Sudanese army is receiving military support from Chadian rebels based in Sudan, while Darfur rebels are supported by Chad

Oct 23 2006 Independent report by Africa Correspondent Steve Bloomfield - excerpt:

Pronk also warned that a confrontation between Sudan and its neighbour to the west, Chad, was becoming a possibility. The Sudanese army is receiving military support from Chadian rebels based in Sudan, while the Darfur rebels are supported by Chad.

Sudan expels UN official for blog revealing Darfur military defeats

The buffoons running Sudan have shot themselves in the foot trying to expel UN SRSG Jan Pronk. Hopefully, this latest fiasco will show the Khartoum regime for what it is, and result in an agreement on UN troops for an "AU Plus" peackeeping force in Darfur.

It's difficult to believe more than a few people would approve of Khartoum's move to expel Mr Pronk. In fact it's a wonder how anyone can take Khartoum seriously anymore. Bashir's days now seem numbered. For his outfit to stay in power (better the devil you know) I thought it needed onside both the AU and UN. Surely people in southern Sudan (and its government!) won't take kindly to Khartoum's latest move to hurt relations with the UN and expel Mr Pronk who heads up the UN's peacekeeping in the region. Maybe soon we'll see press photos of Sudanese people marching with placards in support of Jan Pronk/UN!

Oct 23 2006 Guardian report by Jonathan Steele - excerpt:

The highly unusual expulsion of a UN official is likely to sour relations between Khartoum and the UN, which were already tense because of Sudan's refusal to accept a security council resolution calling for 20,000 troops to move into Darfur to protect civilians. Ironically, Mr Pronk had made it clear he personally agreed with Sudan's position that African Union troops could do the job just as well, provided they had proper funds and equipment. He was also a critic of the Bush administration for its confrontational line towards Khartoum.

Mr Pronk, 66, had a reputation for being outspoken as a minister in two Dutch governments but he took the unusual step of writing a regular weblog after his appointment as Mr Annan's special representative in Khartoum two years ago. This seems to have been his main sin. The weblog in which he often described the war in Darfur in graphic terms without the usual caution of a diplomat became required reading for everyone watching Sudan's war-torn western region closely.

The Sudanese government has admitted suffering two recent setbacks on the battlefield, at Um Sidir to the north of the main town El Fasher, and again near the Chadian border two weeks ago. But Mr Pronk's weblog gave new details. "The losses seem to have been very high," he wrote.

"Reports speak about hundreds of casualties in each of the two battles with many wounded and many taken as prisoner. The morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down.

"Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight. The government has responded by directing more troops and equipment from elsewhere to the region and by mobilizing Arab militia. This is a dangerous development. Security council resolutions which forbid armed mobilisation are being violated. The use of militia with ties with the Janjaweed recalls the events in 2003 and 2004. During that period of the conflict systematic militia attacks, supported or at least allowed by the SAF [Sudanese Armed Forces], led to atrocious crimes."

Foreign ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq explained the expulsion as resulting from "the latest statements issued by Mr Pronk on his website regarding severe criticism of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the fact that he said the government of Sudan is not implementing the Darfur peace agreement".

Mr Sadiq said rebels would consider Mr Pronk's comments as encouragement to continue their military campaign.

Mr Pronk also annoyed the army by crossing frontlines and meeting rebel leaders in Darfur this month, although he made it clear on his weblog that he urged them to accept a ceasefire and think about signing the peace deal brokered in May.

He wrote: "In a mass meeting with them - I counted about 300 military commanders and political officials - they promised not to attack the Sudanese Armed Forces ... I demanded more: stop considering AMIS, the African Union Peace Keeping Force, as your enemy. Guarantee that bandits and rogue commanders no longer harass aid workers and steal their vehicles. Do not reject the Darfur Peace Agreement, but consider this text as a basis for peace, as a starting point for further talks."

