British Ambassador in Khartoum Nicholas Kay is blogging the drama and scale of the change taking place in Sudan

THE British government's Foreign & Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, has started a blog about the work of the British Ambassador to Sudan. The blog is authored by Nicholas Kay CMG, Her Majesty's Ambassador to Sudan. Mr Kay (pictured below) arrived in Khartoum to take up his role as HM Ambassador to Sudan on 29 May 2010. Here is a copy of his first two blog posts followed by several related reports.



The drama and scale of the change taking place in Sudan
Source: UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office website - http://blogs.fco.gov.uk
Written by: Nicholas Kay British Ambassador to Sudan, Khartoum
Posted: Wednesday, 10 November 2010 by Nicholas Kay

When people think of Sudan, they tend to think of suffering, violence and poverty. And sadly, based on most of the recent decades, that image is not far wrong. But I hope in this blog to share with you a slightly altered image and to convey the drama and scale of the change that is taking place in Sudan.

I am a reluctant blogger. But far from a reluctant Ambassador. Professionally there is no other country I'd wish to be in than Sudan today. It is possible that Africa's largest country will divide into two over the coming months. The people of Southern Sudan will decide on that in a referendum in January. The implications for both north and south Sudan, for the region and for the work of the British Government are far-reaching.

I have decided to start writing this blog in the hope that a view from Sudan will be of interest to a wider audience in coming months. I shall try to offer some reflections from the ground as Sudan prepares for a truly historic moment, and to explain the role the UK is playing. I shall also invite my colleagues to contribute their perspectives, especially those of our team in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan.

Before going any further, I want to be quite explicit about the UK's approach to the referendum and possible secession of the south: our interest is exclusively in seeing the referendum happen to time, to standard and safely. Whatever the result, the people of north and south Sudan should be able to live in peace and growing prosperity. The whole of the UK government in Sudan is working to the same end. Our commitment to helping both north and south is firm today and will continue through and beyond the referendum.

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In the End Game?
Source: UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office website - http://blogs.fco.gov.uk
Written by: Nicholas Kay British Ambassador to Sudan, Khartoum
Posted: Monday, 15 November 2010 by Nicholas Kay

The European Film Festival in Khartoum finished at the end of last week with the screening under the stars in the British Council gardens of "End Game", which tells the story of Thabo Mbeki's role in negotiating the end of apartheid in South Africa. As we watched, only a mile away in the centre of Khartoum, ex-President Mbeki was locked in another historic negotiation - this time mediating discussions between north and south Sudan to agree what will happen if Southern Sudan votes for independence in January.

As I write, we don't know the final outcome of the talks. But the clock - or rather the moon - is ticking. President Bashir is in Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage, and Khartoum is all but closed for business until after the Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha in the coming days. Meanwhile, voter registration for the Referendum begun this morning, on which more later.

During the past week the UK has been more active than ever in striving for a "soft landing" after the referendum. Mr Mitchell, the International Development Secretary, made a four day visit during which he worked tirelessly in his meetings with Vice Presidents, Ministers, the African Union and the United Nations to promote peace and prosperity. He advocated strongly the need for proper contingency planning in the event that violence or conflict break out. He urged (with success) Sudanese leaders to reassure publicly Southern Sudanese in the north that they will be safe whatever the outcome of the referendum and he encouraged the governments north and south to behave responsibly and seize the opportunity to transform their standing in the international community. We covered many miles over the four days, visiting Darfur (a place Mr Mitchell had visited twice before - picture below) and Juba, where he opened the UK Government's new office building in the EU compound, which will provide a great platform for the growing HMG team in Southern Sudan.

