Mayardit FM radio station launched on 13 March 2010 in Turalei, Sudan

Internews Sudan launched its fifth community radio station, Mayardit FM, at a ceremony March 13 in Turalei, Sudan.

Internews' project, "Radio for Peace, Democracy and Development in South Sudan," began in 2006 and is funded by the US Agency for International Development.

A Village in Sudan Gets its Own Radio Station
Source: Internews Network Inc.
Date: 02 Apr 2010

(April 2, 2010) Internews Sudan launched its fifth community radio station at a ceremony March 13 in Turalei, Sudan.

"The goal of the radio station is to inform all of the people that can listen to it about issues that are vitally important to them: about issues of health [and] education, issues of civic engagement around the [Comprehensive Peace Agreement], voting, all of these kinds of things," said Gordon Mangum, the Internews Sudan country director.

Mangum spoke at the launching ceremony along with the Warrap State governor, the Turalei commissioner, the state minister of information, a Mercy Corps representative, and a local pastor. About 200 local residents also visited the radio station compound for the launch.

Mayardit FM is staffed by five local Sudanese journalists. One of the journalists, David Deng Bol, manages the station as radio station coordinator.

The reporter team collectively produces five hours of original programming each week on topics like agriculture, HIV/AIDS, youth, government, and sports. They also produce a daily news bulletin about local events in their community.

"Communication [is] very, very rare [in Sudan]. No televisions. No newspaper. No nothing," said John Thuc Madut, one of the station's reporters. "This radio now is a new radio and also we can broadcast through our language. And we can first give information to the community."

The station broadcasts in Dinka, Arabic and English, the three languages most commonly used in the community. Mangum stressed that the station belongs to the local residents.

"The radio station belongs to everyone in these areas, regardless of their tribe or their political party or their religion or any other way that we talk about ourselves. It belongs to all of us together," he said. "Now more than ever, people really need civic education."

In 2005 after nearly four decades of civil war between the north and south, a peace accord was signed with the promise of elections in April 2010 and an independence referendum for the south in January 2011. The elections will be the first in Sudan in 24 years.

Turalei resident Peter Qwash Malek, who attended the radio station launch, said the broadcasting center will serve a critical role during the polling.

"It will be so important for us to have it because when the election will take place," he said. "It will need people also to get some new words or some words from outside from those people who are in far places, because, by that time, everybody will be out voting. And when there will be some questions or some difficulties that can face them outside, [they] can be simply reported to the radio station."

Planning for the radio station started nearly a year ago. The reporters received about four months of training from Internews Sudan's resident journalism advisor Sammy Muraya, an award-winning Kenyan journalist. Among other things, he taught the journalists how to produce news and produce programs.

Mayardit FM reporter Christine Akuol produces two half-hour shows each week, one on agriculture and another on women's issues. She said she most enjoys her women's program.

"We here in Dinka culture, the women, they don't have a right voice," she said. "I like so that I can educate women, to bring them, and I can empower our community so that they know the rights of the girl or they know how the best girl should be educated. "

"There are some people who say that whenever you educate a woman, that means you educate a nation. So we can really to bring up our people," she said.

Akuol said people in her community are happy because they know the radio station will give them a voice.

"As soon as we have the radio, everything will be easy. We will stop any problems between communities. We will bring them up right now. They will grow as a people," she continued.

Mangum said he hopes that in addition to the Mayardit FM reporters passing on information to the community, the local community stays involved with the station.

"We've had such a warm welcome here," Mangum said in his speech at the launching ceremony. "We already feel part of the community and we look forward to being part of your community for a long time in the future."

Internews' project, "Radio for Peace, Democracy and Development in South Sudan," began in 2006 and is funded by the US Agency for International Development.

SUDAN: Saving animals to save lives - Radio programmes advise farmers on what to do if their animals are sick

SUDAN: Saving animals to save lives
MALAKAL, Southern Sudan, Monday, 05 April 2010 (IRIN):

Photo: Indian peacekeepers help treat a cow at a mobile vet clinic at Mayom, Unity state (Peter Martell/IRIN)

As a region still recovering from years of brutal civil war and battling inter-ethnic clashes and food insecurity, Southern Sudan would appear to have bigger worries than animal welfare.

But when so many people rely on animals for their survival, improving their health and tackling rising death rates is of critical importance, veterinarians say.

“People’s lives depend on animals but the services for them are very few,” said Sukhir Singh, a vet, who runs a basic but busy animal clinic in the dusty Southern Sudanese town of Malakal, capital of the underdeveloped but oil-rich Upper Nile state.

“Most cannot afford even the drugs that are available,” added Singh, a lieutenant colonel in the Indian army, which runs the animal unit as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) operations.

Long lines of cows and donkeys arrive each day for free treatment. Their owners are in no doubt about the benefits of this service.

“I have two donkeys but this one is sick,” said Yahir Adam Hassan, who delivers river water in converted oil drum carts pulled by the donkeys. “I don’t have enough money to pay for treatment, so without help, I would lose my livelihood.”

Sudanese students help the Indian vets, who provide training for students and community animal health workers, who then take their skills to more remote areas.

Most patients are working animals – cows, donkeys, horses, as well as sheep and goats – but one young boy carries in his thin puppy for treatment too. A goat with a broken leg has its limb cast in plaster, while the dog gets an injection to kill internal parasites.

The clinic has treated more than 55,000 animals since 2006, with a second opening this February in Bor, the state capital of Jonglei, Singh said.

Wealth and death

Cows represent wealth and status for many people in Southern Sudan and are the source of regular raids and revenge attacks.