For stricken Darfur, threat of all-out war (Lydia Polgreen)

Oct 22 2006 Chad-Sudan border - NYT/IHT Lydia Polgreen report - excerpt:

The prospect of new negotiations for a settlement have dimmed. And the involvement of Chad and now the Central African Republic, where Sudan is reportedly supporting more rebels against the Chad government, is spawning a complex, interlinked set of conflicts among some of the least stable countries in the heart of Africa.

The conflict could stretch on indefinitely.

"Clearly Khartoum is still intent on pursing a military solution, and just because the latest offensive seems to have hit a roadblock doesn't mean they are going to give up," Thomas-Jensen said. "The strategy in the past has always been to arm and train and support local militia groups. In all of this the consequences form a humanitarian standpoint are devastating."

In Darfur, he said, it is ultimately the civilians who will pay the highest price.

EU official says UN presence in Darfur is vital to civilians there

AP report via IHT 22 Oct 2006 - excerpt:

The European Union on Sunday criticized Sudan's decision to order the chief U.N. envoy out of the country, arguing the role of the United Nations is key to resolving the crisis in Darfur.

"The presence of the United Nations is vital to hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Darfur region," said Amadeu Altafaj Tardio, a spokesman for the EU Commission.

The order for U.N. envoy Jan Pronk to leave within three days will likely further complicate efforts to end the crisis in the strife-torn region of western Sudan, he said.

Jan Pronk's views on his blog were personal - UN

FT.com excerpt:

Mr Pronk has previously used his blog to criticise the peace agreement saying it needed to be amended to rectify a flaw.

Officials in Mr Pronk's office were not available for comment.

UN officials in New York have previously said Mr Pronk's views on the website were personal, adding there were no rules appertaining to blogs by senior officials. Sudan is a notoriously difficult place for diplomats to work as the government has a reputation for manipulation and saying one thing while doing another.

Britain denounces Sudan expulsion

Oct 22 2006 icUxbridge:

In London, Foreign Office minister Lord Triesman said: "The British Government condemns the decision to expel the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Sudan.

"This step is counter-productive and will contribute nothing to solving the problems of Sudan.

"I call upon the Government of Sudan to reconsider its decision."

Khartoum considers Jan Pronk's mission in Sudan over

Reuters report by Opheera McDoom, via Swissinfo 22 Oct 2006:

Sudan on Sunday ordered top U.N. envoy Jan Pronk to leave the country within three days following comments he made that the army's morale was low after suffering two major defeats in the violent Darfur region.

"The government ... considers Jan Pronk's mission ... in Sudan over and Mr. Pronk has to leave Sudanese soil within 72 hours from midday on Sunday," a Foreign Ministry statement obtained by Reuters said.

"The reason is the latest statements issued by Mr. Pronk on his Web site regarding severe criticism of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the fact that he said the government of Sudan is not implementing the Darfur peace agreement," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadig.

Foreign Ministry officials met with Pronk on Sunday and informed him of the decision, he added. The ministry said Khartoum would continue to cooperate with the United Nations.

In New York, a spokesman said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has asked Pronk to return to headquarters immediately for consultations but made no comment on the dispute.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Annan had received a letter on Sunday from Sudan asking him to withdraw Pronk.

Pronk has previously had problems with the government because of comments he published on his Web log www.janpronk.nl. The latest blog entry said Darfur rebels had beaten the army in two major battles in the last two months.

He said generals had been sacked, morale was low and soldiers were refusing to fight in North Darfur. The army was furious and issued a statement on Friday calling Pronk a danger to the nation's security.

One army source said they were asking President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the commander-in-chief of the army, to expel Pronk.

Al-Sadig said rebels would consider Pronk's comments as encouragement to continue their military campaign.

"GOVERNOR-GENERAL"

Khalil Ibrahim, a senior member of the rebel National Redemption Front (NRF), told Reuters the decision to expel Pronk did not come from politicians but was a diktat from the army.

"They don't want to leave any free voices in Sudan. ... Jan Pronk was the voice of those suffering in Darfur," he said.

