CECAFA 2009 results: Hay El-Arab of Sudan make the quarters

From Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 06 July 2009:

(Khartoum) – Hay El-Arab of Sudan has qualified for the quarter-finals in the CECAFA club competition after beating Zanzibar’s Miembieni 2-0 on Sunday in Port Sudan in a match that was marked with drama and dangerous play. The game was cut short half way through the second half by the referee when Miembieni ran out of substitutes after losing four players due to injury.

Another of their players was sent off for arguing with the referee.

Hay El-Arab scored their first goal in the first six minutes of the match and the second came from a penalty kick just before the final whistle. The penalty was bitterly contested by Miembieni.

The quarter-finals begin on Tuesday with Sudan’s El-Merrikh playing InterStars of Burundi. DR Congo’s TP Mazembe managed to cruise to their place in the quarter-finals after hurling out Tanzania’s Prisons 3-0 in Khartoum on Sunday.

Mazembe will play Hay El-Arab on Tuesday. Kenya’s champions Mathare United will be playing fellow Kenyans, Tusker, while Uganda’s Kampala City Council will battle it out with Rwanda’s Atraco on Wednesday.

Click on tag label CECAFA (here below) to see latest footballing news reports here at Sudan Watch.

See Sudan Watch - Sunday, 05 July 2009:
CECAFA 2009 results: Sudan’s El-Merikkh wins all three matches to quarter finals



Photo: Mathare's Omogi shields the ball from Merreikh's Worgu



Photo: Sentogo opened the scoring for KCC with a diving header (BBC Sport)

From BBC Sport KCC make Cecafa quarters, 15:26 GMT, Sunday, 05 July 2009 16:26 UK:

KCC of Uganda sealed a quarter-final spot in the Cecafa club Championship in Sudan on Friday.

Robert Sentogo scored the fastest goal of the tournament after 47 seconds as KCC beat Prisons of Tanzania 3-1 in Group B.
Shaban Mtupah equalised for the Tanzanians after 13 minutes.

But the Ugandans secured the win with goals from Tonny Okello and Katongo in the 38th and 88th minutes respectively.

So KCC's place in the quarter-final is assured after beating TP Mazembe 3-2 in their opening match.

In the other Group B game, DR Congo's TP Mazembe made a spectacular comeback from their opening loss to KCC.

They trounced Benadir of Somalia 8-1.

There was another thrashing in Group C where Kenya's Tusker hit six goals past Miembieni of Zanzibar.

Tusker now have four points which secures them a place in the quarter-finals.

The other Group C game between Hay el Arab of Sudan and Burundi's Inter Stars ended 1-1.

SEE ALSO

KCC beat Mazembe at Cecafa
02 Jul 09 | African

Merreikh kick-off Cecafa in style
01 Jul 09 | African

Cecafa ready for kick-off
30 Jun 09 | African

Sudan to host Cecafa tournaments
25 May 09 | African

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Click on tag label CECAFA (here below) to see latest footballing news reports here at Sudan Watch.

S. Sudan: 3,000 Lou Nuer flee to Ulang, Upper Nile state, from Akobo county, Jonglei state

From Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 03 July 2009:
Three Thousand Refugees Flee to Ulang from Akobo County

(Ulang,Upper Nile state) – The commissioner of Ulang county, Upper Nile state, James Duer Chol, says that 3,000 displaced people have come to Ulang from neighboring Akobo county in Jonglei state in the past week.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday, Duer said that the displaced Lou Nuer are scared of attacks by the Murle community during the rainy season.

[James Duer Chol]: “The situation has been good here recently, but in the past week, large numbers of Lou Nuer arrived here, fleeing drought and problems between Lou Nuer and Murle. A committee from Ulang community has been formed to know who the cattle rustlers in the area are. But for the time being the situation is difficult because of the presence of these displaced people. I have met with the government of Upper Nile State and Government of southern Sudan asking them to help these displaced people.”

Duer called upon international humanitarian organizations and their governments to intervene and assist the IDPs.

- - -

Murle

SUDAN BOYS by Artist Rob Rooker. Young Murle boys standing together. Often, when visitors arrive in a village in southern Sudan, the children are always the first to come and investigate what is going on. 

Nuer

APPREHENSION by Artist Rob Rooker. Painted on a wall in Maridi, Sudan. The image is of a young Nuer boy looking up among a crowd of people.

Rob Rooker - Profile
Nationality: US
Currently Living: Juba, Sudan and Nairobi, Kenya
Website: www.robrooker.com

Rob Rooker has lived in Southern Sudan and Kenya since 2001. He has been painting for the last ten years and has been drawing since he was a young child. He grew up in Texas and worked as a graphic designer until he volunteered as a logistician with a humanitarian agency in Southern Sudan. His inclination is to paint people and faces. He has documented images of Southern Sudan during a difficult political and socio-economic era. He demonstrates the use of shades of monochromatic color and his technique and style are quite unique.

Cards & prints available at Imagekind.com

- - -

UPDATE:  From Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 06 July 2009:
IDP Situation Worsens in Jonglei State

(Bor) – The newly-appointed commissioner of Akobo County says the humanitarian situation of thousands of displaced people in Akobo County in Jonglei state is worsening.

Goy Jock Yol spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Monday by phone from Bor.

[Goy Jock Yol]: “The situation of IDPs in Akobo is really precarious after the fighting between Murle and Lou in March and April. Thousands of people were displaced, mostly to Akobo. And then the attack on the barges in Nasir that happened in May exacerbated the situation and I am thankful that the UN took up the lead in providing food. But we still have a lot of challenges. We need to bring these communities together, although there is still rampant looting of cattle between Jikany and Lou and between Lou and Murle.”

The Commissioner said that the late arrival of the rains has complicated the situation in the area.

[Goy Jock Yol]: “The other thing that is really exacerbating the situation is the delay of the rains. Up to now people have not planted around Akobo and this has resulted in more people with cattle moving toward Sobat and that would answer why we have more Lou population around Nyading River and the Ulang area. But I would like to inform you that the new commissioner of Ulang has started as a good gesture to accommodate the Lou families around that river and I am in constant communication with him to provide security along the corridor so that people live in harmony and peace.”

Yol said that his priority will be to reconcile the neighboring communities.

[Goy Jock Yol]: “I would like to go to Akobo very soon. The first thing I would like to do is to go in and meet the chiefs so that we initiate a low level dialogue between Jikany and Lou. The main issue between them is not mainly cattle rustling but it’s the revenge killings that happened earlier this year. I believe in sitting down and talking about the issues. Then we can open the humanitarian corridor of Sobat so that we get some more food to Akobo. Right now, the community of Akobo is really in need of goods from Ethiopia and Nasir. But also we have realized that these communities were living together once and they have shown that they would like to sit down and talk about these issues.”