Photo: Sudanese students putting a cast on a sheep's broken leg in Malakal More than 450 people have been killed in inter-communal clashes in the South this year, after 2,500 were killed in 2009, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Southern Sudan. (Peter Martell/IRIN)

Poor or badly timed rains, combined with insecurity, have also affected animal health, with organizations now boosting efforts to vaccinate cattle in an attempt to cut rising rates of infection.

“People primarily depend on livestock for their income, and the death rate among animals has been rising steadily,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a 16 March statement.

“Drugs to treat sick animals are either prohibitively expensive or unavailable in the local markets,” the ICRC added, warning that many animals had not been vaccinated since 2006.

“In order to alleviate the hardship of both resident and displaced communities it has now become crucial to improve the health of their animals.”

It is working alongside Veterinarians without Borders to vaccinate 50,000 cattle before rains close roads to many areas. More than 30,000 have already been vaccinated, including in the remote and swampy Pibor county area of Jonglei state. The campaign is targeting four major cattle diseases, including pneumonia.

“The animals – mainly cows – are not only a source of food and milk but are also used for trading,” the ICRC said. “The loss of wealth makes it increasingly difficult for pastoralists to meet their families' needs.”

The few centres such as Malakal’s clinic are therefore highly valued.

When heavy fighting broke out in February 2009 between Northern and Southern soldiers in the town, nearby university buildings were badly damaged by tank and mortar shells, but the clinic was spared.

“People did not want to destroy this [the clinic],” said John Malak, who had brought his cow to be treated. “They said, ‘This is something that is for everybody’.”

Many travel long distances to reach it.



Photo: Waiting for a vet in Malakal, capital of Upper Nile state “I live across the other side of the river, so I had to bring my cow across by boat,” said Peter Augustine, a cattle herder. (Peter Martell/IRIN)

Mobile clinics

The team also runs mobile clinics in more remote areas, treating more than 8,000 animals over the past year.

Outside Mayom in Unity state, the vets erect a tent, and Indian soldiers and cattlekeeping boys work together to put cows into a restraining pen for the vet to examine.

“Many have problems with worms, ticks and other parasites,” said Singh, injecting a cow to kill internal worms, one of more than 280 cows, sheep and goats treated in the two-day camp.

“It takes a little while for the message to get out that we are here,” said Singh. “But once the first animals have been treated, the news travels very quickly and many more come.”

The centre also provides training for community animal health workers, who can provide basic advice to improve livestock health across wide areas.

Radio programmes also advise to farmers on how to prevent diseases – and what to do if they think their animals are sick.

Reminder: Millions of homeless people in forgotten cities

While Sudanese rebels refuse to face elections, click here for a reminder of millions of homeless people and children living in forgotten cities.



Quote of the Year

"Thatched huts are upgraded into slums. Camp dwellers start exchanging belongings amongst themselves. Barter develops into markets. People try to make a living through prostitution and crime. Idleness fosters addiction to alcohol and drugs. Combatants come to hide themselves for a while within the camp and recruit youngsters for their militias. People in the camps start organizing themselves. The camps develop into cities, with an economy, a power structure and increasing violence.

Camps are cities in suspense. They suffer from shortages of water and sanitation, shaky food deliveries, oscillating relief assistance, despotic rulers, lawlessness and insecurity, both around the camp and inside."

-Professor Jan Pronk, October 2009

Easter Day service at Episcopal church of Sudan, Khartoum

Photo: A Sudanese boy looks on during an Easter Day service at the Episcopal church of Sudan in Khartoum April 4, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin)



Photo: A Sudanese priest attends an Easter Day service at the Episcopal church of Sudan in Khartoum April 4, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin)



Photo: Bishops take part in an Easter Day service at the Episcopal church of Sudan in Khartoum April 4, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin)



Photo: Easter Day service at the Episcopal church of Sudan in Khartoum April 4, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin)

Ghana's Kufuor leads a 51-member AU team to monitor Sudan’s elections

Ghana's former President John Agyekum Kufuor is expected to leave Accra Saturday evening (April 03) for Khartoum, Sudan, as the head of a 51-member high-powered delegation of the African Union (AU), to observe and monitor general elections in that country scheduled for 11th – 13th April 2010.

The African Union (AU) mission will join other electoral monitoring and observer teams from the United States, the European Union and China.



Photo: Ghana's former President John Agyekum Kufuor

Kufuor leads AU team to monitor Sudan’s elections
Report by Myjoyonline.com, Saturday, 3 April 2010, 10:10 GMT:

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor is expected to leave Accra Saturday evening for Khartoum, Sudan, as the head of a 51-member high-powered delegation of the African Union (AU), to observe and monitor general elections in that country scheduled for 11th – 13th April 2010.

A statement signed by Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson of former President Kufuor, said Mr Kufuor is leading the delegation at the invitation of the AU.

The delegation is made up of representatives of the Pan–African Parliament including Edward Doe Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament. It is also made up of Electoral Management Bodies from across the continent, Civil Society Organizations and African Human Rights Organizations.

The AU mission will join other electoral monitoring and observer teams from the United States, the European Union and China.

The elections to choose a President and Members of the Sudan National Assembly, brings to an end the transitional period which began when the decades-long Second Sudanese Civil War ended in 2005.

The AU team is to make an independent and impartial observation of the electoral process in line with the Union’s guidelines on election observation.

They will among others determine whether conditions existed for voters to freely express their will and evaluate the level of fair and equitable access to the media by the contending political parties.