Pronk, 66, a former Netherlands development minister, served several terms in the Dutch parliament and was in the cabinet under two prime ministers. Annan named him U.N. special representative for Sudan in June 2004.

Pronk is known in Sudan for his dedication to his job but also his blunt comments, which irked some parties. He has been outspoken about Sudan's refusal to allow a U.N. force into Darfur where violence has mounted in recent months.

Sudanese privately call him the "governor-general" of Khartoum, a reference to the former British colonial ruler.

Ibrahim said although he has had conflicts with Pronk, he considered the U.N. official fair and unbiased.

"The government could not bribe him with money or contain him and that is why they want him out," he added.

Sudan orders UN SRSG Jan Pronk to leave within 3 days

Reuters report via POTP - excerpt:

Sudan on Sunday ordered top U.N. envoy Jan Pronk to leave the country within three days following comments he made that the army's morale was low after suffering two major defeats in the violent Darfur region.

"He has until mid-noon on Wednesday to leave," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadig. He added the reason was Pronk's comments on the army.

Last week the Sudanese military said Pronk's continued presence in Sudan represented a "military danger to the armed forces".

The military statement accused Pronk of undermining the army by "casting doubt on the ability of the Sudanese Armed Forces to protect the Sudanese people and defend the state".

Pronk's blog, www.janpronk.nl, had said army morale was low in North Darfur after two defeats at the hands of a new rebel alliance called the National Redemption Front (NRF).

South Sudan denounces Pronk expulsion

Oct 22 2006 AFP report via ST - excerpt:

"It is a wrong decision and it is taking Sudan more and more to the brink of confrontation with the international community," said Yasir Arman, Yasir Arman, deputy secretary-general of the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

"More importantly, it will aggravate the situation in Darfur rather than looking for solutions in partnership with the international community," he said. "Expelling Jan Pronk will not resolve the issue at hand, meaning Darfur."

"Jan Pronk came to Sudan as a result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement," he said, referring to the accord that ended Sudan's 21-year north-south civil war. "The government should have consulted the SPLM before expelling him."

Khartoum regime = buffoons. I feel sorry for Mr Pronk and his family.

Sudan orders UN SRSG Jan Pronk to leave

Marie Heuze, chief spokeswoman for the U.N. in Geneva, said she could not comment on the order but noted that Pronk's comments were on his private blog and reflect "only his personal views."

Full story by AP writer Mohamed Osman - via Guardian 22 Oct 2006.

African Union welcomes Eastern Sudan peace deal

On October 14 the Sudanese government and rebels from the Eastern Front signed a peace accord that was negotiated with Eritrean help and is aimed at ending a 12-year armed conflict. - ST 22 Oct 2006.

Jan Pronk - Weblog: Peace in Eastern Sudan

A breakthrough: Peace in Eastern Sudan. This week the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement has been signed in Asmara. Will it last?

Read more... by UN SRSG Jan Pronk in his blog entry Oct 21, 2006.

Sudan masses troops for decisive strike against Darfur rebels

News report by Gethin Chamberlain Oct 21, 2006 (AL-FASHER) Sunday Telegraph via ST 22 Oct 2006:

The soldier pushed at the bomb with his foot, rolling it through the dust towards the white Russian-built Antonov aircraft standing on the runway of Al Fasher airport.

A Sudanese army soldier sits next to weapons and ammunition at an outpost in Sudan's northern Darfur town of Tawilla May 17, 2006. (Reuters)
The plane was being loaded for another bombing run, as Sudanese government forces gear up for a military onslaught when Ramadan ends today or tomorrow.

Crude but effective, the Antonovs are back in the air over the villages of Darfur, just as they were during the initial pogroms that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced more than two million. When they reach their targets, the soldiers lower the ramps and kick out the bombs -- which look like munitions used in the Second World War -- to explode on those below.

New arrivals at the El Salaam camp outside Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, describe how the Antonovs and helicopter gunships attacked their villages, forcing them to flee.

