Sudan names ex Darfur rebels in executive posts and parliament

In a new move towards the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, the Sudanese president has named one former rebel as state minister and another one in a leading position in Darfur administration.

This move indicates a shift in the policy of the Sudanese government which delayed the implementation of the DPA saying the signatories factions have to wait that holdout rebel groups join the deal. - ST 5 Feb 2007.

Statement by AU Ceasefire Commission on killing of AMIS Civpol monitor

Reprint of 1 Feb 2007 AU press statement (via The DARFUR Blog):

AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE
UNIAO AFRICANA
Headquarters Ceasefire Commission African Union Mission in SudanEl-Fasher SudanFax: +249-731-831457, e-mail: aucfc2005@yahoo.com

Press Statement by the AU Ceasefire Commission on the killing of an AMIS Civpol monitor

The AU Ceasefire Commission is shocked by the news of the killing of an AMIS CIVPOL monitor who was shot dead today 1 February 2007 by unknown gunmen who snatched the AMIS vehicle in which the officer with two other colleagues were riding in.

The Ceasefire Commission condemns the shooting of the officer who was unarmed and performing his normal patrol duty in an IDP camp at the time.

It is to be recalled that on 10 December 2006 an AMIS military officer was abducted along with his vehicle by unknown persons and has not been found to date. Also, on 22 December 2006 and on 26 January 2007 AMIS vehicles were hijacked by unknown persons.

AMIS is calling on the perpetrators to desist from such ruthless acts and is strongly appealing to them to handover the officer unconditionally and return the vehicles they have snatched without further delay.

Once again the AU Ceasefire Commission would like to remind the perpetrators that AMIS is here to help Sudan make peace and is not part of the conflict in Darfur.

El Fasher, 1 February 2007

UN: Darfur using child soldiers

Child soldiers are increasingly being used in Darfur, says a United Nations official, even when their use is on the decline elsewhere in Sudan. - News24 (SA) 2 Feb 2007.
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Reuters: SUDAN: Conscription of children, sexual abuse unabated in Darfur - UN envoy

Sudan Tribune: Sudan commits to reinforce child protection - excerpt:

Ms. Salah reiterated the commitment of UNICEF to supporting national authorities in addressing the protection and wellbeing of all children in Sudan, saying that "the children of this country dream of being free from a culture of war and fear and we are ready to walk hand-in-hand with the people of Sudan to achieve this goal."

For further information, please contact: Luca Solimeo, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict – Cell (+249) 912 178 250

Laurence Gerard, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, New York. Phone: +1 212 963 0984 - gerardl@un.org - Website: www.un.org/children/conflict

Radhia Achouri Spokesperson United Nations Mission in Sudan – Khartoum Office: (+249) 187 086 029 - Cell: (+249) 912 392 270 - achouri@un.org

Scottish bagpipes greet Chinese president in Sudan

Photo: Sudan's presidential guard plays military anthems with bagpipes (a legacy of British colonial times) to greet visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao in Khartoum on Friday Feb 2 2007. Chinese President Hu Jintao urged his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir on Friday to work harder to bring more Darfur rebels into the peace process, a Sudanese official and the state-run SUNA news agency said. Hu raised the issue during a closed-door meeting during the Chinese leader's landmark visit, the first ever by a Chinese president to Sudan. (AP Photo / Alfred de Montesquiou)

Note, Wikipedia tells us:

"European militaries contributed to the development of Sudanese music by introducing new instruments and styles; military bands, especially the Scottish bagpipes, were renowned, and set traditional music to military march music.

In 1999, Sudan was one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world. It had nearly 600 ethnic groups speaking over 400 languages and dialects. "

Photo: Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) and his wife Liu Yongqing wave apon arrival at the airport in Douala, Cameroon, on 31 January 2007. (AFP/Xinhua)



Photo: Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) shakes hands with his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir. (AFP/Isam Al-Haj)



Photo: Chinese oil workers at a joint Chinese-Sudanese refinery greet China's President Hu Jintao on Friday in Aljaili on Friday Feb 2 2007. (AP Photo/Alfred de Montesquiou)



Photo: Sudan President Omar al-Beshir (L) shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the African Union summit on January 29. Ban has urged patience to end the bloodshed in Darfur and voiced hope that Sudan would keep a pledge to allow a joint African Union-United Nations force in the war-torn region. (AFP/File/Don Emmert)

Africa Bloggers Appreciation

See The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business: Africa Bloggers Appreciation.

CAR signs peace deal with rebels

Feb 3 2007 BBC report excerpt:

Central African Republic Justice Minister Paul Otto and the leader of the opposition Democratic Front, Abdoulaye Miskine, signed the peace accord in the Libyan town of Sert.

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and some diplomats were also present.

The opposition leader of the other main rebel movement, Abakar Sabon, is expected to sign this peace accord from his prison cell in the west African country of Benin, where he is currently being held, the BBC's Rana Jawad in Sert says.

This latest peace deal is seen as a significant step for the Central African Republic's national reconciliation process, but it remains to be seen whether it will be implemented on the ground, our correspondent says.