The Commissioner said that currently he is lobbying for deployment of more police to Akobo.

Botswana differs with AU over Bashir

Botswana yesterday distanced itself from a decision by African leaders to ignore the International Criminal Court order to extradite Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the foreign ministry said.

“The Government of Botswana does not agree with this decision and wishes to reaffirm its position that as a State Party to the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court (ICC) it has treaty obligations to fully co-operate with the ICC in the arrest and transfer of the President of Sudan to the ICC,” Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani said in a statement.

Source: Gulf Times, Sunday, 05 July 2009 -
Botswana differs with AU over Bashir

Rob Crilly’s book 'Saving Darfur: Everyone’s Favourite African War' will be published by Reportage Press in November

From the Irish Times, Monday, July 6, 2009
War crimes move upped level of risk for aid workers
By ROB CRILLY in Nairobi, Kenya
Shadowy armed groups with shifting aims make life in Darfur hazardous

DARFUR IS a hostile land.  A dry, desiccated country awash with guns and tribal enmities, it has always carried risks for the thousands of aid workers bringing food, water and medicine to the region’s aid camps.

Banditry and carjackings are rife, but until this year foreigners had not been targeted for kidnap.

That all changed in March when Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir was indicted on war crimes charges.

“It’s impossible to say how these things are connected, but there have been three kidnappings of westerners ever since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant – that can’t be a coincidence,” said one aid worker familiar with security conditions in Darfur.

Humanitarian officials and Sudanese security agents are still trying to establish contact with Sharon Commins’s kidnappers.

For now their motives remain unclear.

A diplomatic source in Khartoum said: “There are lots of rumours and theories flying around, but the truth is that no one knows anything until we hear from the kidnappers themselves.” Information is in short supply.

The government maintains a stranglehold on access to Darfur, making life difficult for journalists and aid workers trying to monitor security conditions.

Goal is one of the few organisations that works in and around Kutum, where their two staff were taken.

Darfur’s shifting array of rebel factions, tribal militias and bandits offers numerous possible motives.

Rebels could be flexing their muscles to show how the government has little control over its own territory.

So, too, the feared Janjaweed militias. Having been mobilised by the government in the capital, Khartoum, and used as a proxy army against Darfuri rebel groups, many Arab gunmen have become disillusioned with their government paymasters.

Islamic extremists in Khartoum have also tried to launch bomb attacks on Western embassies, and shot dead a US diplomat at the start of last year.

Alternatively, the lure of a ransom may have attracted armed criminals in search of an easy payday.

Four staff with Médicins Sans Frontières were kidnapped in March, days after the ICC indicted President Bashir. A previously unknown group calling itself the Eagles of Bashir claimed responsibility.

They released their hostages four days later after negotiations conducted by the local wali, or governor. Osman Yusuf Kibir said the gunmen wanted to show their support for the Sudanese president.

A French woman and a Canadian woman working for Aide Médicale Internationale were snatched during the following month by the Falcons for the Liberation of Africa.

They were held for three weeks, apparently in protest at a French charity which had tried to smuggle children out of Chad.

In both cases the groups emerged and then disappeared with their true identities and motives far from certain. Whoever they were, their involvement marked a new departure. In the past, aid agencies were not targeted for their western personnel but for cars and satellite phones.

Some 137 aid vehicles were hijacked in 2007, rising to 277 the following year, and 218 members of staff taken – mostly Sudanese drivers. Splintering rebel factions were often to blame.

Since then, agencies have swapped their expensive pick-ups for saloon cars. Some even use taxis to get around.

This year, political and security conditions have deteriorated across much of Sudan.

The two Goal workers were taken from the dusty town of Kutum, in north Darfur, close to areas where rebels had reported heavy bombing in recent weeks.

At the same time, concerns are growing that a deal to bring peace to southern Sudan and to hold countrywide elections next year is unravelling, with desperate implications for the whole of the country.

Fouad Hikmat, Sudan expert with the International Crisis Group, said hopes for peace in Darfur depended on finding a way forward in southern Sudan first.

“This is a recipe for the implosion of Sudan,” he said. “Everyone is now busy trying to advance their own agendas. This is the context against which we have to look at the kidnappings.”

No one operates in Darfur without recognising that the region is Sudan’s wild west: a dangerous, gun-ridden war zone.

For the band of international aid workers, the risks are getting greater every day.

Rob Crilly’s book Saving Darfur: Everyone’s Favourite African War will be published by Reportage Press in November

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

CECAFA 2009 results: Sudan’s El-Merikkh wins all three matches to quarter finals

From Sudan Radio Service's producer Francis Butili on Sunday (!) :) 05 July 2009 (Khartoum):

The 2009 CECAFA football tournament is being held this year in Sudan.

Sudan Radio Service producer Francis Butili pursues his coverage of the event with this report.

“Sudan’s El-Merikkh has pushed itself to the top of this year’s CECAFA tournament by winning all three matches clean for the quarter finals. On Saturday, striker Faisal Ajab put icing on the pudding by nailing a goal for El-Merikkh in their last Group A match against Kenya’s Mathare United in Omdurman.

The sports editor for Khartoum Monitor newspaper, Dominic John, analyses El-Merikkh’s chances of success in the tournament. He says all is going to be well for the Sudanese champions:

[Dominic John]:“For sure, 100%, El-Merikkh will get the trophy but it has problem in organizing its defense. Their defense is good, they need re-organization but they will reach the finals because the teams they will meet in the quarter-finals are not of that standard. They are hosting this tournament and have practiced well. Their victory for the semi-final is sure if they meet Rwanda’s Atraco in the coming match.”

Rwanda’s Atraco clings to third position after Mathare by beating Djibouti’s Kartileh 5-0 on Saturday.

On Friday, TP Mazembe of the Congo made a fierce comeback by pounding Somalia’s Benadir Telecom 8-1, giving them a do-or-die chance on Sunday before Tanzania’s Prison’s Club in Khartoum.

Prisons are expected to put on a brave performance after losing to Uganda’s Kampala City Council Club 3-1 on Friday. On the same day in Port Sudan, Kenya’s Tusker beat Zanzibar’s Miembieni 6-0 and Sudan’s Hay El-Arab drew 1-1 with Burundi’s InterStars.”

Francis Butili was reporting from Khartoum on Sunday.

- - -

From Goal.com by James Momanyi, Thursday 02 Jul 2009:
Kabagambe Signs For Sudan’s Al-Neel While With Atraco For CECAFA Championship - 

The Rwandan club is offered Nigerian Abdul Karim Yekini as a makeover as part of deal.

Former Ugandan International, Joseph Kabagambe threw the Atraco FC camp into shock on Tuesday evening as he sealed a deal with a Sudanese top side, Al-Neel FC. The six-month loan deal ruled Kabagambe out of the Kagame Club Championships that kicked off on Tuesday.