As Mr Mitchell and his team led by Sandra Pepera (Head of DFID Sudan) pushed our messages at the highest levels, the Embassy was also heavily engaged in supporting Thabo Mbeki's talks at the working level. We had experts feeding into drafting on economic, security, legal and border issues. On the last, Michael Ryder (the UK Special Representative for Sudan) was closely involved, helped by Phil Hunt, an expert from the MOD's Defence Mapping Agency, who flew into Khartoum to spend valuable time with Sudanese and international experts. Phil was able to offer an objective and well-informed view on where exactly the boundary between north and south was on 1 January 1956 (it has been agreed that any future border should be the boundary as it was at independence in 1956).

Apologies for the long blog. Not every week will be as full. But I can't finish without mentioning the wonderful Service of Remembrance organised by our Defence Attaché, Lt Col Chris Luckham, at Khartoum's Commonwealth War Cemetery on 11 November (picture below). Under bright Sudanese skies, surrounded by immaculately kept graves and lawns, nearly two hundred people from more than thirty countries gathered to pay tribute to the dead of all nations and all conflicts. It was an honour to be there and a strong reminder to me of how vital it is that together we succeed in helping Sudan heal its wounds and silence forever the guns.

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Related Reports

ENDGAME (2009)



A story based on the covert discussions that brought down the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
Director: Pete Travis
Writer: Paula Milne
Stars: William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jonny Lee Miller
Source: Nicholas Kay's blog post Thursday, 15 November 2010 / www.imdb.com/title/tt1217616/
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REMEMBRANCE SERVICE AT THE COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY, KHARTOUM, SUDAN ON 11 NOVEMBER 2010



HISTORIC stuff (made me cry). Click here to view slideshow of eleven photographs, courtesy of FCO/UK in Sudan, on Flickr. Copied here below for posterity are the photographs.

Note: This blog Sudan Watch has been and will continue to be digitally archived by the British Library so will be preserved for future historians.



Wreathes. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



British Defence Attache Lt. Colonel Chris Luckham greets a representative from the Sudanese Armed Forces. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



Service of Remembrance. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



Father Joseph al Haj leads the Service of Remembrance. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



Hymn during the Service of Remembrance. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



Wreath laying. British Ambassador Nicholas Kay, a representative of the Sudanese Armed Forces and other members of the Diplomatic Corps lay wreaths on the war memorial, Khartoum. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



British Ambassador Nicholas Kay and a representative from the Sudanese Armed Forces. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



Major General Moses Bisung Obi, UNMIS Force Commander. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



UNMIS peacekeepers. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



Colonel Mike Scott, UNMIS Military Chief of Staff and Lt Colonel Umar Faroouqi laying wreathes on behalf of UNMIS peacekeepers. Photo taken at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan on Thursday, 11 November 2010.



War memorial. Wreathes upon the monument, Commonwealth War Cemetery, Khartoum, Sudan. Photo taken on Thursday, 11 November 2010.

+ + +

UK IN SUDAN



YouTube video: British Ambassador to Sudan, Nicholas Kay welcomes visitors to UK in Sudan website - http://ukinsudan.fco.gov.uk

• About Nicholas
• UK in Sudan
• UK in Sudan on Facebook
• UK in Sudan on Flickr

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RARE JOINT STATEMENT:
NORTH, SOUTH SUDAN DEFENCE CHIEFS VOW NO WAR

On Thursday, 11 November 2010, the south's minister for the SPLA (the southern army) Nhial Deng Nhial appeared at a joint news conference with Sudan's national, Khartoum-based, Minister of Defence Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein.

"We wanted to send a message to our citizens, both in the north and south, that there will be no return to war. Regardless of the amount of differences they will be resolved through political dialogue. There will be no return to war," Nhial told reporters.

Click here to read full story by Reuters at af.reuters.com - Thursday, 11 November 2010: "North, south Sudan defence chiefs vow no war".