China, Sudan ink seven cooperation accords

President Omar al-Bashir and Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the signing of seven agreements between the two countries in the various fields of economic and technical cooperation at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum on Friday.

The two sides also signed agreement on implementation of two schools in the rural areas in Sudan and another one for establishment of a centre for agricultural technology. - ST



Photo: President Hu Jintao and his Sudanese counterpart, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, inspect an honor guard at Khartoum airport yesterday. Hu pledged a new level of cooperation between China and Sudan at the start of the Chinese leader's two-day visit to the country.

Feb 3 2007 Shanghai Daily: Hu greets Sudan with aid, new deals

Feb 3 2007 Shanghai Daily: President Hu puts forward principle on Darfur issues

President Hu invites Sudan's Salva Kiir to visit China

The Chinese President Hu Jintao met Friday with the Sudanese First Vice president Salva Kiir at the Hilton Hotel in Khartoum. Hu Jintao at the end of the meeting invited Salva Kiir to visit Beijing to discuss who China can contribute to Southern Sudan development. - ST



Photo: Chinese president shakes hands with Sudanese FVP Kiir (Source: ST)

China's Hu pledges a new presidential palace to Sudan's Al-Bashir

Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged Friday to have a new presidential palace built for Sudan's President Omar al- Bashir as part of a series of economic deals.

These also include grants and loans for infrastructure projects including schools and roads for its main oil supplier. - DPA 2 Feb 2007.

Tutu dedicates Gandhi Prize in India to Darfur, Burmese leader

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has dedicated the receipt of India's highest international honour, the Gandhi Peace Prize, to "the people of South Africa, to the freedom of Darfur and to Aung Sans Suu Kyi", the Burmese leader held under house arrest. - Ecumenical News International 1 Feb 2007.

Gunmen kill AU peacekeeper in Darfur's Kassab refugee camp, N Darfur

Barbarians. AP report (via IHT) Feb 1, 2007 - excerpt:

Gunmen shot dead an African Union peacekeeper as he was driving through a Darfur refugee camp on Thursday, the peacekeeping force said in a statement.

"We deeply condemn this attack against our force, who came to protect the people of Darfur," AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said.

In New York, the United Nations said it too condemned the attack and was "particularly alarmed at the fact that the killing happened inside an Internally Displaced People's camp."

The AU said unidentified gunmen ambushed three peacekeepers as they were patrolling in a car. The gunmen killed the one peacekeeper, a police officer of the unarmed Civpol unit, and hijacked the car.

The other two peacekeepers were not wounded, but the AU statement did not explain how they managed to escape injury.

The victim, whose name and nationality were withheld pending notification of his family, was the 11th peacekeeper to be killed in action since the AU force deployed in Darfur in June 2004.

Located next to the town of Kutum, Kassab lies in one of Darfur's most violent areas where rebels, soldiers and members of the pro-government janjaweed militia have clashed repeatedly in recent months.

UN's Pronk says UN should finance AU force in Darfur

Photo: The U.N. Secretary General's former representative in Sudan, Jan Pronk, gestures during a lecture at the Institute for Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday Jan. 30, 2007 (Peter Dejong/AP Photo)

I say, Jan Pronk deserves a medal for his efforts on behalf of the UN and people of Sudan. See AP report by Alfred de Montesquiou, 30 Jan 2007 - Sudan pushes aid groups to breaking point (via G&M) - excerpt:

Jan Pronk, a former U.N. envoy to Darfur, said Tuesday the world body should rethink its global peacekeeping operations and finance more missions by local or regional peace troops.

Mr. Pronk said in a lecture at the Netherlands' Institute of Social Studies that the U.N. could use the money it would spend on its own peacekeeping operation to finance another military force to carry out the task, such as the African Union in Darfur.

"They have good troops," he said, many of them with experience in U.N. peace missions to Bosnia or elsewhere. "I'm very positive about the African Union in Darfur."

Mr Pronk's suggestion seems the best and only real way forward, quick too. What's wrong with the UN funding AMIS and providing equipment, training and advice? Anarchy needs quelling before refugees can return home.



Sudan has existed since the year dot but these days does not have time on its side. Scientists say Sudan's increasing water shortages and climate change will, within a decade or two, make water more important than oil. Millions of poverty stricken people in other countries - where far worse things are happening (ie northern Uganda) - desperately need help. Sudan needs to grow and farm a lot more food. The fantastic Chinese backed Merowe Dam, expected to be completed in a few years time, is being built in northern Sudan (more on this later as I check on some facts).

Chinese president tells Sudan counterpart he must do more for peace in Darfur

Some of today's news reports suggest Chinese President Hu might not use his first visit to Khartoum to press hard on abuses, commerce only.

Feb 2 2007 AP report (via IHT) - Chinese president tells Sudan counterpart he must do more for peace in Darfur -

Chinese President Hu Jintao urged Sudan's Omar al-Bashir on Friday to work harder to bring more Darfur rebels into the peace process, a Sudanese official told The Associated Press.