Kabagambe was quoted in The New Times saying that he was excited to join the Sudanese club and hopes for the best as his career takes a dramatic turn. "I am happy that after a lot of phone calls from my bosses in Rwanda, I was finally allowed to move. Let me try my chance here," said Kabagambe.

The Hasahisa based club, which is placed third on the Sudan league table, reportedly gained interest in the player after he scored a beautiful goal in their 2-1 loss to El Merreikh in a Champions League return leg in Khartoum two months ago.

According to the Sudanese side, they are ready to give Atraco Nigerian forward Abdul Karim Yekini in exchange. "This is to inform you that after a lengthy discussion with in our board members, we have agreed that our player Joseph Kabagambe should be loaned to your club in exchange of a Nigerian player whom we are interested in. We give Kabagambe permission to discuss personal terms," stated the Atraco release letter signed by vice-president Issa Ngeze.

However, Atraco coach Sam Timbe was a disappointed man and said the player should have first accomplished the mission he came for in Sudan, that of playing in the Kagame Club championship.

"I am very disappointed with Kabagambe because I talked with him and advised him on how to go about it and first to put-up a good show and attract better deals," explained Timbe, the former SC Villa and Police coach in Uganda.

Later on Tuesday evening, Sudanese top dogs, El Mereikh hammered Atraco 6-1 in the second group "A" match played at the El Mereikh Stadium in the ongoing CECAFA Club Championships.

- - -

From The New Times (via AllAfrica) by Martha Ayuro in Khartoum and Hamza Nkuutu, Thursday 02 July 2009:
Rwanda: Kabagambe Fakes Letter to Join Al-Neel

Kigali — Atraco FC's attacking winger Joseph Kabagambe's transfer to Sudanese side Al-Neel has hit a snag after confirmed reports that the player has failed to get an International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

The former SC Villa player has confessed that he actually presented a forged release letter because Atraco officials had refused to hold talks with Al-Neel. "I had no alternative but to ask my people in Kampala to forge something and mail it to the Al-Neel team. These Atraco people will not stop me from moving because it's my golden chance," said a confused Kabagambe at the Palace Hotel in Northern Khartoum on Wednesday.

- - -

From The Monitor, Uganda (via AllAfrica) Thursday 02 July 2009:
Uganda: Kabagambe in Forgery Scandal

The seemingly good news of Joseph Kabagambe's move from Atraco to Sudan's Al-Neel FC has turned sour after the deal fell through because of some irregularities.

The former Express and SC Villa midfielder pocketed US$10,000 (Shs21m) as sign-on fee after putting pen to paper on a six month loan Al-Neel documents. But he failed to get an International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

A teary Kabagambe told Daily Monitor that he forged the transfer letter from Atraco so he could get the move through subtly and then wait for his contract to expire officially in a few days, after which he would get his ITC and transfer normally.

"I had no alternative but to use my friends in Kampala to forge the letter and email it to the agent of Al-Neel. This is a juicy deal I needed so badly," said Kabagambe.

Note from Sudan Watch Ed:  Today I have been unable the website of Sudan Radio Service. The page won't load. Here's saying a big warm thank you to SRS for emailing me their news bulletins and this latest news on the football matches in Sudan.  This site, Sudan Watch, has received an increase in visits from people around the world searching for news of CECAFA 2009 results. Sadly, and unusually, there are still no visitors from China.  Plenty from Iran, but nothing from China.  Ever since last month, when it was reported that Google access in China had been disrupted, visits from Sudan Watch readers in China have ceased. :(



Photo: KCC’s Sentogo shields the ball away from Prisons’ Misango Muyemba in Friday’s match. (Source: Sunday Vision (Uganda) report - see here below)



Photo: Johnson Bongoole (No.15) of Rwanda champions Atraco attacks during their Cecafa Club Championship match with El Mereikh. Also in action is El Mereikh's Balla Jabir (14), Naserdin Shigail (18) amd Atraco's Godfrey Katerega (No.3). El Mereikh won 6-1. PHOTO /MOHAMMED AMIN (Source:  see report here below from The Nation by Charles Nyende  in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, July 4 2009)

Further reading:
Jul 03, 2009, Sudan Watch:   CECAFA 2009 Results from Sudan Radio Service.

Jun 27, 2009, Sudan Watch:  Google access in China temporarily disrupted - outage follows criticism by Chinese watchdog

KCC CRUISE AHEAD

Sunday Vision - ‎14 hours ago‎

BY VISION REPORTER KAMPALA City Council (KCC) edged closer to the quarter-finals of the CECAFAClubs Championships with a commanding 3-1 victory over ...

Wads of cash boost CECAFA

Sunday Vision - James Bakama - ‎14 hours ago‎

All George Nsimbe's side has to do is win the CECAFA Club Championship and a cool sh200m will be on the club's account. The top team in Sudan will earn ...

Brewers prey on Inter Stars

Daily Nation - Charles Nyende - ‎16 hours ago‎

Johnson Bongoole (No.15) of Rwanda champions Atraco attacks during their Cecafa Club Championship match with El Mereikh. Also in action is El Mereikh's ...

CECAFA Cup: Tusker FC, KCC And El-Mereikh Qualify For Quarter-Finals

Goal.com - ‎Jul 3, 2009‎

CECAFA defending champions, Kenya's Tusker FC joined their counterparts Mathare United in the quarter-finals as the race for the title hots up in Sudan. ...

UPDATE: See Sudan Watch Monday, July 06, 2009:
CECAFA 2009 results: Hay El-Arab of Sudan make the quarters

Click on tag label CECAFA (here below) to see latest footballing news reports here at Sudan Watch.

UNAMID commander Martin Luther Agwai based in Darfur, Sudan asked to resign?

News tip just received via email. Not sure whether to publish it or not as I am not familiar with the Dallas Blog and cannot find the story elsewhere. I have decided to publish the below copied news reports because Inner City Press reports have in the past proved correct. I have used red to highlight some of the text for future reference. How disappointing if the following news is true.

From Dallas Blog
Head UN Darfur Peacekeeper Asked to Resign
by Tom McGregor , Saturday, July 4, 2009, 12:35 PM [USA]

tmcgregordallas@yahoo.com

In a stunning development, Martin Luther Agwai, a UNAMID force commander based in Darfur, Sudan, was asked to step down from his prestigious position at the United Nations, two days after the Texas Republic News posted a story about his wife, Ruth Agwai, on June 15, 2009, according to sources knowledgeable on behind-the-scenes activities of the UN. His wife works as an unlicensed nurse for Medical Services at an occupational health clinic inside the UN headquarters building in New York City.