"I saw about 10 bombs falling," said Adam Ishag, who fled his village of Hila Babkeir after it came under attack. "They exploded beside the houses and two were destroyed. We took the children and we ran away."

The troubled western region of Sudan is entering a new and dangerous period. The Darfur Peace Agreement, signed in the Nigerian capital Abuja in May, largely at the urging of the international community, is widely perceived to have failed. Fighting has escalated and the rebel groups, which splintered acrimoniously after the signing, are once again looking to present a united front.

In recent weeks, the Sudanese government has been engaged in a frenetic game of diplomatic brinkmanship, trying to convince the international community that there is no need for a United Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur, approved by the Security Council in August. Yet despite that, its army and its Arab militia allies, the Janjaweed, are reported to be massing in the north. The rebels, and UN officials, believe that a major attack is imminent.

Planes carrying soldiers have poured into Al Fasher airport, bringing with them vast quantities of weapons. On Wednesday evening, traffic in the centre of town ground to a halt as a military convoy, perhaps 100 vehicles long, rolled by - some packed with men, others with machineguns and rocket launchers.

Both the government and the rebels - many now fighting under the banner of the newly formed National Redemption Front - fear that if the UN does take over from the hopelessly stretched African Union (AU) force, then there will be little chance of seizing more territory. If they have to renegotiate the peace agreement, they intend to do so from a position of strength.

"It is a stand-off with the US and some European governments, including Britain," said Ghazi Atabani, a Sudanese presidential adviser, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph last week. His government argues that it is now fighting a legitimate "war on terror" against those who refused to sign up to the peace deal. But Mr Atabani conceded that talks would have to come. "Even if you win the military battle, it is a loss," he said. "In the end, it will just lead to another rebellion."

Yet military victory itself is far from certain. UN and AU sources report that the Sudanese army is demoralised and vulnerable. It has suffered two heavy defeats in the past month - including one in which 3,000 troops were reportedly routed in 20 minutes.

Unlike the earlier war in southern Sudan, which pitched mainly Muslim government forces against Christian and animist rebels, Darfur is an almost exclusively Muslim conflict. "It is not a question of religion this time, it is a question of power," said Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an aid worker and fierce critic of the government.

The AU has said it does not want to stay on after December 31, when its mandate runs out. And there appears no prospect of a UN force of 22,500 troops arriving before spring.

For those caught in the middle, life is looking desperate. Aid workers cannot operate effectively; at least a dozen have been killed since the peace deal was signed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that 500,000 people are now cut off from aid.

"Life has always been precarious in Darfur," said a spokesman. "It will never be an easy place to live. But it doesn't have to be the living hell it is now."

AU's Ibok holds talks with Darfur field leaders

From Bahrain News Agency Khartoum Oct 21 2006:

African Union Commission to Darfur head, Sam Ibok, said his negotiations with armed factions field leaders tackled means of moving the peace process through joint efforts instead of violence.

Ibok told Radio Sudan this evening that the groups that have not signed the Abuja peace agreement, confirmed that they were supporting the peace option and that they were ready to negotiate in order to achieve peace and stability in Darfur. He described his meetings with the group leaders as positive and added that he was informed on the situation in Darfur.

UK's Blair appeals for Darfur deal

Oct 20 2006 ePolitix.com:

The prime minister has pressed EU colleagues to put on a united front in calling for a peace agreement in Darfur.

Tony Blair was on Friday addressing the EU summit in Lahti on the subject at short notice after making a request to the Finnish presidency.

Downing Street said Blair made the move because "he believes we are at a critical time" in international efforts to stop the violence in Sudan.

The appeal came as African Union ministers were meeting the Sudanese government in Khartoum.

"We need to send a clear message of support from the EU today," the prime minister's official spokesman said.

Blair was setting out a three-pronged strategy for a lasting peace.

Firstly to stop military action immediately, secondly to allow a UN force in and thirdly for the Sudanese government to engage in peace talks.