Hu raised the issue during a closed-door meeting during the Chinese leader's landmark visit. The official, who was at the meeting but spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Chinese leader told al-Bashir his "government should work more earnestly to get the rebels who did not sign the Darfur peace agreement to join the peace process."

And the tribal leaders - not forgetting janjaweed - too please!

The Juba Post : Job vacancies

Current vacancies are advertised in THE JUBA POST.
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Click here for Feb. 06, 2009 Multiple vacancies announcement: local Sudanese needed in Southern Sudan's Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, and Warrap States.

Timeline: Sudan (BBC)

Timeline: Sudan via BBC 24 Jan 2007.

Chinese oil CPCN to improve Sudan social facilities

The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) began its business in Sudan in 1995 and has since then donated more than 30 million dollars in charity activities. - Xinhua via ST 1 Feb 2007.

Bloggers mull African summit (BBC)

The BBC News website - Bloggers mull African summit - looks at what some bloggers made of the performance of African leaders at their Ethiopian summit.

Pity they missed out The Sudanese Thinker.

China wants to persuade Sudan not to reject the UN resolution

Jan 31 2007 Times report by Jonathan Clayton in Johannesburg (China aims to bring peace through deals with dictators and warlords) excerpt:

Chinese officials say that [Chinese President] Mr Hu would be looking to help to broker lasting peace in Darfur. "I believe this visit will not only boost bilateral ties, but also peace and stability in the region," said Zhai Jun, the Assistant Foreign Minister, on the eve of the Africa mission. Mr Zhai said that criticism of China's relationship with Africa was unfounded. He said that Beijing was trying to help Africa to build infrastructure and alleviate poverty.

Shi Yinhong, of the International Relations department of the People's University in Beijing, said: "Hu Jintao wants to persuade Sudan not to reject the UN resolution. This will bring moral and diplomatic pressure on Sudan and also help China's ties with the US, the EU and greater Africa."

The Chinese People's Republic of Africa (Kommersant Moscow)

Jan 31 2007 commentary - The Chinese People's Republic of Africa by Alexander Gabuyev, - Kommersant Moscow. Excerpt:

By far the most important part of the trip will be the Chinese leader's visit to Sudan, where he will arrive on Friday. 'This visit will be the culmination of our relations with a friendly China,' said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday. This leg of the trip has also attracted significant attention from the international community, since many Western leaders are appalled at the very idea of cultivating a relationship with the regime that has been carrying on a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the local population in the oil-rich Darfur region. On the other hand, many hope that Beijing will succeed in convincing Khartoum to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur.

Hu Jintao also appears to have come up with a original solution to the problem of Darfur. The Chinese deputy foreign affairs minister, who has a reputation as an excellent negotiator on delicate matters, visited Khartoum not long before Mr. Hu set off on his visit to Africa. Upon returning to Beijing, he confidently stated that "the Chairman's visit will undoubtedly bring peace and stability to Darfur." "China and Sudan are currently working on together on many questions, including military cooperation, and we have nothing to hide," he added pointedly.

Many experts believe that Hu Jintao will suggest to Khartoum that it permit a contingent of primarily Chinese UN peacekeepers to be deployed in Darfur. Around 150 Chinese military engineers are already in Sudan, but Beijing could still send a full detachment of troops to the country. Omar al-Bashir is not likely to object too strongly, since most of the petrodollars flowing into Khartoum come from multibillion-dollar contracts with the Chinese state-run oil companies CNPC and Sinopec. The moment is also politically ripe for such a proposal: on Monday, it was announced that the Darfur problem will cost Sudan the chairmanship of the African Union in 2007. Accepting a proposal from the Chinese concerning peacekeepers in the region would give Mr. al-Bashir an opportunity to portray himself in a better light.

Let's hope China can turn the situation around. Wish I had time today to search archives here for a news report quoting the late John Garang as saying he could not agree to Chinese peacekeepers because China is seen as onside with Khartoum.

SPLM, NRF to hold Darfur common ground meeting in Yei, S Sudan with Kiir

Spit. How is it that Sudanese "rebels" can operate out of England? Sudan Tribune article 30 Jan 2007 - excerpt:SPLM, NRF to hold Darfur common ground meeting in S. Sudan:

In a meeting held in London between the SPLM Acting Deputy Secretary General, Yasir Arman, and the NRF spokesperson, Ahmed Hussein Adam, it was agreed to accelerate preparations for the hold of a meeting in Southern Sudan Yei town with the participation of the SPLM chairman Salva Kiir Mayadrit in the near future.

I say, educated Sudanese people living outside of Sudan should return to their homeland and share their education and skills. What other hope is there for Sudan's children and its environment? Peace is in the hands of the Sudanese only. Foreigners can't force peace on them. But heads can be knocked together to see sense. Where are the powerful Sudanese/African/Arab women in all of this? What say the mothers, wives, sisters, friends of the Janjaweed? Since Sudan belongs to both the African Union and Arab League, I wonder if Sudanese women see Sudan as an African or Arab country.