The Texas Republic News revealed that Mrs. Agwai lived in a multi-million dollar town home in Manhattan, "never legally obtained a registered nursing license in her country of origen," received financial payments from ECOSOC, an agency which distributes financial and material aid to Third World nations, and billed an excessive expense account to the UN to pay for first class travel accomodations when she attended a 'World's AIDS Day' conference in Lagos, Nigeria on November 27, 2007.

Recently, the Dallas Blog posted an article, which links Ruth Agwai to Planned Parenthood in Nigeria as revealed by internal UN documents. Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria partly funded a summit that she attended in Nigeria.

The Inner City Press posted an article on June 19, 2009, stating: "the departure of Martin Luther Agwai as UNAMID force commander in Darfur would take place as questions have been raised about the UN's employment of his wife Ruth Agwai in the UN Medical Service, and her moonlighting for an NGO for the wives of Nigerian generals."

Fox News frequently cites Inner City Press articles when posting UN stories.

Nevertheless, the director of UN Medical Service, Brian Davey, an unlicensed doctor, never imposed any sanctions against Ruth Agwai upon hearing the news that she was exposed in a Texas Republic News article. Ironically, it may have been her husband who suffered the consequences over her alleged misdeeds. Some employees at the UN are raising concerns that Mr. Davey had been too soft on Ruth Agwai, but too tough on other staff members who are unfriendly to Mrs. Agwai.

The Dallas Blog has obtained more damaging UN internal documents which reveal negative information about Ruth Agwai as well as many other staff members at UN Medical Service, which will later be exposed in more follow-up stories.

To read the entire article from the Inner City Press, link here: To read a French article about Martin Luther Agwai's resignation, link here: To read the Texas Republic News article, link here.

- - -

Photo: Le général Martin Luther Agwai. Source: collectifvan.org: A la Une - Le général Agwai poursuit sa visite auprès des troupes stationnées au Darfour.  From Wikipedia:

General Martin Luther Agwai is a Nigerian military officer who is the current commander of the combined United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur.  Throughout his career, General Agwai has held a variety of prominent positions, including Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff in the Nigerian government. His positions in the United Nations have included Deputy Military Advisor to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (November 2002-June 2003), and Deputy Force Commander of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), from November 2000 to November 2002.

- - -

From Texas Republic News
by Tom McGregor
tmcgregordallas@yahoo.com
Special to Texas Republic News
June 15, 2009
Nurse With a Multi-Million Dollar Town Home

Yet, an unlicensed Medical Services registered nurse working inside the UN headquarters building in New York City, Ruth Agwai, had never legally obtained a registered nursing license in her country of origin, Nigeria, according to confidential sources, knowledgeable on the inner-sanctum of the U.N. Actually, other nurses do not have proper documentation to work as licensed registered nurse in New York State. Fox News previously reported that Ms. Agwai exploited her diplomatic privileges granted by the Nigerian Mission to take medical supplies overseas. Sources have confirmed to the TRN that Fox News correctly reported on this matter.

Ironically, public records reveal that Ms. Agwai lives in a multi-million dollar town home in Manhattan (E. 34th St. New York, N.Y.) and she frequently touts her diplomatic credentials among her rich and powerful friends. Her passport clearly identifies her status as a diplomat. UN Documents reveal that she receives funding from an NGO called ECOSOC, which is an agency with an intended purpose of sending financial and material aid to impoverished nations.

She also travels around the world taking advantage of first-class accommodations paid for by the U.N. According to a U.N. budgetary fact sheet, Mrs. Agwai traveled with 12 delegates to Lagos, Nigeria on November 27, 2007. She attended an event to “commemorate the World AIDS Day celebrated yearly.” Documents show what appears to be an inordinately excessive cost for hotel stays billed to the UN. Mrs. Agwai’s expenses came while she was working in an agency charged with helping poor people in Third World African countries.

Furthermore, U.N. paperwork discloses that ECOSOC money is being diverted to NAOWA (Nigerian Army Officers Wives’ Association) under the apparent pretext that the association – of which Agawi serves as the National President – is assisting in work training of Nigerian women.

To read the entire Fox News article, link here; to verify licenses of UN doctors and nurses, link here: and to read about how Medical Services funds AIDS prevention measures, link here: To read the ECOSOC website, link here.

- - -

From UNAMID, EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, Wed, July 02, 2009 (via APO):
Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general.

The Force Commander for the UN/African Union Mission in Darfur, (UNAMID), General Martin Luther Agwai, has continued to visit troops across Darfur. Today General Agwai visited an Egyptian Battalion deployed in Ed Al Fursan in South Darfur. His new Deputy, General Duma Dumisani has also been out in the field visiting the South Darfuri towns of Nyala, El Daein and Muhajeriya.

In the meantime, the Civil Affairs Section of UNAMID has held a one-day workshop on Social Peacebuilding in Nyala. The key issues that were tackled included, how to solve land disputes among different groups, transitional justice, as well as how to prevent clashes between farmers and pastoralists. The workshop was attended by civil society organizations, government officials and participants from Nyala University.

Sudanese photographer Vit Hassan: Meroe is one of archaeology’s greatest mysteries

Photo: 'Dunes versus pyramids' by Sudanese photographer Vit Hassan. Taken in Meroe/Bajrawia, Northern Sudan. Uploaded to flickr by Vit on 22 June 2009.



Photo: 'Sleeping Shadows' on dunes around pyramids in Meroe/Bajrawia, Northern Sudan. Uploaded to flickr by Vit on 21 July 2006. This photo was taken 10 minutes earlier than the one above.

For an ancient city and civilization that flourished for nearly a thousand years, Meroe is one of archaeology’s greatest mysteries. It is unknown where the people of Meroe originated. An even greater mystery is where these Meroitic people are today and why these unconquerable ‘Masters of Africa’ left their ancient city, and seemingly vanished.

From the sixth century B.C. until the fourth century A.D., the city of Meroe lay on the banks of the Nile River, between present day southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The first outsider to mention Meroe specifically was Herodotus, a Greek, in approximately 430 B.C. Herodotus visited Africa, and although he never made it as far south as Meroe, he was told by the natives about the existence of a magnificent city to the south. Herodotus later wrote about his travels on the Nile River. The Persians, led by their ruler Cambyses, had once attempted to conquer Meroe.

Although few Europeans had ever even seen the city, the possibility of finding great riches there prompted Cambyses to send an army to take it over. His army turned back far before ever reaching Meroe due to the harshness of the African terrain and hostile locals. For the next 400 years, Meroe was only spoken of sparsely, mainly in stories. During this time, Meroe was thought by most to be an island on the Nile. This misperception may be justified by the fact that the city was surrounded on three sides by water.