Photo: The south's minister for the SPLA (the southern army) Nhial Deng Nhial (L) at a joint news conference with Sudan's national, Khartoum-based, Minister of Defence Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein (R) Thursday, 11 November 2010. (Source: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Thursday, 11 November 2010)



Photo: Sudan's Minister of Defence Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein (R) talks to South's minister for the SPLA (the southern army) Nhial Deng Nhial (L) after a joint news conference at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Khartoum on Thursday, 11 November 2010. North and south Sudan's defence chiefs on Thursday vowed there would be no return to war in a rare joint statement that set out to defuse tensions in the countdown to a referendum on southern secession. (Source: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Thursday, 11 November 2010)
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JEM and SLM say they cannot be threatened to join Doha Talks
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Tuesday, 16 November 2010

(Khartoum/Doha) – The UNAMID Joint Special Representative says that there will be negative consequences if the Darfur anti-government groups, the JEM and the SLM-Abdulwahid’s faction fail to participate in the Doha talks.

Professor Ibrahim Gambari addressed a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday.

[Ibrahim Gambari]: “JEM must take this opportunity very seriously. As the members of the Sudan consultative forum which took place on the 6th of November in Addis Ababa stressed there would be very negative consequences both for the people of Darfur and for JEM as a movement if it fails to take advantage of this opportunity to the peace process.”

However, the two anti-government groups responded by saying that no one will force them to participate in the Doha peace talks.

JEM head of negotiation, Ahmed Togud Lisan told SRS on Sunday from Doha that they will only join the talks once their demands are met.

[Ahmed Togud Lisan]: “We don’t care about sanctions, we don’t care about other people’s position, what we care about is the interests of our cause and the interests of our people. When our demands are met we will join the negotiations, if not we can tell the international community and anybody who cares about the issue that, we can’t be part of a comedy and be losers at the end. The whole issue will be rearranged in a manner that the National Congress Party will be able to play a light role in.”

On the other hand, the official spokesperson of the SLM-Abdulwahid’s faction, Ahmed Ibrahim Yousif said their movement will not lose at all if sanctions are imposed on them.

[Ahmed Ibrahim Yousif]: “We the Sudan Liberation Movement we won’t lose anything. I mean we don’t have assets and we don’t have anything. No weapons are given to us from outside Sudan, nothing at all. We were threatened before after Abuja, the SLM was threatened, particularly the chairman Ustaz Mohamed Nur, but sanctions are supposed to be imposed on people who are killing others, those who are carrying mass genocide in an organized manner until now.”

That was the official spokesperson for SLM-Wahid faction, Ahmed Ibrahim Yousif speaking to SRS on Sunday.

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Statement of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) / Report on negotiations on the Sudan framework agreement

Statement of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) / Report on negotiations on the Sudan framework agreement
Source: African Press Organization (APO) - www.apo-opa.org
Author: African Union Commission (AUC)
Date written: Monday, 15 November 2010. Copy in full:

On the 7th of November, the African Union High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP) convened a meeting of the Sudanese parties, the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Khartoum. The Parties met to negotiate a Framework Document within which they would address and resolve various outstanding matters relating to the implementation of the CPA and conduct further detailed discussion of the Post Referendum Arrangements.

The outstanding CPA issues include the resolution of the Abyei question, the North-South border, Popular Consultations in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan States, and security arrangements between the North and the South. The Post Referendum issues include citizenship, oil, water resources, assets and liabilities, currency and economic cooperation. The negotiations concluded successfully on November 13 with an agreement on a “Framework for Resolving Outstanding Issues Relating to the Implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Future Relations of North and South Sudan”.

General Principles

The Parties recognised that the people of southern and northern Sudan have close ties of history, culture, geography and economy, as well as personal relations, which cannot be severed whatever the outcome of the South Sudan referendum. For this reason, they have committed themselves to find peaceful solutions to all outstanding matters, determined never to resort to war again. In the case of separation as a consequence of the South Sudan referendum, they undertook to construct two viable states which would cooperate for the mutual benefit and live in peace and harmony with each other.

CPA obligations

The Parties committed themselves to work for the successful conduct of the Southern Sudan referendum and pledged to respect its outcome. They agreed that negotiations on the future of Abyei will continue at the level of the political principals, President Omar Hassan al- Bashir, and First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit, with the participation of the AUHIP. The principals are determined to conclude their negotiations expeditiously. The Parties will help to ensure that the Popular Consultations in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states enable the views and aspirations of the people of the two states to be expressed and taken into account, and pledge to respect the outcome of the consultation.

The Parties committed themselves to the immediate demarcation of the North-South border. In the event of secession, this will be the longest inter-state border in Africa, hosting in its immediate vicinity on both sides a significant proportion of Sudan’s population. This border also sees the movement of trans-boundary peoples each year in both directions. The Parties have committed themselves to maintaining a ‘softborder’, which will permit unhindered economic and social activity and interaction, which will be essential for economic prosperity and harmony between the north and the south.

They will cooperate to facilitate mutually beneficial cross-border activities. Peoples’ Linkages and Citizenship Issues The Parties agreed that decisions taken on nationality and citizenship will not adversely affect the wellbeing and rights of ordinary people.

In conformity with the provisions of the CPA, the Parties reaffirmed that no person’s Sudanese nationality or citizenship will change during the CPA Interim Period, and that during this period all Sudanese nationals or citizens shall continue to have a right to live anywhere in the country and that no obstacles shall be placed in the way of their freedom of movement, employment or their access to public services in any part of Sudan. In the event of any change in nationality and citizenship laws, the Parties agreed that the two states would ensure that the rights of the people are not adversely affected and that they can continue to reside in either country, in accordance with the law, should they wish to continue to do so and that sufficient time would be given to enable individuals to adjust their status.

Economic and Other Linkages and Arrangements for Cooperation

Guided by the understanding of the facts on the ground, the Parties adopted several principles which would inform the process of mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the event of the separation of South Sudan. In this context they agreed on the approach they would adopt to address such matters as the free movement of people, goods and services, monetary and fiscal policy, the management of oil and water resources, and the handling of assets and liabilities. The Parties recognise that each post-secession state would conduct its foreign policy mindful of the need to achieve the objective of the building of two viable states which would cooperate for mutual benefit.

Ensuring Mutual Security

Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, the Parties undertook that neither would take any action, or support any group, that would undermine the security of the other. Instead, the North and the South would continue to cooperate and share information that would enhance their capacity to deal with internal and external threats as well as trans-border crime.

Conclusion

The Panel is greatly encouraged by the determination of the Sudanese Parties to apply themselves diligently to address all the challenges ahead, at all times working to resolve all outstanding matters through peaceful negotiations.

The Panel is confident that the Parties will sustain the spirit of cooperation demonstrated during the negotiation of the Framework Agreement. Navigating the path ahead will require the dedicated leadership which Sudan’s leaders are more than capable of exercising in the best interest of the people of Sudan.

The Panel calls on Sudan’s neighbours, the rest of our Continent and the world as a whole to extend the necessary encouragement and support to the people and leadership of Sudan as they continue their efforts to find a lasting solution to the challenges they face.

[End of copy]

Sudan top priority for UN Security Council - UK takes the rotating presidency at the Security Council for November

Sudan top priority for Security Council
Source: UPI.com - www.upi.com
Date: Wednesday, 03 November 2010 at 1:25 PM

(LONDON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- London will place Sudan at the forefront of U.N. Security Council debates as it assumes the rotating presidency of the body, the foreign secretary said.

London takes the rotating presidency at the Security Council for November. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said London considered Sudan a high-priority topic during its presidency.

He said he would lead a Security Council debate on Sudan on Nov. 16, where the focus would be on the steps needed to complete a January referendum on time.

South Sudan is voting for self-determination in January as part of a comprehensive peace deal brokered in part by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2005.

Residents in the central Sudanese area of Abyei will also vote on whether they want to joint North or South Sudan.

Hague said London would "push for timely completion" of the peace deal through the January measure.