From Khartoum, President Kufuor will go to San Francisco, in the US, as Chair of the Governing Council of Interpeace, the global peace organization, to attend the Ninth Annual Global Philanthropic Forum.

The Forum brings together about 500 leading philanthropic organizations from the across the world engaged in international development and humanitarian causes.

It aims to build a community of donors and social investors committed to international causes and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their giving and social investment.

During the meeting, former President Kufuor will have a live television conversation to be beamed across the world with Mrs Loiuse Arbour, Country Representative of the International Crises Group and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Former President Kufuor is expected back by the end April, 2010.

US envoy Gration says Sudan vote would be as "free and as fair as possible"

US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration said on Saturday [April 03] he was confident Sudan's first general elections since 1986 would be as "free and fair as possible" and would start on time on April 11.

"They (electoral commission members) have given me confidence that the elections will start on time and they would be as free and as fair as possible," said Gration.

"These people have gone to great lengths to ensure that the people of Sudan will have access to polling places and that the procedures and processes will ensure transparency," he said.

On Wednesday, Yasser Arman, the presidential candidate for the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement, withdrew from race after Beshir ruled out delaying the vote.

"I took the decision to withdraw for two reasons. Firstly, after having campaigned in Darfur, I realised that it was impossible to hold elections there due to the current state of emergency," he told AFP.

"Secondly, there are irregularities in the electoral process which is rigged."

Arman said, however, that the SPLM will field candidates in regional and legislative elections "across Sudan, except for Darfur."

Full story by Guillaume Lavallee (AFP) Khartoum, ‎Saturday, 03 April 2010:
Sudan vote free and as fair as possible: US envoy



Photo: U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, smiles as he leaves after his meeting with vice secretary general of the national elections commission Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah in Khartoum, April 3, 2010. One of Sudan's largest opposition parties said on Friday it would boycott presidential, legislative and gubernatorial polls if government did not meet demands, including a four-week postponement, within four days. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



Photo: Vice secretary general of the national elections commission Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah talks to reporters after his meeting with U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, in Khartoum, April 3, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra).



Photo: U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, talks to reporters after his meeting with vice secretary general of the national elections commission Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah in Khartoum, April 3, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)

Related reports

'No delay' for Sudan's national elections
BBC News - Saturday, 3 April 2010 13:01 UK

Sudan Says Election to Start on Time Despite Protest
New York Times - By Opheera McDoom (Reuters) KHARTOUM - Saturday, 3 April 2010

TEXT: US, UK, Norway joint statement on Sudan elections

The United States, Britain and Norway called on Wednesday for peaceful and credible elections in Sudan next month, voicing concern at restrictions on political freedoms there.

The three countries, guarantors of a 2005 peace accord that ended Sudan's two-decade civil war, said the elections, starting on April 11, were a major milestone in implementing the agreement.

"We urge all parties in Sudan to work urgently to ensure that elections can proceed peacefully and credibly in April," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Stoere said in a statement issued by Britain's Foreign Office.

Full story: Reuters (LONDON) 31 March 2010 - U.S., UK, Norway call for credible Sudan elections
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Joint Statement on the Upcoming Sudan National Elections
Source: U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 31, 2010

Following is the text of a joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Støre, and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Miliband on the upcoming national elections in Sudan.

Begin Text:

National elections in Sudan in April will represent a major milestone in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended Sudan's twenty-two year civil war, and are an important opportunity for the people of Sudan to participate in the political process.

We urge all parties in Sudan to work urgently to ensure that elections can proceed peacefully and credibly in April. We are deeply concerned by reports of continued administrative and logistical challenges, as well as restrictions on political freedoms. We call on the Government of Sudan, the National Elections Commission, and all political parties to engage in further dialogue to resolve practical obstacles, procedural impediments, and address allegations of intimidation, harassment, and safety concerns, and other legitimate concerns raised by various political parties. We continue to urge the parties to improve conditions on the ground in Darfur and create a secure environment conducive to Darfuri participation.

Irrespective of the outcome of elections, it is essential that work continues and is accelerated to meet remaining CPA deadlines. Progress is needed urgently to complete border demarcation, to establish the commissions that will supervise the referenda for the South and Abyei, to conduct popular consultations in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, and to negotiate sustainable post-CPA arrangements in areas such as wealth-sharing, citizenship and assets, and liabilities.

We reiterate our commitment to ensure that the referenda must happen on schedule and that their outcomes need to be respected. It is time to redouble efforts to achieve these ends. We urge all parties in Sudan and all regional and international partners to work together to achieve the peaceful future that the people of Sudan deserve.

PRN: 2010/37

Sudanese govt has given Darfur rebels until 5 April to sign final peace agreement

US Envoy Holds Crisis Meetings in Khartoum to Keep Elections on Schedule
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 02 April 2010:

2 April 2010 (Khartoum) - The US Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, has held a second day of emergency meetings in Khartoum with officials from the NCP, the SPLM and other major political parties.

The meetings are an attempt to prevent the collapse of the elections after a coalition of opposition parties announced they are to boycott the polls.

Most of the major parties have withdrawn from the presidential elections and some groups have also pulled out of the parliamentary and municipal polls.

Several key parties in the north are also considering a total boycott.

Addressing a press conference after his meeting with Gration in Khartoum on Thursday, the advisor to the president, Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din, said that the US administration is eager to see the elections proceed as scheduled.

[Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din]:“The US administration emphasized their position about conducting the elections on schedule because it is one of the provisions in the CPA. Gration is here in Sudan to examine the situation and to listen to different views to ensure that the election is conducted on time, and how they can solve some of the issues raised by the opposition parties’ threat to boycott. That’s why Gration is in communication with various groups, to evaluate the situation and to help if necessary.”