After these few, faint accounts of Meroe, no additional information of the city was recorded and it was virtually forgotten about until recent times when European travelers and archaeologists explored this region. This is mainly due to its geographical remoteness. Now, all that remains of the once great city are hundreds of mounds of brick and stone, and many temple ruins and pyramids. A small town now stands next to the ancient site. While there are only speculative reasons for the fall of the city, one of the main theories is that a group of Axumites to the north, overran the city sometime around the second half of the 3rd century.

It is unknown how the Meroitic rulers were able to maintain control over, what at the time, was a massive population. We can only be certain that there was a working monarchy in order. Such a monarchy was able to establish 72 generations of rulers, composed of a mixture of kings and queens. The exact social organization of Meroe is also still unknown, but there was definite social stratification between nobles and commoners. Kings and royalty lived in palaces while ordinary people lived in straw and brick huts. Everything from the activities of these people’s daily lives, to historical events within the city are also mysteries.

The reason there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the Meroians, is mostly due to the fact that their language and writing are indecipherable. No one knows for sure what their language sounded like or what their Egyptian resembling hieroglyphic writing stands for. The pictures closely resemble those of ancient Egypt, but we have thus far been unable to decode the Meroitic scripts. A lot may be understood about the Meroans in the future when their language can be decoded..

Text courtesy of Vit Hassan. Click here to view Vit's photostream at flickr.

- - -

Pyramids & temples - Nuri, Northern Sudan



Photo: 'Monuments' by Vit Hassan. Taken in Nuri, Northern Sudan. Uploaded to flickr by Vit on 18 June 2009 with the following text:

The pyramid field of Nuri contained 21 kings together with 52 queens and princesess.

The first to build his tomb at Nuri was king Taharqa. His pyramid had 51.75 m square and 40 or 50 m high. Taharqa subterranean chambers are the most elaborate of any Kushite tomb. The entrance was by an eastern stairway trench , north of the pyramid's central axis, reflecting the alignment of the original smaller pyramid.

Three steps led to a doorway, with a moulded frame, that opened to a tunnel, widened and heightened into an antechamber with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Six massive pillars carved from the natural rock divide the burial chamber into two side aisles and a central nave, each with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The entire chamber was surrounded by a moat-like corridor entered steps leading down from in front of the antechamber doorway.

After Taharqa 21 kings and 53 queens and princesess were buried at Nuri under pyramids of good masonry, using blocks of local red sandstone. The Nuri pyramids were generally much larger than those at el-Kurru, reaching heights of 20 to 30 m. The last king to be buried at Nuri died in about 308 BC.

See Vit Hassan's photo set: Pyramids & temples

AU summit of heads of state denounce ICC

Photo: AU delegations attend the opening session of the 13th African Union summit of heads of state and government in Sirte, Libya, 01 July 2009 (AP/VOA)

After bitter wrangling, Africa's leaders agreed Friday to denounce the International Criminal Court and refuse to extradite Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted for crimes against humanity in Darfur.

The decision at the African Union summit says AU members "shall not cooperate" with the court in The Hague "in the arrest and transfer of the president of Sudan to the ICC."

Sudan welcomed the move, and other Africans said it was a signal to the West that it shouldn't impose its ways on Africa. A human rights group said the decision was a gift to a dictator.

The 13th AU summit of heads of state, which concluded Friday in Sirte, Libya, also "expresses its preoccupation about the behavior of the ICC prosecutor" Luis Moreno Ocampo, whom African officials describe as too hard on al-Bashir.

Full story from AP (SIRTE, Libya) by Alfred de Montesquiou, Friday July 03, 2009: African leaders denounce international court
- - -

From AFP (SIRTE, Libya) Friday July 03, 2009 - excerpt:   
AU to shelter Beshir from war crimes warrant: delegates

The African Union decided Friday not to cooperate with a war crimes warrant against Sudan President Omar al-Beshir and again appealed to the United Nations to delay the case.

"The conference decided not to cooperate in that field," the top AU official Jean Ping told reporters.

- - -

From Voice of America News (Addis Ababa) Friday July 03, 2009 - excerpt:
AU Summit Compromise Leaves Continental Authority in Limbo

Africa's leaders meeting in Libya have taken a step toward creation of a continental authority that would have enhanced powers to deal with matters of mutual interest. But a compromise reached after days of heated debate is short on details.

After a marathon negotiating session that ended at four o'clock Friday morning, Benin's Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Ehouzou said, "The states are ready to give up a little part of their sovereignty for the benefit of the [union].

- - -

From BBC News Friday July 03, 2009 23:28 UK - excerpt:
African Union in rift with court 

The African Union says it will halt co-operation with the International Criminal Court over its decision to charge Sudan's leader with war crimes.

President Omar al-Bashir was indicted over alleged atrocities in the Darfur region in March.

But delegates to an AU meeting in Libya agreed a resolution saying they would not co-operate in his arrest.

Analysts say the move means the Sudanese leader can travel across the continent without fear of arrest. [...]

In a statement, the AU pointed out that its request to the ICC to defer Mr Bashir's indictment had been ignored.

It went on: "The AU member states shall not co-operate... relating to immunities for the arrest and surrender of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to the ICC."

The statement was backed by many African leaders who, analysts say, see the ICC as an attempt by the West to interfere in their affairs.

Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Alsamani al-Wasila welcomed the move, describing the resolution as "very clear".

But, says BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut, despite the Sudanese satisfaction a number of countries, including Chad and Benin, are reported to have expressed disquiet about the text.

It is also limited in scope, our analyst adds.

It does not ask the 30 African states that have signed up to the ICC to end their relationship with it.

Indeed, on the day this resolution was being passed, Kenya agreed explicitly to continue co-operating with the ICC, to prosecute those suspected of taking part in the violence that followed the December 2007 election.

The African Union decision is a blow to the court, but by no means a fatal one, our analyst says.

In a separate development, two female aid workers have been kidnapped in Darfur, reports say.

The pair - from Uganda and Ireland - were both working for the Irish charity Goal. They were seized from their compound in Kutum in northern Darfur by unidentified men, officials said. It is the third time foreign aid workers have been kidnapped in Darfur since March.

- - -

From Reuters via Irish Times Saturday July 04, 2009:
African Union will not back Bashir charge

SIRTE, Libya – African Union heads of state voted yesterday not to co-operate with the International Criminal Court over its indictment of Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

“decides that in view of the fact that a request of the African Union has never been acted upon, the AU member states shall not co-operate persuant to the provisions of Article 98 of the Rome statute of the ICC relating to immunities for the arrest and surrender of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to the ICC,” a text of the resolution said. –(Reuters)

Embassy of Sudan's letter to Rebecca Tinsley and others

Letters - The Guardian, Friday 3 July 2009
Peace In Sudan
By Dr Khalid Almubarak
Embassy of Sudan

Rebecca Tinsley and others (Horror of Bashir's rule in Sudan, Letters, 30 June) against President Omer al-Bashir of Sudan omitted significant facts. First, President Bashir has signed the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005 - which was brokered by the US, UK and others. That put an end to 22 years of civil war. Second, his government signed the Darfur peace agreement of 2006, which could have ended the conflict. Some rebels refused to sign and are prolonging the suffering of the displaced population.

Third, his government has managed to export oil and embark on development despite neoconservative sanctions. Fourth, Bashir heads a national unity government that is leading the country towards elections next year. The progressive electoral law guarantees women 25% of the seats of the assembly and ensures minority parties proportional representation. And fifth, the international criminal court accusations, intended to precipitate regime change, have had the opposite impact. The home front is now solidly behind the president.

In May and June, top-level meetings were held in Qatar and Washington in which the EU and the US were encouraging engagement and co-operation with the government of Sudan and ignoring calls similar to those expressed by Rebecca Tinsley and her co-signatories.

Letters - The Guardian, Tuesday 30 June 2009
Horror of Bashir's rule in Sudan

By Rebecca Tinsley Chair, Waging Peace, Gerhart Baum Former UN special rapporteur on human rights in Sudan, Giles Fraser Canon, St Pauls, Ed Husain Quilliam Foundation, Rabbi Maurice Michaels, Helen Baxendale, Stephen Mangan and six others

Today President al-Bashir celebrates 20 years since the military coup in which he took power in Sudan. In the past two decades he has waged two civil wars, taking the lives of more than 2.6 million people, and displaced a further 6.5 million; he has funded murderous rebel armies in Chad and Uganda; and most recently he has been indicted by the international criminal court for five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crime.

Few of his contemporary dictators can claim so many casualties and such opprobrium. Yet Bashir continues to manipulate even his critics in the international community, setting Russia and China against Europe and the US, and cynically lobbying the African Union and Arab League to back him against the "neocolonialist", "imperialist", "Zionist", western "conspirators". Diplomats struggle to grasp that the architect of such ubiquitous suffering and violence can, at the same time, be a highly skilled diplomat. Bashir is the master of conceding the minimum required just at the right moment to delay concerted actions, such as sanctions, against his regime.

As Bashir enters his third decade in power, we urge the UN and its member states to reflect on the horror and destruction he has brought to his country and not to allow the suffering of the Sudanese people to be forgotten. Only a coherent, concerted and consistent policy towards Bashir will deliver peace and justice to the people of Sudan.

Further reading
Mar 04, 2009 - Sudan Watch: Waging Peace submitted more than 500 children’s drawings of Darfur that were accepted by ICC as evidence in any trial

Sudan: CECAFA 2009 Results

From Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 03 July 2009, CECAFA 2009 Results:

(Khartoum) - The CECAFA championships in Sudan entered its second day with four matches, two in Khartoum and two in Port Sudan. In Khartoum’s national stadium, Tanzania’s Prisons drew with Somalia’s Benadir Telecom 2-2 after a tough match. Benadir scored their two goals in the first half and were looking convincing until Prisons got back into game with a goal just before half time. After the break, Prisons scored after a hair-raising battle through the Somalis’ strong defense.

Following this match, TP Mazembe of DR Congo played against Uganda’s KCC but was beaten 3-2 after failing to stand their ground in defense. Referee Alfadil Abu Shanab sent off the Mazembe goalkeeper.

In Port Sudan, Sudan’s Hay El-Arab drew with Kenya’s Tusker FC 1-1. Hay El-Arab scored their equalizing goal towards the end of the match from a penalty. The second match in the coastal town was between Miembeni of Zanzibar and InterStars of Burundi. Miembeni beat the InterStars 2-1.

Thanks C :)

Further reading
Sudan Watch, Wed, 01 July 2009: CECAFA 2009 club football championship kicks off in Khartoum, Sudan

UPDATE: See Sudan Watch Monday, July 06, 2009:
CECAFA 2009 results: Hay El-Arab of Sudan make the quarters




Photo: "Sudan football" by bashkaaa (Source: www.panoramio.com). Note from Sudan Watch Ed: This might be a photo of Sudan football association's building.



Photo: "Khartoum photo by night" (Source: www.skyscrapercity.com)

UPDATE on Sunday 05 July 2009: CECAFA 2009 results: Sudan’s El-Merikkh wins all three matches to quarter finals

Click on tag label CECAFA (here below) to see latest footballing news reports here at Sudan Watch.

AU countries "shall not co-operate" with the ICC for the arrest and surrender of African indicted personalities

30 African Heads of State currently attending an African Union Summit in Sirte, Libya, among them President Kibaki, said they "shall not co-operate" with the ICC "for the arrest and surrender of indicted personalities".

African leaders discussed a drastic new decision against ICC that would, in practice, give Sudan President Omar Bashir impunity from prosecution for war crimes at The Hague.

African officials said the surprise new draft was circulated by Libya, which is hosting the 13th African Union summit.

From The Standard, Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, 02 July 2009:
Poll chaos: Team to meet ICC prosecutor
By Standard Team

Chief mediator Kofi Annan’s meeting with Kenya’s delegation on post-election violence in Geneva was inconclusive as he asked them to meet International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo first.

The news filtered along with revelation the Cabinet already is toying with a "Third Option’, which sidesteps a hostile Parliament and could lead to creation of a special division of High Court to handle post-election violence cases.

Annan opened the door for the team as 30 African Heads of State meeting in Sirte, Libya, among them President Kibaki, said they "shall not co-operate" with the ICC "for the arrest and surrender of indicted personalities".

The position awaiting formal ratification by the African leaders could widen the split between Parliament and the Government on whether to go for The Hague or a local tribunal.

Already, Parliament has once stopped a bid for a local tribunal by President and Prime minister Raila Odinga.

Sources reveal the meeting with Annan took about four hours of highly guarded discussions on Kenya’s request for extension of the August deadline. Annan ruled further talks would only take place after their familiarisation tour of The Hague court today.

In the Kenyan delegation out to buy more time to set up a local tribunal, or else Annan would pass the matter to ICC, were Land Minister James Orengo, Mutula Kilonzo (Justice), Attorney General Amos Wako, and Justice Assistant Minister William Cheptumo.

August deadline

The team meets Ocampo this morning even as Annan remained non-committal on whether he would extend the August deadline for handing over the ‘envelope’.

Issues discussed with Annan included modalities for establishing a special tribunal, as recommended by the Justice Phillip Waki Commission on post-election violence.

A joint statement from African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities said: " They agreed, in particular, to be in touch again after the Kenyan delegation has had an opportunity to meet with Ocampo."

In Sirte African leaders discussed a drastic new decision against ICC that would, in practice, give Sudan President Omar Bashir impunity from prosecution for war crimes at The Hague. African officials said the surprise new draft was circulated by Libya, which is hosting the 13th African Union summit.