Election officials with the United Nations said more than 3,000 voter registration kits were delivered during the weekend in preparation for a registration drive.

Washington added that it believes the January measure is on schedule "but clearly, the parties need to come together, make some decisions and then take the appropriate actions to prepare not only for that referendum but also the one regarding South Sudan."

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UN Security Council's British presidency aims at Sudan peace - Summary
Source: Earthtimes.org
Written by: The German Press Agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) - www.dpa.com
Date: Tuesday, 02 November 2010 - excerpt:

The 15-nation council will hold an open debate on November 16 on the situation of Sudan, to be presided over by British Foreign Secretary William Hague. London said that Sudan is its "highest priority" as it took over the rotating presidency of the council this month.

"We will use our presidency to push for timely completion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, give support to the efforts of President (Thabo) Mbeki and the African Union," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"We will maintain the Security Council's focus on Darfur and reinforce the importance of lasting and inclusive peace settlement for the Darfuri people," it said.

The British ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, told reporters the debate will involve UN, Sudanese and other African diplomats.

"We believe it critical that the Security Council maintains very close focus on Sudan," Grant said. He led a council delegation that visited Africa's Great Lakes region last month.

"The council attaches great importance that the referenda be held in a timely and peaceful fashion, and that the outcomes are respected by all parties," Grant said.

London said it is working with donors and Sudanese parties to make "urgent progress on preparations" for the referenda and is providing 10 million British pounds (16 million dollars) to support the vote.

London is also providing 100 million pounds to support the UN mission in Sudan and the UN-African Union peacekeeping operations in Darfur.

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EU allocates €17 million for ongoing humanitarian needs ahead of upcoming referendum on South Sudan
Source: Sudan Tribune - www.sudantribune.com
Date: Monday, 01 November 2010 - excerpts:

The European Commission approved an additional package of €17 million to support the advance preparation of essential humanitarian provisions in Darfur, the South and the Transitional Areas ahead of the referendum on the self determination of Southern Sudan, expected in January 2011. This new decision brings the Commission’s support for humanitarian aid in Sudan to a total of €131 million.

Sudan is the European Commission’s largest beneficiary country for humanitarian aid. With this new allocation, the budget for 2010 is €131 million, covering operations in Darfur, South Sudan and the Transitional Areas.

For further information:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

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UN continues to providing support to Sudan ahead of referendum
Source: UN News Centre - www.un.org
Date: Monday, 01 November 2010



Photo: UN Integrated Referendum and Electoral Division (UNIRED) hands over material to support the January 2011 referendum

The United Nations stands ready to assist the upcoming referendum that will decide whether southern Sudan declares independence from Africa’s largest country, an official with the world body said today, with voter registration set to kick off in two weeks.

People in southern Sudan are set to register at referendum centres throughout the country and abroad to vote on 9 January.

“This exercise, conducted by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission [SSRC], is one of the most important steps in the lead-up to the polling,” Denis Kadima, Director of the UN Integrated Referendum and Electoral Division (UNIRED), told reporters in Khartoum today.

Over the weekend, more than 3,000 registration kits for distribution in southern Sudan and 840 kits for the north, along with registration books and cards, were handed over to the SSRC and its bureau in Juba, the southern capital.

The UN is helping to transport kits and books from Juba to the capitals of Sudan’s states to train nearly 11,000 referendum centre staff, Mr. Kadima said.

UNIRED’s technical assistance includes designing voter registration forms, developing complaint regulations and designing voter education materials, he added.

“The UN provides logistical support to deliver those items to locations throughout Sudan and in the eight countries where southerners will exercise their right to vote,” the official said, referring to Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.

For its part, the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan, known as UNMIS, will deliver these supplies by air to remote and isolated locations, while the joint UN-African Union mission in the Darfur (UNAMID) will transport registration materials from Khartoum to the war-ravaged region’s state capitals.