Ghazi, who is also a member of the government delegation to the Darfur peace negotiations in Doha, reiterated his government’s commitment to finding a lasting peace in Darfur.

[Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din]: “The government is committed to the peace process but of course after the elections there will be a new government and new polices. If we reach the final peace agreement before the elections, that will be a great achievement but if we don’t then we will leave it to the new government to see how they deal with the situation.”

The government has given the Darfur anti-government groups until 5 April to sign the final peace agreement.

- - -

Umma party says if its terms are not met by Tuesday 6 April it will boycott presidential, parliamentary and state polls

Sudan:- Umma opposition party gives Bashir ultimatum
From BBC News online, Friday, 02 April 2010 - extract:

Photo: If Sadiq al-Mahdi's party boycotts the polls, the vote will be discredited

A key northern opposition party in Sudan has issued an ultimatum to President Omar al-Bashir to ensure free and fair elections this month. Ex-Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi's Umma party says if its terms are not met by Tuesday it will boycott presidential, parliamentary and state polls. Its eight conditions include a delay of four weeks for a new body to supervise the election commission to be set up.

The Umma ultimatum came after Mr Mahdi had met with the US special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration.

- - -

News from SRS on 02-Apr-2010

• Darfur Residents Comment SPLM Decision to Withdraw Presidential Candidate
• DUP Leader Calls for Unity
• Raiders Kill Cattle Keeper and Steal 800 Cows
• Sudan Sports Latest
  
  

UNMIS: Sudan 2010 Elections special in English and Arabic

From the UN Mission in southern Sudan (UNMIS)
- via APO (Khartoum) Friday, 02 April 2010:

UNMIS website news

Elections special

Read elections related news and download useful material and documents about Sudan 2010 elections

http://unmis.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4295 (English)

http://unmis.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4308 (العربية)

Click here for more details and a list of news stories.

Inaccurate BBC report on Sudan elections (Alex de Waal)

Quote of the Day

"A general rule for the current situation is that those who know most, speak least, and those who are appearing most frequently in the media, usually know less.

Finding the truth is always hard in the Sudanese political scene. At the moment it is simply impossible." - Alex de Waal, 02 April 2010

Source: ssrc.org blog Making Sense of Sudan
On Confusion
By Alex de Waal
Friday, 02 April 2009:

A senior member of a Sudanese opposition party, was present at the meeting of the leaders of the Juba Alliance in which the issue of boycotting the elections was discussed at length. From the meeting he knew precisely where each of the parties stood: which were for contesting the elections, which were for comprehensive boycott, and which were for partial boycott or were undecided. In the circumstances, his information was as precise, accurate, and up to date as any.

On leaving the meeting he saw the BBC news which was reporting a comprehensive boycott. This threw him into confusion. Assuming that the BBC had better information than he did, he also reported the BBC’s report as fact. The BBC report was actually inaccurate.

The last 72 hours have been characterized by confusion, conflicting information and shifting positions. It has not been helped by the fact that some political leaders express different opinions to different audiences, changing their language and emphasis, sometimes by the hour. Few of the political parties have sufficient internal discipline for all their spokesmen to give the same message, so that depending on who is speaking, a different story emerges. There is a vast amount of rumour and inference.

A general rule for the current situation is that those who know most, speak least, and those who are appearing most frequently in the media, usually know less.

In these circumstances, news reports and the publications by international groups often carry unwarranted weight. The position of the U.S. has been very clear: it wants the election to proceed. But some political leaders, particularly at the second level, take reports of non-governmental organizations which are taking a principled stand against the elections, as indicative of what the international community will do.

Finding the truth is always hard in the Sudanese political scene. At the moment it is simply impossible. [End of copy]

Further reading

The BBC report mentioned above has been updated today, Friday, 02 April 2010. Here is a partial copy of the original report published on Thursday, 01 April 2010 (hat tip: http://anthonythomas.posterous.com)

BBC News: Sudan opposition parties join SPLM election boycott

Thursday, 01 April 2010
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8599567.stm
Sudan opposition parties join SPLM election boycott
Nearly all opposition parties in Sudan have joined the southern SPLM in boycotting this month's presidential poll over fraud and security fears.

It is a major blow to the credibility of the 11-13 April election - the first national multi-party poll for 24 years, the BBC's James Copnall says.

The announcement comes after crisis talks hosted by US envoy Scott Gration.

President Omar al-Bashir, wanted for alleged war crimes in Darfur, now faces only one major challenger.

Veteran Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi confirmed that candidates from his Popular Congress Party would contest the poll.

But the Umma party of former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, the Democratic Unionist Party and the Communist party have all said they will no longer participate.

The opposition parties and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) - which serves in a coalition at national level with President Omar al-Bashir - all believe the electoral process has been rigged in favour of his National Congress Party.

They say the registration process has been flawed, and their access to state media and rights to hold rallies restricted.

Click here to continue reading. [End of copy]

Sudan opposition parties join SPLM election boycott‎
APA - Apr 01, 2010
Nearly all Sudanese opposition parties have joined the southern SPLM in ... The BBC’s James Copnall in Khartoum says the boycott is a major blow to the credibility of the election - the first national multi-party poll for 24 years. The announcement comes after crisis talks hosted by US envoy Scott Gration ...

Sudan: Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urges journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections
Sudan Watch - Feb 16, 2010
“It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful." - James Ray Kennedy, Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, 11 Feb 2010

AFP misquoted UN chief Ban Ki Moon - How a translation error led to an international incident
Sudan Watch - Feb 06, 2010

Reuters Handbook of Journalism - The 10 Absolutes of Reuters Journalism
Sudan Watch - Jul 10, 2009:

The 10 Absolutes of Reuters Journalism
Always hold accuracy sacrosanct
Always correct an error openly
Always strive for balance and freedom from bias
Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager
Always respect privileged information
Always protect their sources from the authorities
Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story
Never fabricate or plagiarise
Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement
Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe

Sudan: Statement by EU HR Baroness Ashton - EU fully supports AU Panel for Darfur Chairman Mbeki

Sudan: Statement by EU HR Ashton following meeting
From the website of EU at the UN, published 23 March 2010:

Summary: 23 March 2010, Brussels - The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton met today with President Thabo Mbeki in his capacity as the Chairman of the African Union's High Level Panel on Sudan. President Boyoya was also present at the meeting. HR Ashton made the following statement after the meeting:

"The EU fully supports President Mbeki in his important efforts to facilitate and mediate in a difficult and challenging situation in Sudan.

The international community has to work closely together now, with strong African leadership, in order to see this difficult process through.

The first priority is credible and peaceful elections in April. Following the elections, all parties have to fully respect the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, addressing rapidly the remaining outstanding issues and abstaining from any unilateral actions. North and South should start coming together on key issues related to the referendum in January 2011 when the South Sudanese decide their future.

Conflict and poverty are not inevitable - working together we can help the Sudanese people to make a difference for peace, justice and reconciliation."

Ref: EU10-028EN
EU source: European Union
UN forum:
Date: 23/3/2010

Click here to view profile of British Labour peer Baroness Ashton, who has been selected as the EU's new high representative for foreign affairs. See also:

• Sudan: EU to observe the April general elections (11/3/2010)
• Sudan: EU High Representative's Declaration on 5th anniversary of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (11/1/2010)
• EU Council conclusions on Sudan (15/9/2009)

Investigate and publicise abuses that have been committed by Darfur rebels in Sudan

Quote of the Year

“I think we have to do two things, one; make very clear to these Darfur rebel leaders who are refusing to talk peace and unity - and that includes Khalil Ibrahim and Abdulwahid - that they will lose if they don’t agree. Abdulwahid is sitting in the palace; maybe he shouldn’t be allowed to stay there any more, waging a propaganda war against the peace process and unity. Maybe Khalil Ibrahim should not be treated so much as the man we talk to. If I was mediating the peace talks, I would name and shame those leaders. I would investigate and publicize abuses that have been committed by these rebel movements. There are many big abuses committed by rebel groups but they never get publicity. I would ask the people of Darfur who they would want to lead them by empowering the very civil society that both Khalil Ibrahim and Abdulwahid at the moment reject.” - Julie Flint in an interview with SRS (Sudan Radio Service) Nairobi, 02 February 2010.

Full story: SRS, 02 February 2010 - More Reality And Less Rhetoric In Darfur Urges Flint

Note that in the interview, Julie Flint called on the international community to put pressure on the Darfur rebels and to withdraw the privileges which are bestowed upon some movements. Right on Julie! Keep up the great work, you deserve a medal for your courageous reporting.

SPLM says Arman would not stand against Sudan's President Bashir

Report from SRS (Sudan Radio Service) Thursday, 01 April 2010 (Nairobi):

Yasir Arman, the SPLM’s nominee in Sudan’s presidential elections, has withdrawn his candidacy.

In an announcement on Thursday evening, the SPLM said that Arman would not stand against President Omar al-Bashir.

The SPLM are citing irregularities in the elections process, a failure to resolve the Darfur conflict and what opposition parties describe as NCP attempts to rig the elections, scheduled for 11-13 April, as their reasons for withdrawing. Seventeen opposition parties are expected to announce later on Thursday whether they will boycott the elections.

The SPLM position on whether they will participate in the poll or call for a postponement remains unclear, despite a meeting on Wednesday in Khartoum between senior SPLM and NCP officials to discuss the issue.

President al-Bashir, speaking on Tuesday, threatened that any delay in the elections would result in the postponement of the referendum to determine the future of southern Sudan. The referendum is scheduled for January 2011.

Photo: Yasir Arman

Key candidate quits Sudan polls

Southern Sudan's main candidate for national president pulls out of the race, casting doubt on the electoral process.

Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/africa/8597996.stm

Sudan opposition stunned by Arman's withdrawal
The decision to withdraw the candidacy of Yasir Arman was reached in the Southern Sudan’s capital, Juba, during the party’s Political Bureau extraordinary meeting which took place on Wednesday.

Full story:

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article34607

SPLM quits Sudan presidential poll

The decision "We decided that Yasir [Arman] should end his campaign for the presidency of the Republic," Riek Machar, the SPLM vice-chairman, said.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from the capital, Khartoum, said Arman's withdrawal is significant because he was seen as the favourite to compete with Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's president.

"Yasir Arman is a Muslim from the north but he joined the Sudan's Liberation Movement when it was fighting the government in the north," he said.

"For many years, he was a high-ranking official in the SPLM until 2005 when the peace agreement accord was struck putting the war between the north and south at hold.

Full story:

http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2010/03/2010331201718561378.html
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News from SRS (Sudan Radio Service) Wednesday 31 March 2010

• SPLM Still Undecided About Postponing Elections - The SPLM sent a four-member delegation to Khartoum comprising of Dr. Riek Machar, Pagan Amum, Yasir Arman and Deng Alor to consult with the National Congress Party about the possibility of having the presidency discuss the opposition parties’ demand that the elections should be postponed.
  
  
• JEM Refuses to Sign Darfur Peace Deal with GONU - GoNU and JEM have reached a deadlock over the terms of a Darfur peace agreement which had been scheduled to be signed on 15 March.
  However Dr. Khalil Ibrahim has threatened that JEM will overthrow the government in Khartoum if they fail to sign a peace deal. One of JEM’s main conditions in the Doha talks was the postponement of the elections scheduled for April. [Dr. Khalil Ibrahim]: "JEM was founded not for engaging in peace agreements, it was founded to change the government in Sudan, and it will continue to do so."
  
  
• ICG Report Accuses NCP of Rigging Elections
• Election Observer Presses for Elections to Go Ahead
• Sudan Printing Press Declares Its Independence and Integrity
• NEC Meets Carter Center to Discuss Report
• International Mine Awareness Day in Juba

Security situation in Darfur 31 March 2010 - UNAMID JSR meets with SLM leader Abdul Wahid Al-Nur in Paris, France

Quotes of the Day

“We have just arrived from Khartoum. We have been involved in a lot of activities pertaining to the election itself. I have just come from briefing the president of GoSS. I want to assure you that the elections are on. There has been debate lately, sometimes even misquoting the SPLM. We are committed to the elections as scheduled by the NEC. We want to assure you that the process, for which this PPC process will be very useful, is on. Let me repeat, the elections are on.” - Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Riek Machar, Juba, southern Sudan, 31 March 2010 (Source: Alex de Waal's blog, Making Sense of Sudan - Political Parties Council in Juba)

“SPLM is our strategic ally; SLM is not competing with the SPLM. The SPLM is the leading force for change in Sudan, and we need to remain allies” - SLM Chairman Abdul Wahid Al-Nur, Washington, DC, 22 July 2008 (Source: GOSS Mission-USA, copy here below).

THIS blog, Sudan Watch, refers to Abdul Wahid Mohamed Al-Nur as leader of SLM, not SLA. Click on SLM-Nur label here below to view previous reports. Sometime in the future, I hope to label all blogposts stored in the archives of Sudan Watch, Uganda Watch and Congo Watch.

Once all of the posts have been labelled, readers will be able to see, at a glance, how Cdr. Al-Nur repeats the same nonsense (see report here below) over and over, like a parrot. Who is priming and paying him and what is France and Russia's role in the battle for Darfur, I wonder.

Note that Cdr. Al-Nur directs the Darfur war from Paris and wants to become president of Sudan without facing election. Who knows if it is true that he has many supporters in Darfur? Maybe he is a coward and doesn't want to know.

Also, copied here below, for the record, is a press release from the official website of GOSS Mission-USA regarding Luka Biong Deng's meeting with Cdr. Al-Nur in Washington, D.C. on 22 July 2008, plus some related reports for future reference.

UNAMID Daily Media Brief / 2010-03-30
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, March 31, 2010/APO)

Security situation in Darfur
The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm.

UNAMID military forces conducted 102 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 101 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 166 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID JSR meets with SLA-AW leader
On 28 March, UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari met in Paris with Abdul Wahid Mohammed Al-Nour, leader of the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) faction, as a follow up to their earlier meeting on 21 March. The SLA-AW leader reiterated his commitment to peace if certain conditions on the ground were met and indicated that he would be willing to participate in the peace process anywhere, ‘even in Khartoum,’ if those conditions are met, particularly regarding the security of the people of Darfur.

The SLA leader promised not to obstruct UNAMID’s activities in Darfur and to facilitate its access and those of humanitarian organizations to areas in which his movement is present. JSR Gambari expressed hope that SLM-AW will join the peace process in the not-too-distant future. Both men agreed to remain in close contact.

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H.E. Dr. Luka Biong Deng Meets with Cdr. Abdul Wahid Al-Nur
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Press Release
Source: GOSS Mission-USA
Date: 22 July 2008
Location: Washington, DC

The Minister of Presidential Affairs of the Government of Southern Sudan and Member of the SPLM National Liberation Council, H.E. Dr. Luka Biong Deng met with the Chairman of Sudan’s Liberation Movement, Cdr. Abdul Wahid Mohamed Al-Nur


Photo: Dr. Luka Biong Deng



Photo: Abdul Wahid Al-Nur

The Minister of Presidential Affairs of the Government of Southern Sudan and Member of the SPLM National Liberation Council, H.E. Dr. Luka Biong Deng and Mr. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, the Head of the Government of Southern Sudan Mission to the United States, Member of the SPLM National Liberation Council, and the SPLM Representative to the United States met with the Chairman of Sudan’s Liberation Movement, Cdr. Abdul Wahid Mohamed Al-Nur on Saturday July 19, 2008 in the Capital of the United States. The Minister was wrapping up a week long official trip to the United States.

The two discussed a wide range of issues including: the importance of the resumption of cooperation between the SPLM and the SLM, leveraging Abdul Wahid’s popular support in Darfur towards finding a satisfactory and sustainable political resolution to the Darfur Conflict, The SPLM Roadmap for Darfur, and the challenges and opportunities of the current political crisis in the country that resulted from ICC’s approval of an Arrest Warrant for the President of the Republic of Sudan, Omer El Bashir.

According to H.E. Dr. Luka Biong Deng, the rift that now exists between the Sudan’s Liberation Movement (SLM) and The Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM) after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has been created by overt political propaganda that has depicted the SLM as an extremist force and the SPLM as a moderate one.

“SPLM is our strategic Ally; SLM is not competing with the SPLM. The SPLM is the leading force for change in Sudan, and we need to remain allies”, said Chairman Abdul Whaid Al-Nur. He stressed the need for discussions between the two movements around the SPLM Roadmap for Darfur in order to settle points of difference to begin a process of cooperation and coordination between two movements. Cdr. Al-Nur also emphasized the importance of the establishment of direct channels of communication between the respective Leadership of the SLM and SPLM.

In the spirit of comradeship and solidarity that was present throughout their hour long meeting, H.E. Dr. Luka Biong and Cdr. Abdul Wahid Al-Nur parted with the resolve to act expeditiously on issues of agreement and the commitment to discuss the SPLM Roadmap for the resolution of the Darfur Crisis. Furthermore, Cdr. Abdul Wahid committed to a meeting with the Chairman of the SPLM, General Salva Kiir Mayardit.

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Related reports



Photo: A picture taken on August 13, 2007 shows the leader of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur addressing journalists after a meeting with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade at Wade’s residence in Paris (AFP/Sudan Watch archives)

SLM Abdel Wahid al-Nur declares his aim is to become President of Sudan
Sudan Watch - Jul 25, 2006
Here is the answer to my question about Minnawi and Nur: if Minni Minnawi takes up the top position in Darfur, what becomes of his rival Abdel Wahid al-Nur? UN SGSR Jan Pronk, in his latest blog entry, reveals that this week, Abdel Wahid al-Nur declared that his aim is to become President of Sudan. Note also, Mr Pronk confirms JEM's aim is not peace but power in Khartoum ...

Darfur commanders impeach President of SLM/A Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nur
Sudan Tribune - Aug 01, 2006
July 31, 2006 (PARIS) - Military commanders of Sudan Liberation Movement known as Abdelwahid al-Nur Faction dismissed Abdelwahid al-Nur from the leadership of the movement, a press release said ...

Sudan’s SPLM unveils roadmap to counter ICC move
Sudan Tribune - ‎Aug 13, 2008
August 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) - A high ranking Sudan People’s Liberation Movement official unveiled the content of a roadmap presented by his party to the National Congress Party‎ ...

US official says Darfur's Nur forfeited peace opportunity
Sudan Tribune - ‎Mar 13, 2010‎
March 13, 2010 (DOHA) - The leader of Sudan Liberation Movement Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur has wasted a "historical" opportunity to join the peace talks and ...

Back to bloody square-one in Darfur
Daily Star - Lebanon - Julie Flint - ‎Mar 15, 2010‎
I learned about it when Abdul Wahid Mohammad al-Nur, the chairman of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), called me by satellite telephone to invite me to ...

SLM chief Abdulwahid al-Nur explains why he won't join Darfur Sudan peace talks
SRS - Sudan Radio Service - Mar 16, 2010
In an interview with SRS from Paris on Monday, Abdulwahid al-Nur said peace is not about the distribution of political influence.
Over the weekend, the US Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, told the press in Doha that al-Nur has wasted a "historic" opportunity to join the peace talks. In response, al-Nur described Gration as a colonizer who ignores the conflict in Darfur ...

UN to probe attack on peacekeepers in South Darfur
Sudan Tribune - ‎Mar 26, 2010‎
The area was the theatre of heavy fighting between the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLM/AW), and the regular army and militias ...

Darfur rebels say shot down Sudan helicopters
Reuters - Andrew Heavens, Khaled Abdelaziz - ‎Mar 28, 2010‎
The insurgents' Paris-based leader Abdel Wahed Mohamed al-Nur is refusing to negotiate with Khartoum, and dismissed a ceasefire signed last month between ...

Two key Darfur rebel groups warn against holding April vote
Sudan Tribune - ‎Mar 31, 2010‎ - extract:

March 30, 2010 (PARIS) - The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) today joined the calls for delaying the vote. "Any elections held now under these circumstances will deem them meaningless and will not achieve the desired outcome of stabilizing country and transforming it to a democratic one," Al-Nur told Sudan Tribune today. [...]

JEM, which is currently engaged in peace talks with Khartoum, echoed Al-Nur’s call saying that the "bare minimum standards" for holding them should exist stressing that the bulk of Darfuri population has not been registered in the census or the voter registration process.

"Excluding [Darfuris] from participation in shaping the future of their country through the ballot box at this critical juncture of the history of the country would weaken their sense of belonging, and works to amplify the voice of the advocates of self-determination for Darfur" according to a statement signed by JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Adam.

JEM slammed the "arrogance" of the NCP in dealing with other political powers saying it does not help building the "national consensus".

"Holding elections in April places obstacles before the peace talks process, and in particular the power sharing portion. Prioritizing the conducting of elections over achieving peace offers conclusive evidence that the NCP does give much care to peace, and unable to depart from the selfish interests of party loyalty to the supreme national interest".

JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim during meeting with Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen in Ndjamena refused to finalize a ceasefire agreement unless he reaches an agreement on the power sharing with the government. Khartoum rejects to give his group a vice-presidency and to postpone elections ...

Fifty EU Election Observers from UK deploy to S. Sudan - Darfur issue could still be resolved after the elections

Sudanese people have a wonderful way with words. A year or so ago, Sudan's president Al-Bashir warned warmongers to go lick their elbows (try licking your elbow to see what he means). Last week, Mr Bashir said he will cut off the fingers of international observers if they interfere.

The Sudanese president gave a stern warning to foreign election monitors threatening to expel them if they call for a delay of the polls scheduled for April 11th.

The warning appears directed at the US based Carter Center which last week called for a slight delay in elections because of logistical and procedural issues.