The draft decision obtained by Associated Press provides that AU countries "Shall not co-operate" with the ICC for the arrest and surrender of African indicted personalities".

Annan and the Kenyan team agreed to continue interacting on the establishment of a special tribunal in the coming days, with a view to reaching an understanding on the matter.

The Standard has learnt Mutula floated the ‘Third Option’ to the Cabinet. The option is borrowed from a similar arrangement in Uganda between the Government and Lord’s Resistance Army.

special courts

If it takes off, the special courts are to be established by the Chief Justice who has powers to do so under the Constitution.

According to the new arrangement the special courts shall be established to try individuals who are alleged to have committed serious crimes during post-election violence. Some lawyers have argued it could be abused. They have also asked Annan not to tolerate impunity by conceding to demands of the Government, which they dismissed as time buying tactics.

Central Imenti MP Gitobu Imanyara warned MPs would block all attempts to create a local tribunal or a special division of the High Court. Imanyara argued the Government lacked political goodwill to implement it because its members were implicated.

"No amount of excuse would be allowed again. Let Annan hand over the envelope to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at the Hague," Imanyara added.

Senior Counsel Paul Muite says attempts to create a special division could only be backed by amendments to the Constitution. "There is no short-cut and I doubt if Parliament is in the mood to pass the new law," Muite said.

If the special courts are to be established they shall have their own registry and as the case was in Uganda they shall facilitate protection and participation of witnesses, victims, women and children.

Sources said Mutula and Wako were preparing a Bill on the ‘Third Option’ to be tabled in Parliament when it reconvenes a week to August. It is expected that the special court will operate under the current laws, only that it would deal specifically with suspects of post-election violence.

Also to be established are a special appeals courts that would hear appeals for those who would be dissatisfied with the rulings by the special court.

Human rights lawyer Haroun Ndubi said the special division of the court would run into problems of prosecutorial powers, which are vested in the Attorney General, and only a change of Constitution can address it.

Sources at the Justice Ministry said prosecutions should focus on individuals alleged to have planned or carried out widespread, systematic or serious attacks directed against civilians or who are alleged to have committed grave breaches in accordance with the Rome Statute to which Kenya is a signatory.

African leaders tackle continent's challenges
By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU – Thursday, 02 July 2009:

SIRTE, Libya (AP) — Africa's leaders were locked in a heated debate Thursday over a draft African Union summit decision that would give Sudan's president continent-wide impunity from prosecution for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

African officials said the surprise new draft was circulated by Libya, which is hosting the 13th African Union summit of heads of state in the coastal town of Sirte, east of the capital, Tripoli.

The draft obtained by The AP says the African Union "deeply regrets" that the United Nations ignored its previous demand for the ICC in The Hague to postpone its arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for crimes in Darfur.

Therefore, it says, AU countries "shall not cooperate" with the ICC "for the arrest and surrender of African indicted personalities."

If adopted, the common ruling could be a powerful blow to prosecuting African officials for war crimes.

Heads of states at AU summits reach their decisions behind closed doors and by consensus, not by vote. It was not clear if the new measure would be approved Thursday.

Several African leaders appeared to strongly resist the draft decision.

"Certainly that's not the position that we take," Ghana's Foreign Minister Muhammad Mumuni told reporters.

"For us in Ghana there is absolutely no equivocation at all about our acceptance and respect for the jurisdiction, the integrity and high honor of dignity of the ICC," he said.

Mumuni added that Ghana supports the AU's call to postpone the "ill-timed" ICC warrant against al-Bashir, which he said imperiled peace efforts in Sudan and could create "a huge power vacuum."

Ghana is among 30 African countries that are party to the international court. Reed Brody, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch, said the draft decision "basically orders them to flout their legal obligations."

The draft appeared to contradict assurances by the AU's executive chairman, Jean Ping, that the African Union would not reach hard decisions against the ICC. Ping said Wednesday that the AU would certainly not reach "dramatic or binding conclusions" for African countries who are party to the ICC.

"Though it is true that African heads of state are tired of being the only ones targeted" by the court, Ping said.

Human Rights Watch's Brody said it was unclear whether the draft would be passed.

"The question is whether Libya will be heavy handed" in pushing the decision through, he said on the sidelines of the summit.

Libya was one the first countries to ignore the ICC and host al-Bashir despite the international warrant against him issued in March. Al-Bashir is accused by the ICC prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity for masterminding Sudanese government violence that has led to the death of some 300,000 people in Darfur since 2003.

Sudan's acting Foreign Minister, El Samany El Wasila, hailed the new AU draft.

"I think it will be adopted, it will be Africa's confirmation that the ICC is politically motivated and should be ignored," El Samany El Wasila told The Associated Press.

El Wasila said the international court had proved it was biased by only acting against Africans "while it ignores Israel for Gaza or (former U.S. President George W.) Bush for Iraq."

Other issues at the summit included improving security across Africa and fighting piracy and civil war in Somalia. Libya, meanwhile, was spearheading a drive to lay the groundwork for an eventual United States of Africa.

Heads of state are to consider a decision to change the AU executive bodies from a "Commission" into an "Authority." The goal is to simplify the African Union and extend its powers over foreign affairs, the economy and defense as a buildup for what Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi ultimately envisions as a common federal government for Africa.

But some of the continent's wealthier nations, led by Nigeria and South Africa, appear to be resisting the move. African diplomats say there are worries the new structure could become overbearing.

There is a need to continue "building consensus on a very important matter like that," said Ghana's Mumuni.

A Libyan official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Gadhafi stormed out of the conference room at one point because other leaders didn't follow his views. After returning, he told his African counterparts they must reach a decision on the AU Authority before the summit ends, the official said.

U.S. official Johnnie Carson says Sudan's Bashir should face ICC charges

According to AllAfrica's website, AllAfrica conducted an interview with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson. Here below is a copy of the part that relates to Sudan and was picked up by Sudan Tribune [July 02, 2009: US calls on Sudan president to stand before ICC] and reprinted by Ethiopian Review [July 02, 2009: U.S. senior officials calls on Sudan president to stand before ICC].  Note that the author of the piece is not named.

From AllAfrica INTERVIEW (Washington, DC) 01 July 2009: Africa: Obama Administration Tackling Wide Range of African Issues - Johnnie Carson

The administration's point person for Africa, Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson, who has been on the job since May 7, says the Obama team is now fully engaged on a range of issues.

In this first AllAfrica interview with the assistant secretary, we explore some of the challenges for United States policies towards Africa. An upcoming conversation will discuss other challenges, other countries - and the progress and potential of Africa in this decade. [...]

On Sudan, following the multi-party talks last week in Washington, convened by President Obama's special envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, how has the administration decided to engage with the government headed by President Omar al-Bashir, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) - but also is key to resolving the crisis in Darfur and the north-south conflict?

I look at it as engaging with the government broadly to achieve important objectives that we share with many in Sudan, both north and south, and with many across Africa and the international community. We think that it is absolutely critical that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, be fully implemented, and that the people of southern Sudan have a right, in 2011, to hold a referendum which will determine their future.

We think it is also important that the issues of the boundary between the north and south be resolved. One of the more positive things to come out of this very successful conference is a commitment on both sides to accept the arbitration ruling on the border of Abyei. Every part of the CPA agreement should be fully implemented.

Gen. Gration has been trying to stop the humanitarian nightmare that has existed in Darfur for far too long and to help to bring about a long-term political settlement in the Darfur crisis. We should use our diplomatic power as effectively as we can to help bring a solution to each of these problems. There's no question that we're going to have to work with the government of Sudan. It is both a part of the problem and part of the solution. Notwithstanding all of this, an arrest warrant has been issued for Bashir by the ICC for war crimes in Darfur. He should do the right thing and face those charges.

Note that the U.S.A., along with Sudan and a handful of other countries, has not signed up to the ICC because it wants to protect against any U.S. citizens being brought before the Court. So what Mr Carson is saying sounds to me like nonsense. Why should he expect a Sudanese citizen to do what no U.S. citizen is expected to do, I wonder. The only reason I can think of is that he is spinning the media in order to sound like he is making the right noises to satisfy Save Darfur Coalition.

CECAFA 2009 club football championship kicks off in Khartoum, Sudan

This tournament will be hosted by Almerrikh, the Champion of Sudan, and it will kick start on 30 June 2009 and last until 12 July 2009, the 26th matches of the tournament will take place in three different venues, Almerrikh stadium at Omdurman, Khartoum stadium at Khartoum and Port Sudan stadium in Eastern Sudan.

12 teams are participating in the tournament from different 10 different countries with Sudan and Kenya participating with two teams each. The teams are Almerrikh SC (Sudan), Hay El-Arab SC (Sudan), TP Mazembe (DR Congo) (Invited), Tusker FC (Kenya), Mathare United (Kenya), KCC FC (Uganda), Kartileh Djibsat (Djibouti), Prisons FC (Tanzania), Miembeni FC (Zanzibar), Benaadir Telecom (Somalia), AS Inter Star (Burundi) & Atraco FC (Rwanda).

Read more from Sudan Online:  CECAFA Club Championship 2009.
Logo source: www.brandsoftheworld.com





Photos (above): Al Merreikh Stadium, also known as the red castle, is a multi-use stadium in Omdurman, City of Khartoum, Sudan. Established in 1962. The stadium is used mostly for football games and is considered the home stadium of both Al-Merreikh and the Sudan national team. Currently, the stadium has a capacity of 42,000 seats.



Photo: Al Hilal Stadium, Omdurman, City of Khartoum, Sudan.  (Note, Khartoum is the capital of Sudan and the seat of government.  The city of Khartoum is composed of three areas:  Khartoum proper, North Khartoum, primarily an industrial area;  and Omdurman, once the capital of the Mahdist government.)



Photo: Port Sudan Stadium, Port Sudan, Eastern Sudan.

The Council of East and Central Africa Football Association's Club Cup (CECAFA Club Cup) is a football club competition. It has been known as the Kagame Inter-Club Cup since 2002 due to sponsorship reasons as Rwandan President Paul Kagame has bankrolled the tournaments. It is played by clubs from East and Central Africa.

From Confederation of African Football:

The Council of East and Central Africa Football Association will stage the 2009 Kagame club in Sudan starting June 30. The annual championship has attracted 12 clubs from the region with TP Mazembe of DRC as guests.

The tournament sponsored by El Merreikh group and President of Rwanda HE Paul Kagame to the tune of US 600,000 promises to be a thrilling affair with El Merreikh club of Sudan promising to be the club to watch in the two week festival.

From Sudan Radio Service, 01 July 2009:

(Khartoum) – Amidst fireworks, cheering and tight security, the CECAFA 2009 club football championship was officially opened on Tuesday night in El-Merikh football stadium.

The first match, between Mathare United of Kenya and Kartileh from Djibouti, began before the ceremony. Mathare United beat Kartileh three nil.

Soon after the match and the colorful ceremony, El-Merrikh played and beat Atraco of Rwanda by six goals to one, giving the hosts a big push and sending the whole stadium into wild jubilation after a match that ended a few minutes before midnight. The chairman of the club, Dr. Omar Mahmoud Khalid, could not hide his joy following the match.

[Dr. Omar Mahmoud Khalid]:“This is a very exciting match, especially towards the end of the first half, when they scored four goals with beauty and style. We are happy with this performance, especially when El-Merikh has been absent for a long time. This affected their performance in the first half - but they picked up later.”

On Wednesday, Tanzania’s Prisons FC will battle it out with Benadir of Somalia while TP Mazembe of DR Congo will face Kampala City Club from Uganda.

El-Merikh now go on to play Kartileh of Djibouti and Mathare United will take on Atraco of Rwanda on Thursday evening in Omdurman.

In Port Sudan, InterStars of Burundi will play Miembieni of Zanzibar and Hay El-Arab will take on the Kenyans, Tusker FC.

From AFP - Sudan to host two CECAFA championships - 25 May 2009 (via footballcupleague.com):

(NAIROBI) - Sudan will host two CECAFA championships in July and August in a bid to solidify their rather shaky peace treaty between the North and the South, a top official said on Monday.

The club championships, originally scheduled for Uganda, will be held in Khartoum and Port Sudan between June 30 and July 12 and the youth under-17 contest in Juba a month later.

It will be the first major sporting event to be staged in the southern part of the country since the signing of the treaty in January 2005 which brought an end to their 20-year old civil war.

“The government of Sudan is committed to the promotion and willing to invest heavily in sports throughout the whole country,” CECAFA general secretary Nicholas Musonye told AFP.

“They have accepted to finance the staging of the two events to the tune of one million dollars (78 million shillings). It is a big boost for the sport.”

“We have, in turn increased the prize money from 60,000 dollars to 100,000 dollars (7.8 million shillings) of which the winners will pocket 50,000 dollars (4 million shillings),” said Musonye.

Sudan is enjoying a footballing reconnaissance with their two top club sides, Al Hilal and Al-Merreikh, reaching the group stages of the African Champions League and the national team in the hunt to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

UPDATE - Friday 03 July 2009:  click here for CECAFA 2009 Results

UPDATE - Sunday 05 July 2009: CECAFA 2009 results: Sudan’s El-Merikkh wins all three matches to quarter finals

Click on tag label CECAFA (here below) to see latest footballing news reports here at Sudan Watch.