya under which they promised to immediately expel armed groups hostile to their respective governments. See Apr 10 African military monitors now on Sudan-Chad-CAR border.



Image via Genocide au Darfour blog entry posted by Le Comite 30 March 2006 - excerpt:

MAHAMAT NOUR ABDELKRIM
Le "capitaine" Mahamat Nour, ex-officier de l'armee tchadienne, est recherche pour avoir dirige les Janjawids, et avoir ete le principal planificateur du genocide au Darfour. De par sa nationalite tchadienne, il servait d'alibi au gouvernement soudanais. -- Human Rights Watch found evidence of coordination between Janjaweed militias and Muhammad Nour's RDL rebels.

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Darfur's men vanish from refugee camp

Apr 14 2006 Reuters report Darfur's men vanish from refugee camp - Freelance Reuters journalist Gabriela Matthews reports on the recruitment of Sudanese refugees from camps near Darfur by armed groups. Life is tough for everyone in the camps, including aid workers.
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Summary: Chad Fighting Sign of Trouble

Summary by The Associated Press Staff and agencies Apr 13, 2006:

COUNTRY OF CONFLICT: Chad suffered through a 1960-90 civil war and several small-scale insurgencies since 1998. Libya has repeatedly invaded, and 200,000 refugees from Sudan's Darfur region now live in eastern Chad.

OIL CONNECTION: Cracks began to form within the government when it started pumping oil in 2004. The rebellion is at least in part over who gets to control oil revenue.

Cambodians clean up Sudan's killing fields

Good luck to a group of 109 Cambodian soldiers leaving Phnom Penh tomorrow to join the UN demining mission in southern Sudan.

Twenty-six of the 135-person team to be stationed in the southern Sudanese city of Malakal are already in place with 25 vehicles, 70 mine detectors and six trailers, as well as other different types of logistical equipment.



Photo: Cambodia mine-clearing soldiers stand at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/Mak Remissa/Rompres)

A seeing-off ceremony was held Wednesday presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. "It is the first time in the history of Cambodia to take part in an international UN peacekeeping mission. This is our pride and the great honor for our military, nation and the people," the premier said.

He went on to say that "it is a humanitarianism mission, so it is our obligation to participate the mission and play more and more important role in the regional and international affairs."



Photo: Mr Douglas Gardner, United Nations Resident Coordinator (L) hands over the UN flag to a mine-clearing soldier at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA/Rompres)



Photo: Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) walks past a UN flag at the end of a ceremony to commit Cambodian peacekeepers to Sudan at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday 12 April 2006. (EPA/MAK REMISSA/Rompres)

CHRONOLOGY- Recent events in Chad

Timeline via Reuters.



Photo: Chad's President Idriss Deby (R) inspects weaponry captured from the rebels in the capital N'djamena April 14, 2006 a day after Chadian insurgents attacked N'Djamena in the boldest assault yet by fighters who have vowed to end Deby's nearly 16-year rule and block a May 3 presidential election in which he is standing for re-election.

Deby said on Friday if no international solution was found for the Darfur crisis by the end of June his country would no longer shelter refugees from that Sudanese region. - Reuters/Claire Soares

Some news reports estimate 200,000 - 250,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad.