UN Security Council meeting in Khartoum next month

UN Security Council Ambassadors will head to Sudan next June for a rare meeting outside New York aimed at pressing for an end to Sudan's three year Darfur crisis, Sudan Tribune reported May 20, 2006 - excerpt:

Diplomatic sources told the London based Asharq al-Awsat, the UN Security session in Khartoum intends to hold a special session on the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005.

Members of the Security Council will hold also meetings with Sudanese official related to the Darfur peace deal.

This meeting will be the fifth time since 1952 that the council will hold a formal meeting outside UN headquarters in New York. The Security Council held an extraordinary session in Nairobi in November 2004 to press for an end to South Sudan's 21 years civil war.

Next few weeks to be 'make or break' for millions with lives at stake in Darfur, Chad, Under-Secretary-General Egeland

IRIN report on today's UN Security Council briefing. Excerpt:

In his presentation to the UN Security Council following a recent visit to Sudan and Chad, Egeland outlined five goals that needed to be achieved immediately: implementing the Darfur peace agreement; bringing on board those who have not signed it; substantially strengthening the African Union Mission in Sudan [AMIS]; accelerating the transition of AMIS to a UN operation; and securing and funding the humanitarian lifeline to more than three million people.

In Darfur and Eastern Chad, humanitarian relief constitutes a lifeline for close to 4 million people

UN Security Council report on today's briefing by Jan Egeland:

The Governor of South Darfur had agreed that the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) could return to Kalma as camp coordinator, a decision also confirmed by Second Vice-President Taha.

Regarding access restrictions, both the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Kosti, and Vice-President Taha had provided assurances that the moratorium on humanitarian access restrictions for Darfur would be fully implemented.

The Vice-President had issued a policy statement, declaring the Government's intention to ensure full humanitarian access to Darfur, he said. Also, NGOs were invited to work with the Government in drafting the rules and regulations to ensure that national and international NGOs could carry out their activities freely and effectively, and in accordance with international human rights standards.

He [Jan Egeland] said he returned from his mission with an even greater sense of admiration for the thousands of humanitarian and AMIS personnel on the ground. "Their commitment to work in the most difficult conditions, and under constant threat to their personal safety, is truly awe-inspiring."

In Darfur and Eastern Chad, humanitarian relief constituted a lifeline for close to 4 million people, he said.

Annan dispatches Brahimi and Annabi to Khartoum

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has decided to dispatch Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister who stepped down from active UN service last December, to Khartoum next week to press Sudan's government to allow UN military planners into Darfur, UN officials said on Friday.

Mr Brahimi is to be accompanied on the trip by senior UN peacekeeping official Hedi Annabi, UN chief spokesman Stephanie Dujarric told Reuters today.



Photo: Lakhdar Brahimi (AFP/Prakash Singh)

May 19 2006 UN News Centre: UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland has said that once host country approval is given, it would take up to six months or more to get a more numerous UN force fully operational. Meanwhile, it was vital that the AU force receive a more robust mandate to protect the civilian population and that its number at least double, he added.

Accidental fire sparks explosions at Juba, Sudan arms dump

A fire at a munitions dump sparked a wave of explosions outside the southern Sudanese capital of Juba on Friday, injuring several people and rattling nerves in the region that suffered two decades of civil war. 10 injured. Reuters.

Bono in Africa blog

Reuters has a Bono in Africa newsblog. [via PSD Blog]

Surprisingly, Darfur is a place in Sudan as well as a rhetorical device (Daniel Davies)

Copy of a blog entry by Chris in Boston at Left Center Left May 3, 2006:

"Daniel Davies echoes my sentiments on Darfur,

Demanding "action" without ever saying what that "action" might be is the height of irresponsibility, and is almost always a marker of someone who has not troubled themselves to spend five minutes reading Sudan Watch to find out what is actually going on.

...only makes the more specific point (above and here that events on the ground have shifted to the point that diplomacy is nearing success and that it's quite probably the Stop Darfur voices in the West who are destabilizing that right now."

[Thanks chaps. Note, Daniel's blog entry at Crooked Timber (link above) has attracted some 50 comments]

Trocaire: Relief workers arrested in Darfur

Staff from a relief organisation in Darfur which is supported by Trocaire have been arrested and are being detained without charge by Sudanese security services.

Trocaire is very concerned for the health and safety of the two human rights workers, and fears that they may be subjected to torture and ill treatment.

The two men are Mossaad Mohamed Ali and Adam Mohammed Sharief, and they work at the AMEL Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims in Nyala in South Darfur.

They were arrested for the second time this week on Tuesday, and their families and UN staff have been unable to see them since then.

Full report Reuters 19 May 2006.

Sudan's Turabi calls for overthrow of Khartoum regime

Leader of Sudanese opposition Popular Congress, Hassan al Turabi, is calling for the overthrow of the Sudanese regime through popular resistance, Sudan Tribune reported May 18, 2006:

Turabi said the Darfur Peace Agreement, signed on Friday 5 May lacks a legitimate basis.

The regime will not fall "unless the people will replace it - not to the benefit of any regime or party, but to the benefit of all," al-Turabi told reporters yesterday.

Note, Drima in Malaysia has some insightful thoughts on this news in his latest blog entry at Sudanese Thinker.

JEM rebel commanders in South Darfur back peace deal

South Darfur province commanders from the rebel JEM said today they fully supported the Darfur Peace Agreement, Xinhua (via COMTEX and ReliefWeb) reported - excerpt:

In a letter to AU Commission Chair Konare and chief mediator for the Darfur peace talks, Salim Ahmed Salim, they expressed belief that the peace agreement "has satisfied the aspirations of our people of Darfur."

"Therefore we have chosen to fully support the DPA and ready to implement its political, military, humanitarian and security requirements and arrangements, and to sign this document anytime anywhere we requested to do so," the letter quoted Abdullrahiem Adam Abdullrahiem Abu Reeshah, JEM secretary for South Darfur, as saying.

"We believe that war is only a means that leads eventually to peace, and not a goal in itself."

JEM leader will have to leave Chad if he does not sign Darfur peace deal by May 31

Darfur rebels face bleak future without peace deal, Reuters' Estelle Shirbon reported May 18, 2006 - excerpt:

SLA faction leader Nur has spent much of the past two years in the Nigerian capital Abuja, where the peace accord was negotiated, but on Thursday he and his advisers were dispersing and had no clear strategy from now until May 31.

"He really should realise that he has everything to gain by signing, and if he doesn't he'll find he has no friends, no money and nowhere to go," said one diplomat who has been closely involved in the push to persuade Nur to sign.

The other holdout leader is Khalil Ibrahim of the JEM, and his position appears even more precarious. Ibrahim has few fighters and his support in Darfur has dwindled. The movement survives mainly on funding from Islamist networks.

Ibrahim has used Chad, where President Idriss Deby is a tribal ally, as a base, but that could be about to change.

"Deby told Khalil that if he does not sign by May 31, he must leave Chad because the AU and UN are sanctioning non-signatories. Khalil was surprised," said a Western diplomat in the Chadian capital N'Djamena.

Sudan's militias violating ceasefire pact in Darfur - UN, AU

Armed militias have repeatedly broken a cease-fire in Darfur since a Sudanese peace agreement was signed a week and a half ago, the AU and the UN said Tuesday - Sudan Tribune - report May 17:

Arab militias known as the Janjaweed on Monday attacked at least two villages in the north of this vast, arid region of western Sudan, the AU said.

An unidentified armed group launched a separate attack Sunday in southern Darfur, the UN said.

Photo: Waiting for peace: Children are pictured at Abu Shouk camp, located 7km north-west of Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. (AFP/Ramzi Haidar/Yahoo)

Attacks on 7 villages around Kutum town, North Darfur

May 17 2006 Sudan Tribune - Janjaweed militia attacks villagers despite peace deal - The Janjawid militia have launched a widespread attack against the villages of Kori, Karbi and Lari Kangra on the outskirts of Kutum in North Darfur.

May 18 ST/AP report - Militia have killed 11 people in Darfur says UN - The attacks, which violated the May 5 peace agreement, occurred in seven villages around the town of Kutum in north Darfur on Monday, the UN said. The UN did not blame any specific group for the attacks, but the AU has said the raids were carried out by the Janjaweed - an Arab militia allegedly backed by the government.

After peace, Darfur's rebel forces turn on each other and fight for Tawilla, North Darfur making it one of the most insecure regions of Darfur

With Darfur's remaining rebels still refusing to sign a peace deal, fighters that were united against the Sudanese government have turned on each other, UK Guardian reported May 17, 2006. Excerpt:

Around Tawilla thousands of civilians have been displaced since the beginning of the year following deadly violence between two ethnically-divided factions of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), Darfur's largest rebel movement.

In what has become a turf war for control of rebel-held territory, gunmen on pick-up trucks and horseback have been burning huts, killing, looting, and even raping women, in raids just as deadly as those of the Arab "Janjaweed" militia.



Photo: Members of the Sudanese Liberation Army north Darfur province, May 15, 2006. (Candace Feit/Reuters)

Villages that had been emptied due to raids by government forces are once again deserted. Camps for displaced people on the outskirts of town lie abandoned, their terrified former residents having barricaded themselves in makeshift shelters against the razor wire surrounding the African Union peacekeepers' base. All but one international NGO have left.

"Initially the trouble here was the government forces," said an AU military observer based in Tawilla, two hours' drive west of the state capital, El Fasher. "But now these different SLA groups fighting each other have become the problem."



Photo: A soldier with the Government of Sudan sits next to weapons and ammunition at an outpost in Sudan's northern Darfur town of Tawilla May 17, 2006. (Reuters/Candace Feit)

Fighting between the rebels reached its peak before the peace agreement was signed on May 5 by Sudan's government and the larger faction of the SLA, which was desperate to make territorial gains before the ceasefire.

Hopes of an end to the rebels' mutual enmity, which has added another layer to an already muddled conflict, were dashed again on Monday when the SLA faction led by Abdel Wahid ignored an extended deadline to accept the Darfur peace agreement. A third, smaller, group, the Justice and Equality Movement, is also holding out. Mr Wahid is demanding more detailed provisions on compensation for the war's victims and disarmament of the Janjaweed militia. There are serious doubts as to whether the peace accord can hold. Negotiators have again extended the deadline for the rebel groups to join the agreement to May 31.

Yesterday the UN security council passed a resolution to speed up planning for a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur and threatened sanctions against anyone who opposed the May 5 accord. On Monday the African Union agreed to transfer authority for its 7,300 strong peacekeeping force to the UN by the end of September.

The latest twist in the Darfur crisis follows a major falling out late last year in the leadership of the SLA, a broad-based guerrilla movement formed to protest against the region's marginalisation by the Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum.

Minni Arcua Minnawi, the group's secretary-general, took with him the larger share of the fighters and weapons. Most of his men are Zaghawa, a cattle-herding tribe. Mr Wahid, the SLA chairman, and a member of the sedentary Fur, Darfur's largest tribe, was left with a smaller force but a large support base.

"We thought we would meet up in Khartoum, as we still had the same objectives," said Commander "Tiger" Mohamed, from the Wahid faction, who arrived in the deserted village of Tina yesterday with several dozen of his fighters.

Some of his men, a motley gang wearing turbans and leather amulets, took part in the 2003 attack on government forces in El Fasher that helped spark the Darfur conflict. Retribution came quickly to Tawilla, where the vast expanse of desert gives way to rocky foothills to the west, as government forces attacked African tribes.



Photo: An armed member of a faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur walks in Tina, north Darfur province of Sudan, May 16, 2006. (Reuters/Candace Feit)

The SLA "liberated" the area more than a year ago, bringing a degree of stability. Civilians began returning to their fields to plant crops. Some even returned to their villages near the town. But since February this year Tawilla has become one of the most insecure regions of Darfur as rebels under Mr Minnawi sought to capture territory from their rival faction. Civilians were caught in the crossfire. The initial attack, at Korma, left 12 of Mr Wahid's fighters dead, along with numerous bystanders. Attacks on villages continued throughout the next two months. On April 19 the Minni rebels attacked the village of Tina, forcing all the inhabitants to Tawilla and looting their property.

"When you see the suffering around Tawilla, it is because of Minni," said Mohamed, a thin man wearing military fatigues. "He has a secret agenda of wanting to create a big 'Zaghawaland' but we are fighting for all the people of Darfur."



Photo: An African Union peacekeeper patrols Shok Shok village after an attack by a rebel faction in Sudan's northern Darfur province, May 14, 2006. (Reuters/Candace Feit)

US's Zoellick phoned Save Darfur Coalition to express his thanks for level of US activisim

Copy of email just in from David Rubenstein of Save Darfur.org in New York:

Dear Supporter,

Thanks to your efforts and the efforts of many others working to create a lasting peace in Darfur, I am pleased to report we have seen significant progress in recent weeks.

On May 5, the Sudanese government and Darfur's largest rebel faction signed the Darfur Peace Agreement, laying out a plan to end three years of violence and raising hopes for a lasting peace in Darfur. There is a much more to do, however, before that hope is realized.

In the next two weeks, the Sudanese government and the two remaining rebel factions must come to terms in order to ensure a strong building block for a lasting peace. With or without additional signers, it is imperative that the parties live up to their commitments to end the genocide and rebuild Darfur.

Another significant step forward was taken just yesterday, as the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution demanding strict observance of the peace agreement, and calling for a quick transition from the current African Union peacekeeping force to a stronger UN force. Prior to the signing of the peace agreement, Sudanese President Bashir opposed a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur by saying that there was no peace to keep. With this peace agreement, however, that argument has been rendered moot.

Soon there will be a joint UN-African Union assessment mission dispatched to Darfur to assess the situation. Following their return, the stage will be set for UN Security Council consideration of a second resolution to actually authorize the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force.

These are real, substantive steps forward, and you helped make them happen.

In fact, just one day after over 50,000 rallied on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and thousands more rallied at events across the country, President Bush dispatched Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick to the peace talks to make sure that an agreement was reached.

Upon his return, Deputy Secretary Zoellick personally called the Save Darfur Coalition to express his thanks for the level of U.S. activism which helped make the peace deal possible. In an interview last week, he said that "of all I've dealt with in foreign policy over some 20 years that I'm not sure I've ever seen as much broad support from churches, from communities and universities."

Your collective voices have helped accomplish amazing results thus far!

But much more still remains to be done. Work at the UN is far from over, funding for humanitarian aid and peacekeeping falls short and puts millions of lives at risk. And above all, the people of Darfur still must contend with the dual threats of violence and starvation every day.

As we continue the fight, there will be many more opportunities for you take action and help make a difference.

Best regards,

David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Oxfam worker in Sudan says problems in Darfur are only going to be resolved by a political process

VOA interview with Alun McDonald who works for Oxfam in Sudan - by Angel Tabe, via Blogger News Network - excerpt:

McDonald says because the problems in Dafur are only going to be resolved by a political process, the peace agreement is a very positive move. "It's definitely a move in the right direction, but the history of agreements on Dafur means that we have to be cautious, take steps to ensure that what is agreed is actually implemented and there is an improvement on the ground, for example strengthening the AU force that is in Dafur at the moment ... just seven thousand troops to secure this whole area, they have hardly any funding, a mandate that doesn't allow them to protect civilians, so we need more troops, more funding and a stronger mandate."

As some speculate that the displaced may go home by the rainy season, McDonald says, "We are not at the stage when we can start talking about return.. People going short distances to the market, collect firewood, short distances outside the camps, are still risking their lives, so they are certainly not ready to travel dozens of miles. What needs to be done is strengthening the AU force so that patrols are carried out in rural areas."

McDonald says the threat of attacks by Al Quaeda is serious, but, "We are not letting it affect our work. There are more than three million people who need humanitarian assistance, so organisations generally are committed to providing that."

African Union force faces grim obstacles in Darfur

"Colonel Muraina Raji, the commander of about 800 troops based in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, said peacekeeping here is possible, but not with the resources he now has at his disposal," writes Lydia Polgreen (NYT/IHT May 17, 2006) from Menawashei, Sudan:

"If they had given us the resources, we could do this," he said. "My sector is very big but I have only one battalion. If I had three battalions, I would be fine."

As it is, his officers just make do with what they have.

Armed only with a thick notebook, Kadangha, the Togolese military observer who has been here for 10 months, marched into the South Darfur village of Menawashei to assess the security situation. He has been here many times before, and the story is always the same - Arab bandits on camels and horseback attacking non-Arab villages. Sometimes they only steal; sometimes they rape and kill. That day he received a grim report of both.

Kadangha listened and carefully took notes as villagers described the vicious attack by Arab militants last week. The militants killed one woman, shot six others and raped 15 women, witnesses said.

The village sheik, Omar Muhammad Abakar, was not happy to see the major.

"I don't want to talk to you," he said. "I have given you so many reports, but you did nothing. Many rape cases were reported and you conduct many patrols. But you have done nothing."

This is something Kadangha hears every day. He takes dozens of reports and sends them to the cease-fire commission, made up of representatives of the warring factions, but nothing ever happens to the violators.

Taking reports and making patrols is nearly all the African Union is mandated to do. Since arriving in 2004, the African Union force has been here to monitor - but not enforce - the ceasefire agreement signed between the rebels and the government that year in Ndjamena, Chad's capital.

Note, the report points out such sensitive issues as the disarmament of pro-government janjaweed militias, scheduled to be complete by October, will take place under the auspices of the African Union force, which is ill- equipped to handle its current, limited mandate, never mind potentially explosive new duties. Also,

Because of financial problems, the African Union soldiers are paid irregularly. Many have not received their pay in two or three months.

Yet their work is difficult. They patrol under a punishing sun from morning till night, each with just a small bottle of water to drink and no food.

Darfur's nearly 520,000 square kilometers, or 200,000 square miles, are vast and forbidding, crossed by just one major paved road. Going a few dozen miles can be a dusty, bumpy half-day affair. A journey of 120 kilometers, or 75 miles, more usually requires an overnight trip.

The African Union force is small enough that, spread out, each soldier would oversee an area larger than Manhattan.

[They all deserve medals]

UN special envoy Jan Pronk heads to West Darfur

UN SGSR Jan Pronk, headed today for West Darfur to reinforce the efforts exerted to win a large scale support for the Darfur Peace Agreement Bahrain News Agency reported May 17, 2006:

Official Spokesman of the UN delegation to Sudan, Baha Al Kousi, said Pronk will meet West Darfur Governor, the representatives of the African Union, civil society and humanitarian organisations as well as the representatives of the Sudanese armed groups which objected to the peace accord. Pronk hailed the peace accord, stressing the need to back up efforts to implement it and draw more support.

Sudanese driver of kidnapped Arab diplomat dies in Baghdad

"These honest consulates work to help the Iraqi people ... I call on the kidnappers to release him for the benefit of Iraq," said Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of main bloc representing Iraq's Sunni minority, the Accordance Front. Full report Reuters May 17, 2006.

Sudan says will not open talks on Darfur peace deal

Sudan refused on Wednesday to reopen negotiation on a peace deal signed between the government and a main rebel faction in Darfur May 5, 2006.

"We will not open the negotiation again and there is no problem (in the peace agreement) which should be negotiated any more," Sudan's government delegation to Abuja talks spokesperson Amin Hassan Omer told reporters. Full report ST/Xinhua May 17. 2006.

EU to extend civilian-military training to AU in Darfur plus EUR 50m in addition to EUR 162m already provided

Excerpt from EU Council Conclusions on Sudan at a meeting in Brussels, 15 May 2006:

Full normalisation of relations with Sudan will depend on progress achieved in implementing the CPA and the DPA and on a nationwide political process leading to democratisation and peace in the whole of Sudan.

UK to give $40m to AU mission in Darfur bringing UK contribution to $100m

Following the UN Security Council's adoption of Resolution 1679 - support for the Darfur Peace Agreement; Minister for Africa Lord Triesman announced yesterday that Britain is to give a further GBP 20 million to support its implementation, Black Britain reported May 17, 2006:

The GBP 20 million being donated by the UK to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) brings the total contribution by the UK to over GBP 52 million. Lord Triesman said yesterday that now: "other donors must do their bit."

The Minister for Africa said that a speedy transfer from AMIS to the proposed UN peacekeeping mission is essential. Referring to the continued interference by the Government of Sudan, Lord Triesman said:

"The moment has arrived for the Government of Sudan to drop its objections." Top of the agenda is for the Sudanese government to allow a UN/AU assessment mission into Darfur to asses how the handover will be implemented.

Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, who was present at the final days of the peace talks called on those who had not yet signed up to the peace deal to do so without delay. He said:

"The UK Government is ready to play its part in support of implementation, and we will continue to press for sanctions against those who impede the peace process."

Japan to give $8.7m to AU mission in Darfur + $10m in medical support

The Japanese government on May 16 decided to provide about 8.7 million USD in emergency grant aid to support the activities of the AU aimed at resolving the Darfur conflict in western Sudan, Viet Nam News Agency reported May 17, 2006:

The money will cover costs arising from the activities of the African Union Mission in Sudan such as publicity efforts, humanitarian assistance and peace negotiations, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

It will also support the work of the Darfur integration task force set up within the African Union to oversee the conflict, which erupted in 2003, and to support the mission's activities, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

May 16 2006 Sudan Tribune unsourced article from Tokyo: Japan donates $8,7 mln to AU force in Darfur: The aid, decided by the Cabinet on Tuesday morning, is the first specific step in Japan's contributions to help resolve the conflict, which Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced during his trip to Africa from late April to early May. Koizumi unveiled the Japanese government's plan to contribute about $8.7 million to support activities aimed at resolving the conflict and about $10 million in medical support.

Sudanese VP Ali Taha meets UN envoy Jan Egeland

Sudanese Vice President Ali Taha met in Khartoum today with UN's top humanitarian official Jan Egeland, Bahrain News Agency reported May 17, 2006.

May 17 2006 Sudan says press and aid groups can move without restriction inside Darfur over next 3 months

May 16 2006 Sudan offers 20,000 tonnes of extra food to UN WFP

Sudan says press and aid groups can move without restriction inside Darfur over next 3 months

Sudan will allow all NGOs and the press to circulate without restriction in all the states of Sudan's Darfur region, a Sudanese minister announced Tuesday, says unsourced article at Sudan Tribune May 16 2006. Excerpt:

The Government has granted all charity organizations and all media organs the right to access to all areas inside the three states of Darfur for a period of three months that would be evaluated and assessed, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Costa Manyebi, said in the meeting with the foreign organizations operating in the Sudan.

The minister proposed the formation of a joint work team that would include the local national parties as well as the relevant voluntary organizations to set up mechanism and plans for the reactivation of humanitarian action in the region and for the implementation of the DPA.

He said this mechanism would work to make the peace durable, sell the DPA for all concerned sectors of the Darfur society, contain the effects of war in the region and convince the movements that have not yet signed the peace agreement to join the peace process. The minister confirmed that the government pays attention to the criticism levelled against the voluntary work law that has been recently passed by the National Assembly.

Manyebi said this law has now become a reality but that it has to be implemented through a number of regulations and bills and that at that stage that criticism could be taken into account.

- - -

May 16 2006 Reuters Sudan to announce new rules for Darfur aid groups

May 17 2006 UN News Centre UN rights chief raises concerns over restrictive law with Sudan's government

May 18 2006 Reuters (Opheera McDoom) Sudan tightens foreign press travel to Darfur

May 18 2006 AP via ST - Sudan lifts NGO restrictions, urges peace on Arab tribes - US - Sudan is lifting travel restrictions on international agencies in the Darfur region, but pressure must be kept up on Khartoum to make sure it keeps its promises, the chief US negotiator on Darfur said Thursday. US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said he was also informed late Wednesday that the Sudanese government "has notified the Arab tribes in the region that any breach of peace would be met with a very strong response."

Sudanese FM Lam Akol starts two-day visit to Russia

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lam Akol, Tuesday left for Moscow on a two-day visit to Russia on the invitation of his Russian Counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, Sudan Tribune reported May 16/17, 2006:

"The Russian Federation will continue to offer every possible assistance in consolidating the political settlement on Darfur in the interests of Sudan's unity and territorial integrity and peace in the region. Russian peacekeepers will also make their contribution to the UN's efforts to promote stability," Lavrov said, speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Sudan 9 May.

May 17 2006 AP via ST Sudan's support crucial for UN peacekeeping in Darfur - Russia.

Darfur activists need to put up or shut up

Excerpt from Alec Brandon's opinion piece - Darfur activists need to put up or shut up - in University of Chicago's student newspaper, May 16, 2006:

The editors of the New Republic were spot-on when said that to "care about a problem without caring about its solution" is nothing but a "sophisticated form of indecency."

- - -

[May 19 2006 Rebuttal by Caroline Buddenhagen, University of Chicago Darfur activists support realistic solutions]

Can US military intervention ever bring justice?

Excerpt from Lance Selfa's opinion piece - Can U.S. military intervention ever bring justice? - in the Socialist Worker May 19, 2006:

The Somalia invasion, memorialised in the film Black Hawk Down, is remembered as a failure. But in its initial stages, the Wall Street Journal hailed it for restoring the US military's "moral credibility." The Journal added, "There is a word for this: colonialism."

If the US intervenes in Darfur, "saving" Darfuris will be the last thing on its mind.

- - -

NYT's Nick Kristof feeds twaddle to his readers

Excerpt from latest opinion piece - Darfur: Dithering Through Death - by NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof:

If other UN officials followed Mr Egeland's undiplomatic example and spent more time being offensive, devoting less energy to diplomatic receptions and more to dragging journalists through the world's hellholes, the globe would be a better place - and the UN would be more relevant.

John Bolton, now the US ambassador to the UN, once suggested it wouldn't matter if the UN's top 10 floors were lopped off. But let's not do that - the UN is far better than the alternative of having no such institution. But take it from this disillusioned fan of the UN system: let's also be realistic and drop any fantasy that the UN is going to save the day as a genocide unfolds. In that mission, the UN is failing about as badly as the League of Nations did.

[What a load of twaddle. Mr Egeland speaks out to raise funds. Thank goodness Egeland, Bolton and the Kristof's of this world are NOT in charge of the US or UN: we'd have World War III on our hands in no time!]

Snow Patrol covers Lennon's hit 'Isolation' for Amnesty International's campaign calling for justice in Sudan

British band Snow Patrol have covered former Beatle John Lennon's hit 'Isolation' as part of Amnesty International's online campaign calling for justice in Sudan.

The cover is the soundtrack for a new video, which is calling for war criminals to be punished for the rape of thousands of women in Darfur.

The video can be viewed at noise.amnesty.org and the song can also be downloaded from Amnesty's site.

[As John Lennon was a real peace loving guy, I find it difficult to imagine him approving of his name being connected to such a campaign, the timing of which - during such a sensitive stage of crucial peace and disarmament talks, not to mention delicate negotiations for forces to protect the people of Darfur - I feel is not only poor judgement on Amnesty's part but wrong]

Translators needed in Darfur to help AU build trust - More "Mama Rosa's" needed too please!

Thanks to a reader for the following comment posted today at Sudan Watch entry "Female AU police officers build trust in Ardamata camp, West Darfur - More "Mama Rosa's" needed in Darfur please!":

One of the problems that women like Mama Rose face is that there are not many female translators and few of the police women speak Arabic. They need more translators!

Rebels recruit Darfur refugees in Chad as soldiers - UN

Sudanese rebels are recruiting thousands of men and boys from refugee camps in neighbouring Chad, where more than 200,000 Sudanese have fled to escape the Darfur conflict, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.

Some 4,700 men and boys were recruited or forced to join the rebels from the Breidjing and Treguine camps in March, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said citing reports from refugees. Recruitment has also been reported at the Goz Amir camp in April, the agency said. Full report AP May 16, 2006 via ST May 17, 2006.

US's Zoellick in UK to discuss Darfur peace deal

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick arrived in London May 16, 2006 for talks with UK officials, and to discuss a new peace deal agreed for Darfur, AP/ST reported.

Zoellick is to discuss implementation of the deal with UK Treasury chief Gordon Brown, part of a two-day visit.

Implementation of the agreement and planning for a UN peacekeeping force to take control of an AU-led peacekeeping mission in Darfur are expected to be discussed.

UN Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 1679 (2006) paving way for UN force in Darfur

May 16 2006 UN News Centre Security Council unanimously adopts resolution paving way for UN force in Darfur:

The Security Council took a major step forward today towards establishing a robust United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur rby unanimously adopting a resolution calling for the deployment on the ground of a joint UN-Africa Union (AU) team to pave the way for the operation, which would take over from the AU mission (AMIS) now monitoring the vast region.

Immediately welcoming the resolution's adoption in a statement issued by his spokesman, the Secretary-General said the UN "hopes to dispatch, as quickly as possible, a joint UN/AU Technical Assessment Team to Darfur, and towards that end, is in continuous consultation with the Government of National Unity" of Sudan.

May 16 2006 ReliefWeb: TEXT of Resolution 1679 (2006) adopted by the Security Council at its 5439th meeting, on 16 May 2006 (S/RES/1679)

S/RES/1679(2006) in several different languages, including Arabic and French.

Sudan offers 20,000 tonnes of extra food to UN WFP

On May 16, 2006 the UN Security Council voted unanimously to start the process which could lead to a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur. - BBC

The Council's resolution presses Sudan to let UN military experts into Darfur within a week to plan for deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in the region later this year. - Reuters.

Sudan is willing to discuss UN peacekeepers deployment in Darfur, Information Minister Zahawi Ibrahim Malek said May 16, 2006.

SUDAN TO ANNOUNCE NEW RULES FOR DARFUR AID GROUPS AND OFFERS 20,000 TONNES OF EXTRA FOOD TO WFP

Sudan to announce new rules for Darfur aid groups - VP Ali Taha said the government would allocate more money for aid to Darfur and offer 20,000 tonnes of extra food to the World Food Programme to cover a donor gap this year. - Reuters May 16 2006.

Sudan renews its rejection of UN force to Darfur

Sudan renewed its opposition to the transfer of the African Union peacekeeping mission to the UN. It said that such takeover is not indicated in the signed deal with one rebel faction earlier in May. Full report Sudan Tribune 15 May 2006.

May 15 2006 UN News Centre: UN moves on several fronts to reinforce Darfur peace accord - Contrary to what had been reported, he [Egeland[ said the Sudanese Government had not yet agreed to a UN force and at present was discussing the proposal.

AU to transfer Darfur force to UN by September 2006

The African Union on Monday agreed to transfer its peacekeeping force in Darfur to the UN by the end of September or earlier.

Nigerian FM Olu Adeniji, chairing a ministerial meeting of the AUs Peace and Security Council, said the AUs 7,300-strong force in Darfur could leave before the Sept 30 deadline if the UN force was ready.

UN SGSR, Jan Pronk, told reporters in Addis Ababa after the meeting ended. "It is now high time to take very concrete steps towards a stronger force." Full report AP/ST 15 May 2006.

Darfur rebels given until end of May to sign peace deal

The African Union today gave two rebel groups (Khalil's JEM and Nur's SLA faction) a further two weeks to sign a peace deal, Reuters reported:

Nigerian FM Olu Adeniji, chair of AU Peace and Security Council, said the two hold-out rebel groups had been given more time to accept the peace accord.

"The extension of the signature for those who didn't sign the agreement will be laid open until the end of May, after which, failure to sign will indicate non-commitment to the peace process and the AU will take a decision," he said.

But one of Nur's close advisers said the international community should press Sudan's government to grant some extra concessions to make the deal more acceptable to the rebels.

"If we agree on this document as it stands because of pressure from the international community, we will not be able to return to our people," said Babiker Mohamed Abdallah.

"If the government is not serious, two weeks is not enough. If it is serious, even two days is enough," he told Reuters in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Photo: US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, right, talks with Jendayi Frazer, US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, and British Cabinet member Hilary Benn sitting far laft, while Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, behind, walks pass at the peace talks meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 5, 2006. (AP Photo/George Osodi)



Photo: Minni Arcua Minnawi (L), leader of main rebel group SLA and Ibrahim Khalil, leader of the smaller JEM rebel group participate in a meeting with Sudan government representatives during negotiations on a peace plan for Darfur in Abuja, Nigeria May 2, 2006.



Photo: Khatha Nanluho, who is a rebel with the SLA stands outside of the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP Photo/George Osodi)



Photo: Ahmed Tugod, the chief negotiator for Sudanese Justice and Equity Movement (JEM), gestures at the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, May 3, 2006. (AP Photo/George Osodi)



Photo: SLA rebels waiting at their bases in Gellab, North Darfur, Sudan, in 2004, during a meeting with Africa Union officers. (AFP/File/Marco Longari)



Photo: Rebel faction leaders appear at the exchange ceremony of the African Union (AU) draft peace agreement for Darfur in Abuja May 5, 2006.



Photo: Sudanese government delegation members rejoice inside the venue of the peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 5, 2006. (AP Photo/George Osodi)



Photo: SLA leader Minni Arcua Minnawi (L) is congratulated by Africa Union Commission President Alpha Oumar Konare after he signed the deal with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006 to end three years of fighting that has killed many of thousands of people and forced 2 million to flee their homes. Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde



Photo: An unidentified member of the SLA, reacts before they walk out of the peace talks meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 5, 2006. (AP Photo/George Osodi)



Photo: Abdel Wahid Nur of the SLA faction, second right, together with members of his group walks out of the peace talks meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May, 5 2006 refusing to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement. (AP Photo/George Osodi)

Chad's President Deby wins 3rd term, opposition cries foul

Idriss Deby won Chad's presidential elections with a substantial majority, according to Chadian election officials, but opposition parties that boycotted the ballot have denounced the process as a sham. - May 15 2006 IRIN.



Photo: A Chadian soldier stands next to a rocket launcher on Thursday, April 20, 2006 outside Parliament that was captured from rebels during a rebel attack on the capital N'djamena.

May 16 2006 Reuters Chad opposition rejects Deby re-election: Deby, 54, a French-trained pilot, has ruled Chad since his Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) rebel group seized power in a revolt from the east in 1990. He won elections in 1996 and 2001, though international observers noted irregularities both times.



Photo: A Chadian woman made homeless by warfare sits next to a fire on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 near the refugee camp Kou Kou Angarana in Chad, some 30 kilometers from the Sudan border. The election on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 came nearly three weeks after rebels who had gathered near the Chad-Darfur border launched a pre-dawn attack on the capital in a failed bid to oust President Idriss Deby, and after opposition parties called for a boycott of the vote. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo)

It's hell in Darfur, but is it genocide or ethnic cleansing (and what is the difference between the two) or civil war?

On 26 April 2006, Ben Lieberman emailed me via Sudan Watch, saying:



Subject: Re: Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing

Hello,

Thanks for your useful blog. I was very interested to find this since I am teaching a class on African history, and I have written a history of ethnic cleansing in Europe and Western Asia.

I think your recent discussion of the definitions of Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing was very clear. In practice, I think the two can merge together in that the methods used to expel a group can in some cases predictably lead to genocide.

Thanks for your work.
Ben Lieberman

Fitchburg State College
Fitchburg Massachusetts
- - -

I emailed the following reply to Ben 14 May 2006:



Subject: Re: Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your interesting email. Please forgive my delay in replying. I was pleased to hear from you, and started to reply right away but was unable to complete due to an avalanche of news reports appearing in the run up to the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement.

I thought of you today when I read an article in the Los Angeles Times (14 May 2006) entitled "It's hell in Darfur, but is it genocide?" by Michael Clough, director of the Africa program at the Council on Foreign Relations from 1987 to 1996. He is the author of "Free at Last? United States Policy Toward Africa and the End of the Cold War."

To save you registering with the LA Times to read the piece, I am copying it in full, here below.

I'd like to publish an excerpt from the piece (probably the opening paragraph) at my blog Sudan Watch, along with the information in your email. Would you mind if I published your email in full?

If you do mind, I wonder if you would be kind enough to please send me a few lines (or however much you can manage) of text that would be OK to quote you on that explains what you mean when you say "In practice, I think the two can merge together in that the methods used to expel a group can in some cases predictably lead to genocide."

I'm having difficulty attempting to articulate in a short piece about why (when some critics see little difference between genocide and ethnic cleansing - and the findings of the UN's International Commission of Inquiry* on Darfur concluded the Sudanese government was NOT pursuing a policy of genocide in Darfur) some UN officials like UN SGSR Jan Pronk and others continue to refer to Darfur as ethnic cleansing.

My view is Darfur is not genocide or ethnic cleansing. It's civil war, no?

Here's some wishful thinking: I wish you could write a piece (and, if you can, get it published in mainstream press) that answers this question:

It's hell in Darfur, but is it genocide or ethnic cleansing (and what is the difference between the two?) or is it civil war?

Thanks again for your email and kind words.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Ingrid (Jones)
England, UK
http://sudanwatch.blogspot.com

*The International Criminal Court (ICC) - Summary [Apr 7 2006 UN assembly president calls Darfur violence "ethnic cleansing" - The International Criminal Court (ICC) Summary: The International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, chaired by the Italian judge Antonio Cassese, concluded in its report published on 31 January 2005 that crimes against humanity and war crimes such as killings, rape, pillaging and forced displacement have been committed since 1 July 2002 by the government-backed forces and the Janjaweed militia. It declared, however, that the government of Sudan was not pursuing a policy of genocide in Darfur]

Apr 8 2006 What is the difference between genocide and ethnic cleansing?

Apr 9 2006 Juan Mendez, UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, tells press "definitely ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur"

Apr 9 2006 The Genocide Convention required States to prevent genocide - Mendez
- - -

Today, 15 May 2006, I received the following reply from Ben:



Subject: Re: Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing

Dear Ingrid,

Thanks very much for your reply. The Michael Clough essay is indeed very interesting, though as you'll see I have doubts about his conclusions. Please feel free to post my original email or this new email--I've tried to improve my explanation.
Best regards,
Ben

Here's my (modeslty) extended explanation with a brief comment on the Clough op-ed.

In discussing Darfur or any other similar crisis it is important to keep in mind that crimes such as ethnic cleansing and genocide do not exist in a single form, but fall on a spectrum of violence. Ethnic cleansing can be defined as the removal, through violence and intimidation of an ethnic group from a given territory, but the victims may be defined by ethnic identity, race, religion, or by some combination of the three. In genocide, the goal is not removal of the group but extermination.

In practice, however, ethnic cleansing and genocide exist on a spectrum of violence. The goals of removal or extermination can be distinct, but ethnic cleansing and genocide can merge together because the methods used to expel a group can in some cases predictably lead to genocide. In the Armenian Genocide, for example, most of the Armenian population of Anatolia was deported, though many, especially men were massacred. However, it was predictable that a very large proportion of Armenian civilians deported south into the desert under the threat of continuous attack would die, and as I point out in my book Terrible Fate, contemporaries, included Germans who served a government allied with Turkey, knew that mass death was predictable.

Michael Clough is obviously extremely knowledgeable about Dafur, but some of the arguments in his Los Angeles Times op-ed may not apply to the issue of defining genocide.

First, the boundaries between the identity of victims and perpetrators in both genocide and ethnic cleansing can be malleable. There is often a paradox to ethnic cleansing. Many who witness violence are shocked not just at the horrors of killing and rape, but because they remember previously close or at least amicable relations between victims and perpetrators, but at the very same time they may stress a different picture of old tensions.

Secondly, a policy of combating insurgency by attacking villages and displacing civilians can be entirely consistent with ethnic cleansing if the goal of such a policy is to drive out large numbers of civilians and remake ethnic and or religious maps.
- - -



Photo: Historian Benjamin Lieberman is professor of history at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts and a graduate of Yale and the University of Chicago. His recent lecture at Clark University focused on the topic of his new book - the first comprehensive history of ethnic cleansing in Europe - entitled Terrible Fate: Ethnic Cleansing in the Making of Modern Europe (Ivan R. Dee, Publisher). He has also written From Recovery to Catastrophe, a study of Weimar Germany. He lives in Maynard, Massachusetts, USA.
- - -

It's hell in Darfur, but is it genocide? The Sudanese government has targeted villagers, but not a whole race.
by Michael Clough
Los Angeles Times May 14, 2006

GENOCIDE IS not being committed in Darfur. This is not a popular position, I know. But to call what's happening there "genocide" when it's not is unlikely to help the people of Darfur - and could even make it harder to mobilize the public to respond to similar crises in the future.

For 25 years, I've studied and written about conflicts, human rights catastrophes and humanitarian emergencies in Africa. I'm all too familiar with the many official excuses for inaction that can be given while millions of civilians die. Sadly, one of the reasons I prefer working as an attorney for prisoners on death row, rather than as a foreign policy analyst, is that I find it far less depressing than trying to change U.S. policy toward Africa.

The debate about what to do in Darfur - and the use of anti-genocide rhetoric to arouse public concern - has only deepened my misgivings about the way the United States responds to African crises.

From September 2004 to July 2005, I worked as Human Rights Watch's interim advocacy director for Africa, helping to publicize the organization's findings in Darfur. Beginning in February 2004, Human Rights Watch researchers documented horrifying abuses and released evidence that the Sudanese government was responsible for them.

There are no reliable estimates of how many Africans have died in Darfur. Including those killed in attacks and those who have died from disease or malnutrition, the total could be as high as 200,000.

As with so many tragedies in Africa, no one had heard of Darfur until U.N. humanitarian organizations began reporting that hundreds of thousands of civilians had been driven out of their villages. If the world had noticed and responded in early 2003, when the Sudanese government first armed groups of Arab nomads, known as janjaweed, and ordered them to attack villages suspected of harboring antigovernment rebels, the question of genocide would have never arisen - and thousands could have been saved.

But it wasn't until December 2003 that U.N. relief officials warned about an impending humanitarian disaster in Darfur. Soon after, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported that janjaweed, in concert with Sudanese military units, were slaughtering and displacing villagers.

Both organizations immediately urged the United Nations, the U.S. and other major powers to pressure the Sudanese government to call off the attacks and provide relief to victims flowing into refugee camps in Chad. But lawyers and researchers within Human Rights Watch (and probably Amnesty International) concluded that the events in Darfur did not rise to the level of genocide, a legal designation in international law, because there was no proof of "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such."

That didn't stop activists - inspired in part by Samantha Power's book, "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" - from invoking the emotive power of the word "genocide" to mobilize the international community. They buttressed their case by drawing attention to the fact that the atrocities in Darfur were coming to light as the world was holding ceremonies commemorating the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.

In September 2004, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, after hearing from a team of lawyers and investigators sent to Darfur by the State Department, famously declared that "genocide has been committed in Darfur." Congress had already done so.

But the pattern of human rights abuses in Darfur is very different from what happened in Rwanda. As Alison Des Forges, a senior advisor to the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, and others have documented, the slaughter in Rwanda was carefully planned and ruthlessly carried out in a matter of weeks; the clear intent was to eliminate the Tutsi population of Rwanda. In all, 800,000 people were butchered.

In Darfur, the Sudanese government has targeted African villagers. But it is not clear that the government's intent is to wipe out these Africans. The assaults followed successful rebel attacks on some government military facilities. In unleashing janjaweed and targeting the rebels' base of support, the government used the same counterinsurgency tactics it employed in a decades-old war against southerners. (Darfur is in eastern Sudan.) The Sudanese government is certainly not the first to combat an insurgency by attacking sympathetic villages and displacing civilians.

Paradoxically, labeling the atrocities in Darfur genocide may exacerbate the underlying conflict and make it more difficult to create the conditions necessary for civilians to return and live in peace.

Alex De Waal, an activist, longtime expert on Darfur and advisor to the African Union, has written that ethnic, tribal and racial lines in Darfur have been far more malleable than the genocide characterization suggests. Before Darfur, there had been conflicts between janjaweed's nomadic Arabs and the African pastoral tribes that support the rebels. But these clashes were chiefly the result of environmental pressures and competition for land, not deep-seated ethnic or racial animosities. And, until 2003, Darfur was relatively peaceful.

BY CONTRAST, the genocide in Rwanda was presaged by a history of attempts by Hutus and Tutsis to slaughter each other. Even so, many scholars have attributed the tribes' antagonism to colonial policies that reinforced the ethnic dimension of economic and political competition.

Over the long run, peace in Darfur will require Africans and Arabs to live together. Calling their conflict "genocidal" won't make that easier. In Rwanda, for instance, the Tutsi government that came to power after the genocide now uses the rhetoric of genocide to rationalize political repression.

There is also a grave risk in raising the specter of genocide to galvanize a global response to the human rights abuses in Darfur - the international community may be less inclined to react to serious abuses that don't rise to the level of genocide. This could be truly tragic because the only way to prevent genocide is to act at the first sign of threats to civilians.

Of the many tragedies of Darfur, one is that it had to be mislabeled a genocide before politicians and activists were stirred to respond.

Further reading

May 15 2006 Genocide: Lessons from the 20th Century - by Dr Matthew Levinger, director of the Academy for Genocide Prevention at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, in OneWorld - via CFD blog.

May 17 2006 The Daily Star Genocide: a crime lost in definition - by Jerome Mayer-Cantu, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley who closely follows genocide and international law issues. - via CFD.

UK's Benn says "This is a moment for Darfur"

The international community should add to the pressure on rebel factions to sign a peace deal for Darfur, UK International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said today - Reuters' Daniel Wallis:

"If you have won in essence what you're looking for, what possible justification is there to carry on fighting and prolong the suffering of the people of Darfur, who have suffered far too much already?" Benn said.

"We must try, even now, to persuade the other two rebel groups, in particular Abdel Wahed, because during the signing ceremony in Abuja some of his delegation came and said 'We think we should be signing', Benn said.

"This is a moment for Darfur and there is no doubt it has been international pressure that has brought us to this point," he told Reuters in northern Uganda, where he is visiting camps for people displaced by a separate conflict.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM UN's EGELAND: Abuja pact only hope for Darfur

Reuters report, just in:

The Darfur peace deal signed in Abuja last week is the only hope to end the conflict in Sudan's vast west and if it is not enforced the region will spin out of control, the top UN humanitarian official said today:

"If it is implemented, we (the UN and aid agencies) could start planning for recovery and a return home of the more than 2 million refugees," said Jan Egeland, the UN under-secretary for humanitarian affairs.

"If it is not, it will mean a downward spiral which will get totally out of control and go into the abyss," he added.

Photo: Jan Egeland, the UN top emergency relief coordinator, says he is optimistic the agreement to end the conflict in Darfur can work. But he warns of serious consequences, if it is not implemented. The UN official also appealed to Sudan's government to approve deployment of a UN peacekeeping force. See VOA report by Lisa Schlein 15 May 2006. (AP photo)

Further reports

May 15 2006 Reuters Get on board Darfur peace deal or become irrelevant: "Should they embark on any action or measure likely to undermine the Darfur peace agreement, especially the ceasefire provisions, the Council should take appropriate measures ... including requesting the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against them," Chair of AU Commission said in a statement. AU chief Darfur mediator warned Nur he would become irrelevant unless he accepted an agreement already signed by his rival Minni Arcua Minnawi, leader of the biggest SLA faction. "In every situation where people have not been on board, eventually they will have to come on board or become irrelevant," Salim Ahmed Salim told Reuters.

May 15 2006 Sudan Tribune SLA's Nur urges AU to consider its demands: In a letter sent yesterday to the Chair of AU Commission Oumar Konare, the leader of a faction of the main rebel SLA Abdelwahid al-Nur called the AU to put pressure on the Sudanese government to sign a supplementary document related to their demands - and also indicated the three demands of the faction (see report to read demands)

May 15 2006 Reuters/ST Sudanese govt rejects Darfur SLA-Nur demands: "We received a response from the Sudanese government and it was not positive enough for us to go ahead and sign," said Ibrahim Madibo, a close adviser to Nur who is still in the Nigerian capital Abuja, where the peace talks took place. Nur wanted the government to meet his key demands in an annex accord, after which he would sign the broader peace deal.



May 15 2006 Sudan Tribune AU raises sanction against holdout rebels, urges Sudan to accept UN force: The AU gave two holdout Darfur rebel groups a 24-hour deadline to sign a peace deal with Sudanese government or face UN sanctions. Also it urged Sudan to accept a UN force in Darfur. AU commission chair Konare said AU would ask the UN Security Council to slap sanctions on the JEM and a faction of the SLA unless they signed the deal by Tuesday, when it is set to be implemented. "I call on them to hasten to append their signatures, without any conditions, to the document, before its implementation on 16 May 2006," he told a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council.

May 15, 2006 BBC (Jonah Fisher) Can Darfur's peace survive? - No-one was expecting Darfur's peace agreement to bring about an immediate transformation on the ground. But the short time since the deal in Abuja have shown the size of the challenge ahead. "We need to survive the next few weeks and that is through the African Union and humanitarian activities," Mr Egeland said. "It's not over. We all need to seize the opportunity now to enforce peace." Sudan has yet to approve the sending of UN peacekeepers while funding shortages mean that Darfur's food rations for May have been cut in half.

Get on board Darfur peace deal or become irrelevant

The African Union ratcheted up the pressure on two rebel factions today to sign a peace agreement for Darfur, threatening international sanctions if they did not come around, Reuters' Tsegaye Tadesse reported - excerpt:

Alpha Oumar Konare, chairman of the African Union (AU) commission, urged a faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to sign the deal unconditionally.

"Should they embark on any action or measure likely to undermine the Darfur peace agreement, especially the ceasefire provisions, the Council should take appropriate measures ... including requesting the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions against them," he said in a statement.

The warning came as the AU's Peace and Security Council met in Addis Ababa to discuss how to push forward the peace process in Darfur. Konare called for more AU troops to be sent to Darfur and urged Khartoum to produce a plan to disarm pro-government militias.

In another sign of a concerted drive by the AU to pull the rebels into the deal, its chief Darfur mediator warned Nur he would become irrelevant unless he accepted an agreement already signed by his rival Minni Arcua Minnawi, leader of the biggest SLA faction.

"In every situation where people have not been on board, eventually they will have to come on board or become irrelevant," Salim Ahmed Salim told Reuters.

Mubarak: Egypt stands ready to help turn DPA to a reality

In a letter of commendation sent to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt underlined the important role, that Nigeria and its leadership have played to resolve the crisis in Darfur, AND/ThisDay reported May 15, 2006 - excerpt:

[President Mubarak said] "I wish to congratulate you on the successful conclusion of Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja. In this occasion, I have the pleasure and honor to convey to you and Nigerian people, Egypt's deep appreciation to all the efforts you exerted in order to help the parties reach such a historical agreement, especially your Excellency's personal involvement and dedication at the final critical moments".

He said that the international community would continue to put the Abuja agreement into practical measures by building up confidence among all the parties concerned, and emphasized his country's determination to contribute to the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts and its willingness to take part in the peacekeeping forces which will be stationed in the region.

"Allow me to assure you of Egypt's full commitment to a speedy restoration of peace, stability, and prosperity in Darfur". "Egypt stands ready to allocate as much resources and capabilities as it can during the coming period, in order to turn Darfur peace agreement to a reality, and to bring peace stability back to the people of Darfur", Mubarak added.

Note, the report explains a meeting will be held this week in New York for Darfur friends, namely Nigeria, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Libya with the five permanent member states in the UN Security Council to notify the UNSC of the agreement officially.

Also, in another development, Egypt has submitted an educational initiative for the African countries. The initiative aims at providing advanced education in Africa by offering 200 scholarships annually over a period of four years in the Egyptian universities for African youths especially from west and central Africa and the Nile basin countries.

Annan says timing critical for Darfur aid

In an editorial in Monday's Financial Times, Annan said peace in Darfur was fragile and there was "no time to lose". He said the only guarantor of security there, the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), needed immediate help, Reuters reported 15 May 2006.

The AU Peace and Security Council was to meet in Addis Ababa today to discuss the next step in Darfur. The UN and western nations want the AU to turn over the Darfur peacekeeping operation to UN troops.

Sudan to give $700 mln for Dafur rehabilitation fund

Sudan will give 700 million dollars for the Darfur rehabilitation fund, a Sudanese minister said, the official SUNA reported. In doing so, Sudanese government aims to encourage the donors to extend their contributions for the fund, said The State Minister at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Lual Deng, Saturday. Full report (Khartoum May 13) Sudan Tribune May 15, 2006.

Rebel JEM commanders in South Darfur say they want peace

Sudan Tribune report (Khartoum) 15 May 2006 says South Darfur province commanders from the rebel JEM called on the group's leader Khalil Ibrahim to sign the peace deal that was agreed in Abuja on May 5.

"The agreement puts an end to the suffering of the people of Darfur, an objective we are striving to achieve," SUNA quoted Abdelrahim Adam Abu Rishah, JEM Secretary for South Darfur, as saying.

A number of JEM field commanders in South Darfur issued a statement declaring their joining of "the peace parade" by approving the peace agreement, the state-run news agency said.

The South Darfur-based faction said their approval of the agreement "was a result of the tribal reconciliation that have created a desire for tribal coexistence in the state."

SLA's Nur still unwilling to join Darfur peace deal - No let up in push for him to join

Efforts to persuade a rebel leader from Sudan's Darfur region to join a peace deal were likely to continue beyond Monday's deadline because his refusal to sign poses a serious threat to the accord, diplomats said. Full report by Estelle Shirbon (Reuters) May 14, 2006.

Also, see copy of petition in previous entry here below.

Petition by Darfur Daily News blog

Darfur Daily News blog claims to be, quote "a reliable source of news and information about what is going on in Darfur at the moment, located in The Hague."

The blog author of Darfur Daily News has organised a petition online targeted at UN, EU, AU, USA, UK, Civil Society, H Rights, International Community.

Entitled "Complete, Inclusive and Comprehensive Peace for Darfur", the petition has 82 signatures to date - goal is 400,000.

Message appears to be: "The door for comprehensive and complete peace in Darfur should be left open."

Note, at the moment Darfur Daily News' petition page hosted at thePetitionSite.com is temporarily unavailable, so I am copying the page of demands and publishing it in full at Ethiopia Watch, the sister blog of Sudan Watch.

If you are unable to view Darfur Daily News blog's petition at www.thepetitionsite.com, please click here.

Darfur's SLA rebel faction leader Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur receives a letter from US President George W Bush

Margaret Warner of America's News Hour reports from Sudan on the obstacles facing politicians and refugees before a peace deal can be achieved. She has been in Sudan for a week and reports on May 12, 2006 from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Click here to read or hear interview with:

MAJZOUB AL-KHALIFA, Presidential Adviser
SUDANESE CITIZEN (through translator)
HASSAN AL-TURABI, Leader, Popular National Congress
CAMERON HUME, U.S. Charge D'Affaires
AMIN ABDELLATIF, Foreign News Editor, Alwan

Snippets from interview:



MARGARET WARNER: Well, Ray, one of the groups, called JEM, is an Islamist group that always said they'll never sign a deal, so that's off the table.

But the other large group, which is lead by a fellow named Abdel Wahid Nur, even though it is not a heavily armed group -- and so, militarily, it's not hugely important -- the party's want him to sign on because he represents the largest tribe in Darfur, the Fur tribe. That's what Darfur means: Land of the Four.

And they are by far the most populous group. And anyone who's really looked at the situation out there feels that to have excluded the most populous tribe from the peace agreement just is a recipe for instability.

So Mr. Nur is down, apparently still in Nigeria, I'm told. The president of Nigeria is leaning on him very, very hard. He got this letter from President Bush saying: You know, I'll really be watching the implementation. I'll make sure it's implemented right.

He was apparently complaining about the letter. There wasn't enough. And someone told me today that -- Obasanjo, the president of Nigeria, said: I don't even get a letter from President Bush. You got a letter, and you still got questions?

But Nur apparently wants more assurances. So what's under discussion now is having the African Union, which has been mediating the deal, come up with yet another letter that has some assurances. But the parties are not willing to change the terms.

So I don't think we'll know -- I mean, we may know this weekend -- but Monday is D-Day. He's been invited to come to this big event in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia if he's ready or if he has signed the deal.

CAMERON HUME: I have a very strong feeling that, like most people, the leaders of the Sudanese government would rather be subject to less opprobrium and to be better accepted in the world.

President Bashir was not made the head of the African Union a few months ago because of concern among African countries over the consequences of the ongoing conflict in Darfur. And I think that kind of a setback has been troubling to this government, and they would rather not be the polecats of the world.

MAJZOUB AL-KHALIFA: We are making peace on the side. And to make violence, killing, rape and that, and directed by the government? What a government can do that. Nothing of that at all. But there is a crisis in Darfur that is true, but there is a tribal conflict.

HASSAN AL-TURABI: I mean, if there were negotiations going along, people can hold their arms for a while. But if they know that the negotiations are over, this is the settlement, the settlement is not satisfactory, there will be an eruption somewhere.

MARGARET WARNER: In the refugee camps, we found little evidence that residents have any faith in the promises made by the Sudanese government. Indeed, many refugees, even one listening to short-wave radio, were unaware that a peace deal had been reached.

SUDANESE CITIZEN (through translator): I don't know anything about it, nothing about it at all.

[via CFD with thanks]

Six killed in Darfur clashes

Six people have been killed after protesters in Darfur opposed to the recent peace deal between rebels and the Sudanese government clashed with police, Aljazeera (Agencies) reported May 14, 2006.

May 14 2006 Sudan's Turabi condemns Darfur Peace Agreement - Al Turabi Is a Chameleon

SLA's Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur refuses to join peace deal by May 15 deadline saying "at this stage we are not signing because we get nothing"

Reuters report (Estelle Shirbon) today says a rebel leader from Darfur has rebuffed the latest proposals from AU mediators for him to join a peace deal despite intense pressure by diplomats desperate to gain wider support for the accord. Excerpt:

Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) refused the peace settlement signed on May 5 by the Sudanese government and rival SLA factional leader Minni Arcua Minnawi to end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands.

Nur says he will sign the peace deal, but only if first the government accepts some of his key demands in an annex accord.

The demands include greater compensation from Khartoum for Darfur war victims and greater SLA involvement in monitoring the disarmament of the Janjaweed and the return home of refugees.

"At this stage we are not signing because we get nothing, but we are trying to push the government to make some concessions ... If the government accepts and signs, then Abdel Wahed will sign," said close adviser Ibrahim Madibo on Sunday.

Note, the report explains this looks unlikely to happen before a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council in Ethiopia on Monday that is considered a deadline to add new signatures to the deal:

Early on Sunday, senior AU mediators who had been focusing full-time on Nur since May 5 left the Nigerian capital Abuja, venue of the peace talks that led to the accord.

But in a sign that intense efforts to gain Nur's acceptance would continue until the last minute, one of the mediators was called back into town as he was about to check into his flight to leave Nigeria. "I am here for another day," he said.

The mediators had argued that Nur should sign first and negotiate with the government later. They say the agreement cannot be renegotiated as two parties have signed it, but there is room for extra concessions during the implementation phase.