The NEC deputy chairman Ahmed Abdullah insisted the elections would take place on April 11, as planned.

But Bashir had tougher words to the US based elections watchdog. "We brought these organizations from outside to monitor the elections, but if they ask for them to be delayed, we will throw them out... any foreigner or organization that demand the delay of elections will be expelled sooner rather than later, " he said.

"We wanted them to see the free and fair elections, but if they interfere in our affairs, we will cut their fingers off, put them under our shoes, and throw them out," he added.

Heh. Best of British luck to Paul Moorcraft and all other election observers. Thinking of you, wishing you well. Click on labels at the end of this post to read more about Paul Moorcraft and European Union observers for Sudan's elections.

UK Elections Observers Deploy To Help Sudan Move Towards Democracy
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 29 March 2010:

29 March 2010 - (Khartoum) – the UK-based Centre for Foreign Policy Analysis, says it will deploy fifty election observers in south Sudan as part of the international community’s mission to observe Sudan’s general elections scheduled for April this year.

Speaking to the press in Khartoum on Saturday, the Director of the CFPA, Prof. Paul Moorcraft, emphasized that the observers are independent.

[Paul Moorcraft]: “We have fifty observers in the group. They come from a wide range of professions in the United Kingdom. We are independent; we are not aligned to government, although some of the people in the team have a military background or government background or academic background, they are here as neutral, absolutely neutral observers, independent, not tied to any government or creed or philosophy. Fifty people, many of them are lawyers, constitutional lawyers, some of them are eminent professors and some of them have been most of the time in observation recently. So we put together a very experienced varied team who speak Arabic. We tried to put together a team that will understand this country.”

Prof. Moorcraft said the CFPA wanted to help the Sudan move towards real democracy.

[Paul Moorcraft]: “In the final report which we will make, we will put our observations down and if there are some things that we think in our opinion could perhaps in terms of procedures be done better, we would make some suggestions as a way of perhaps trying to help. We are here simply to observe and this is a major operation. So we are here to look at the transition from your previous systems to a multi-party democracy. We are here to help but not to interfere. We are here to see what went right and perhaps one or two things that went wrong and we will record it as honestly and faithfully as we can. That is what we are here to do. We are here to help Sudan.”

Moorcraft described the recent statement by President Omar al-Bashir that he would expel foreign observers if they continue to call for the postponement of the elections as a “threat”.

According to him, the CFPA was invited by the National Elections Commission to assist with the observation of Sudan’s general elections in April.

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Election Observer Presses for Elections to Go Ahead
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 31 March 2010:

31 March 2010 - (Khartoum) – An international election observer says tribal conflicts in south Sudan should not serve as a pretext to postpone the elections.

Speaking to SRS in Khartoum, Paul Wesson from the UK-based Centre for Foreign Policy Analysis explains why he thinks the elections should be conducted as scheduled.

[Paul Wesson]: “I think the issue is that in the whole country you have 17 million people having an election and the election should not be delayed because of the actions of a few thousands people in one area. But if there is no election in that area, then that can be dealt with at a later stage, but the important thing is to have elections for the 17 million people — yes, the electorate is 17 million people - and the tribal conflicts are carried by a few thousand people who perhaps don’t have the national picture in their minds. It is possible that if an election doesn’t take place in one state or in one constituency it could be held separately at a later stage. The important thing is that the main election takes place.”

Wesson also suggested that the anti-government groups in Darfur should allow the elections process to go ahead as scheduled. He says that the Darfur issue could still be resolved after the elections.

- - -

Two Citizens of Rumbek Comment Election Process
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

29 March 2010 - (Rumbek) – As the general election campaigns intensify and the election nears, SRS collected views of people in Rumbek, the capital of Lakes state.

[Vox 1 - male]: “I think the elections are going to be fair and free. I am going to vote in these coming elections because it is something I have been waiting for and the person I am going to vote for is some one that will implement the will of the southerners especially after the long struggle that took 21 years to achieve.”

[Vox 2 - female]: “The elections process is good and I think I am not a politician to comment about it. I work in the hospital. I think unity could be good for us southerners. I would like southern Sudanese to stay united. Let there be no such thing as this belongs to that and this to that. My right as a citizen is to unite with others so as to have one voice in achieving our long-awaited freedom.”

Those were views of two people in Rumbek concerning the elections.

More news from SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

30-Mar-2010

• Opposition Parties Postpone Polls Participation Decision
• NEC Deputy Denies Rumours of Chairman's Resignation
• Salva Kiir Pledges A People's Government in Southern Sudan
• GONU Sets Deadline For Darfur Peace Signing in Doha
• UNMIS to Patrol Potential Flashpoints During Elections

26-Mar-2010

• Coalition of Opposition Parties to Meet on Saturday to Decide on Elections
• Gore Welcomes Kiir Reconciliation Speech to Independents
• Kiir Campaigns in Turalei
• SPLM Claims 125 Defectors from SPLM-DC Return to Party Fold
• GOSS and GONU Ignore Agriculture in South
• Sudan Sports Latest
  
  

Chad's Deby wants MINURCAT to leave

Chadian president Deby says Chad can do without MINURCAT because Chad and Sudan are setting up their own force to secure the 500-kilometer border.

Phillipe Conraud, humanitarian coordinator for West Africa for the aid group Oxfam, says the absence of MINURCAT could affect the distribution of food to people in more dangerous areas along the border with Sudan. But in some of the regions most at risk for food shortages, he says there are no MINURCAT forces to begin with.

Full story from VOA, 23 March 2010: Chad Seeks Withdrawal of UN Peacekeepers Protecting Food Distribution