"We have tried to do this with the Sudanese government," the spokesman said.

"If that does not prove possible we are going to have to use pressure.

"That is not our preferred strategy... but the situation in Sudan is just not sustainable."

The government also dismissed a suggestion that more African Union troops could be deployed instead of the UN force Sudan is resisting.

The spokesman said the AU had "valiantly tried" to stop the violence but "hasn't been able to be as effective as it should be".

China's move to strengthen workers' rights is undermined by U.S. corporations

From A human rights weblog 20 Oct 2006:

Last week, the New York Times reported that U.S.-based corporations are trying to stop a proposed law that would protect Chinese workers.

China's new draft labor policy would crack down on sweatshop abuse and strengthen important human and labor rights by improving pay, treatment, health and safety, and other standards for Chinese workers.

However, U.S. corporations such as Wal-Mart, Google, UPS, Microsoft, Nike, AT&T, and Intel, acting through U.S. business organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the U.S.-China Business Council are actively lobbying against the new labor legislation. And they're threatening to take their factories elsewhere.

Charming.

UN's Egeland to step down to spend more time with family

UN's Jan Egeland has announced his intention to step down this year, reports said Friday. "My contract lasts until March next year, but I have notified the UN Secretary General that I will leave my present position before the end of the year," Egeland told Oslo daily Aftenposten. - CFD

Arab League might be willing to dispatch troops to Darfur in lieu of UN force?

Jerry Fowler, in his blog entry Grasping at the Last Straw?, notes the Washington Post acknowledged that in the face of continuing Sudanese opposition, "the fact is that the United Nations is not going to fight its way into Darfur."

Since the Arab League might be willing to dispatch troops to Darfur in lieu of a UN force, Jerry wonders if the Arabs are in fact serious. Me too.

David Blair visits Djibouti: Foreign troops guard oil gateway

How many Western soldiers can you fit inside a tiny African country? This question ran through my mind as I had breakfast in Djibouti this morning...

There are Western troops all over the place.

Read more by David Blair at Telegraph Blogs 20 Oct 2006.

US's Rice affirms US commitment to ensuring Sudan's unity

AP report via International Herald Tribune - excerpt:

US special envoy Andrew Natsios finished a week-long visit to Sudan on Friday by saying he had pressed the government for an effective peacekeeping force and a political settlement in Darfur, as well as the "protection of non-combatants from further atrocities."

Oct 20 2006 KUNA:

US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that her country was committed to working with Sudan's government to ensure its unity, peace and stability.

In a letter to her Sudanese counterpart Lam Akol, Rice stressed that Washington would continue its efforts to ensure implementing the two accords relevant to implementing peace in Darfur and the southern region.

In a press statement, spokesman for Sudan's Foreign Ministry Ali Al-Sadeq quoted Rice's hope that US-Sudanese efforts would ensure peace in Darfur and support Sudan's unity.

Rice's letter came after a one-week visit to Sudan by US special envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios who met with a number of officials, civic leaders and local societies.

Speaking to the press, Natsios said as this was his first visit to Sudan, he wanted to understand the situation by observing it, noting that he conveyed the US Administration's view that called for deploying UN forces in Darfur.

Natsios departed to Egypt to meet local officials and the Arab League's executives. Upon returning to the US, he would inform President George W. Bush and Rice about the visit's outcome.

Sudanese officials who met Natsios affirmed their cabinet's stance that rejected the notion of sending any international troops to Sudan, but they expressed the government's desire to continue talks with the US and international society.

Natsios was appointed by US President George W. Bush as Coordinator for International Disaster Assistance and Special Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sudan. He formerly headed the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

On August 31, the UN Security-Council (UNSC) issued resolution 1706 stipulating the deployment of international forces in Darfur to replace the African Union's troops whose mandate would expire at the end of 2006. Sudan's government rejected the resolution by saying the existence of such forces would threaten the nation's sovereignty.