"Our fear is that if he signs, the government will not give anything afterwards," Madibo told Reuters.

This has made the last week of discussions involving Nur, Minnawi, Khartoum and international diplomats very delicate.

Sudan's Turabi condemns Darfur Peace Agreement - Al Turabi Is a Chameleon

The leader of the opposition Popular National Congress party (PNC), Hassan Abdellah al-Turabi, has condemned the Darfur Peace Agreement, Sudan Tribune reported today - excerpt:

In an interview with satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera Al-Turabi said the main rebel group in the region, SLA, signed the accord under US pressure and threats of prosecuting those who will not sign it.

Note, last Thursday the SLA's Minnawi contacted the press to disprove claims by rivals that he signed Darfur Peace Agreement under pressures.

I think blogger Sudanese Thinker hits the nail on the head with his blog entry saying Al Turabi Is a Chameleon - excerpt:

Turabi condemned the peace deal saying it wasn't in the interest of the Darfuris. Sure! Since when did Turabi care about anything besides himself?

For those of you who don't know much about Turabi, let me tell you this... He is the one person mostly responsible for all the problems Sudanese suffer from today. He's extremely smart, charismatic, manipulative and most importantly wicked!

I think the best decision Omar El-Bashir ever made was to put him on house arrest and keep him under control. Believe me folks, if Turabi was still in the picture no peace would have been possible with the south or now with the west.

May 11 2006 AU mediators issue Open Letter to Darfur rebels: May 15 deadline to sign DPA

May 12 2006 Sudan's top diplomat in Washington calls for international community to call for measures against those who attempt to undercut Darfur peace accord

May 12 2006 Nur's Darfur rebel SLA faction sees progress in peace talks

May 12 2006 Minnawi's SLA delegation arrives in northern Darfur to popularise peace accord

May 14 2006 Reuters (Opheera McDoom) Violence follows Darfur peace, Sudanese unhappy - "It is a big mess," said Bashir Adam Rahman, political officer in the opposition Popular Congress Party. "This is going to create more divisions and more fighting between the Darfurians," he said.

"They (the international community) want to hail themselves on paper regardless of what's happening on the ground -- they didn't do their homework," said Mariam al-Mahdi, spokesperson of the popular Umma Party whose traditional base is in Darfur. "That's why the Abuja peace deal is almost near to a catastrophe rather than a step towards a resolution."

Darfur food crisis: Khartoum's sitting on vast amounts of Sudan's grain that could save tens of thousands of Sudanese lives - Eric Reeves

Eric Reeves, an American English professor living and working in Boston, MA, USA, says the food crisis in Darfur could be averted if Khartoum were to make humane use of the 300,000-500,000 metric tons of grain within its strategic food reserve. Excerpt from his opinion piece at Sudan Tribune May 14, 2006:

Humanitarian logisticians estimate that it requires approximately 17,000 metric tons of food per million people in need per month. There are over 3 million people in need of food in Darfur, and many more just as acutely in need in eastern and southern Sudan. This enormous quantity of grain---which could save many tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Sudanese lives---is sitting idly at various locations in Sudan. Khartoum's National Islamic Front regime refuses to disperse it, or even to sell it at a reasonable price to the UN'S World Food Program. According to the US Agency for International Development, Khartoum sets a price so high that it is actually cheaper to procure food elsewhere and transport it to Darfur and other places of need.

To deny Sudanese civilians access to Sudanese food at time of critical need offers a powerfully revealing glimpse of what the National Islamic Front represents---and of what, most fundamentally, it means to be "marginalized" in Sudan.

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Eric Reeves supported campaign to force Talisman Energy out of southern Sudan, accusing the company of complicity in genocide

Excerpt from "How the world shed light on Darfur" (Alan Freeman, May 13, 2006 Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada):

It was 1998 and Prof. Reeves was immersed in an earlier personal passion, wood turning. A skilled artisan, he created bowls from exotic African hardwoods and sold them at U.S. galleries with proceeds going to his favourite charity, Medecins sans frontieres.

He still recalls a discussion with Joelle Tanguy, head of the charity's U.S. wing, who told him that southern Sudan was the most ignored humanitarian disaster at the time. "I told her, I'll see what I can do. As it turns out, it became a life-defining moment."

Prof. Reeves soon was spearheading the campaign to force Talisman Energy to sell its extensive oil holdings in southern Sudan, accusing the Calgary company of complicity in what he called the genocide of the largely Christian and animist inhabitants of the region.

Over the next four years, Prof. Reeves was a key figure in pressuring major U.S. pensions into dumping their holdings, depressing Talisman's stock price and forcing it to sell out to an Indian oil firm in early 2003.

Some critics suggest that the Indian oil firm, along with its partners from China and Malaysia, are impervious to the kind of criticism that made a publicly held company like Talisman act with a higher sense of corporate responsibility.

"Talisman always claimed that it was a force for good and a force for moderation." Prof. Reeves said. "That's just horse crap."

Just as peace was arriving in southern Sudan in 2003, Darfur was exploding, so Prof. Reeves changed his focus. He travelled to Sudan to see the crisis first-hand. When he returned to Massachusetts, he was diagnosed with leukemia. It has been a long slog.

He has taken two semesters of medical leave in addition to three semesters of leave without pay for his Sudan work.

"My immune system got hammered by the last chemo so I'm continuing to take anti-bacterials and anti-virals. But I'm feeling great. My energy is where it normally is. Right now, I'm fully in remission. The battle will need to be fought again, but for now, I'm good."

As for Darfur, Prof. Reeves doesn't see the signing of the peace accord as any reason for celebration. He is not convinced the pact will hold and does not believe that Western countries will provide the needed soldiers and firepower to turn the weak African Union peace force into a robust UN-sponsored peacekeeping contingent.

"We are putting literally millions of people at risk. It's unconscionable that the world community watches while these people continue to face extraordinary security threats, extraordinary humanitarian shortcomings, which will only get worse as the rainy-season hunger gap gets worse."

"I'm terribly pessimistic. I think we can see more mortality in the next half year than we've seen to date. These people are so vulnerable. I am deeply dispirited. How can it be that we watch Rwanda unfold in slow motion before our eyes?"

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May 6 2006 (Nicholas Kristof NYT - via CFD) Heroes of Darfur: For three gruelling years, Eric Reeves has been fighting for his life, struggling in a battle with leukemia that he may eventually lose. And in his spare time, sometimes from his hospital bed, he has emerged as an improbable leader of a citizens' army fighting to save hundreds of thousands of other lives in Darfur.

Sudanese Deputy FM Ali Ahmed Karti a no-show in Washington

The Malaysia Sun reported May 13, 2006 that a top Sudanese official failed to show up for a meeting on Friday in Washington with US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi E Frazer who recently returned from Darfur peace talks in Abuja where, alongside US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, she helped broker the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Excerpt:

Sudanese Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti -- who had been scheduled to meet with Frazer at the State Department on Friday -- has been linked by human rights groups to violence in Sudan's Darfur region, The Washington Post reported.

Human rights groups say Karti was head of the Popular Defense Forces, a paramilitary group that fought alongside the Janjaweed militia during a campaign of terror that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Some experts have said Karti's name is on the secret list of 51 names referred by the United Nations to the International Criminal Court for possible war crimes prosecution. He has been a key public figure in rejecting the jurisdiction of the war crimes court.

UN draft resolution calls for dispatch before May 30 of UN and AU advance teams to assess Darfur

May 13, 2006 Gulf Times/dpa report excerpt:

UN Security Council members yesterday discussed a draft resolution demanding that Sudan and African rebel groups help speed up the start of a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

The draft called for the dispatch before May 30 of UN and African Union advance teams to assess the situation in Darfur after last week's signing of a peace agreement in Abuja, Nigeria, to end the ethnic conflict in Darfur. - DPA

May 11 2006 UN Sudan Tribune May 12: US suggests May 30 deadline to start preparation for UN force takeover in Darfur

May 12 2006 Reuters (Irwin Arieff): Security Council pushes Sudan over UN Darfur force - The resolution would also urge the government and Darfur rebels to work with AU and UN officials "to accelerate transition to a United Nations operation. The council planned to wait to vote until after a Monday meeting in Addis Ababa of the AU Peace and Security Council, where a decision was due on whether -- and, if so, when -- to shift to a UN mission in Darfur, diplomats said.

May 12 2006 Reuters (Sue Pleming): US confident Sudan will agree to UN force

May 13 2006 Associated Press: US runs into strong resistance at UN over Sudan resolution - China and Russia, two veto-wielding members of the council, oppose that even the new draft is written under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which could make it legally binding and enforceable by sanctions.