Security for the delivery of referendum materials will be ensured by the Southern Sudan Police Service in the south and by the Sudan Police in the north. UNMIS police have trained nearly 14,000 police officers in the south between May and October, with preparations for referendum security training in the north under way.

“Informing the Sudanese people and potential voters about the referendum process is another way in which UNIRED is helping to create the conditions for a free, fair and transparent process,” Mr. Kadima said today.

The SSRC voter education materials – including posters, stickers, banners, caps and bags – are being procured with the support from the UN Development Basket Fund, while donors are supporting civil society organizations in carrying out awareness programmes.

“Within its capacity, UNMIS will continue to do its most to ensure that the referendum is held on time and peacefully,” Mr. Kadima said, adding that the upcoming voter registration is one of the most “important milestones” in the referendum process.

On 9 January the inhabitants of southern Sudan will vote on whether to secede from the rest of the country, while the residents of the central area of Abyei will vote on whether to be part of the north or the south.

The referenda will be the final phase in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was signed in 2005 to end two decades of conflict between the northern-based Government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in the south.

“This peace process is unique in the history of the Sudan and the next few months will be critical for safeguarding the achievements made since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in his latest report to the Security Council on Sudan.

“As the Comprehensive Peace Agreement deadline for the referendums approaches, public anticipation and anxiety are building up at an accelerated pace. The events of the next three months will have a profound impact on the future of the Sudan.

“The stakes are undeniably high, as failure to meet the deadline for the referendums prescribed by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement could have severe consequences. Notwithstanding the progress made so far, it is imperative that the parties to the Agreement and all relevant authorities redouble their efforts to ensure that they successfully meet the deadline,” he said.

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REFERENDUM MATERIALS HANDED OVER IN KHARTOUM
ON 30 OCTOBER 2010

U.N. preps for Sudan's voter registration
Source: UPI.com - www.upi.com
Date: Tuesday, 02 November 2010 at 1:19 PM - excerpt:

Voter registration for a referendum on self-determination for South Sudan gets under way in two weeks, the United Nations announced.

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Photo: U.N. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of Sudan (SRSG) Jasbir Lider, U.S. Special Envoy Scott Gration (L), Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) Chairperson Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil (C), Senior Adviser USAID Larry Garber (2nd L), Commissioner Sabit Alley (2nd R) pose with election materials that include voter registration kits, manuals and cards of referendum materials that were handed over in Khartoum October 30, 2010 (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) Yahoo News



Photo: U.N. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of Sudan Jasbir Lider hands over election materials that include voter registration kits, manuals and cards of referendum materials to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) Chairperson Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil in Khartoum October 30, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) Yahoo News



Photo: U.N. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of Sudan (SRSG) Jasbir Lider, U.S. Special Envoy Scott Gration and Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) Chairperson Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil look at election materials that include voter registration kits, manuals and cards of referendum materials that were handed over in Khartoum October 30, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) Yahoo News

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Sudan's commitment to election welcomed
Source: UPI.com - www.upi.com
Date: Monday, 25 October 2010 at 9:01 AM - excerpts:

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, completed a three-day visit to the African country Sunday and said the government has put its commitment in writing to conduct the Jan. 9 referendum, Voice of America reported.

Fouad Hikmat, International Crisis Group's African Union and Sudan special adviser, said the assurances given to Kerry were a positive development

"I think it is very good news, and this maybe a reiteration from (Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir) what he just recently said to the Sudanese people through his speech to the national assembly that he is going to work very hard to make sure that the referendum is going to be on time, and that the government is going to respect the results of the referendum provided that it is done in a transparent, free and accurate way," Hikmat said.

During his visit, Kerry warned of tougher U.S. sanctions against Sudan if the governments of north and south Sudan hamper the referendum, VOA said.

Hikmat said Khartoum wants its relationship with the United States to improve, as well as sanctions lifted and the country's removal from the terrorist watch list. He also said Sudan would like U.S. help with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Bashir for war crimes allegedly committed in Sudan's Darfur region.

U.N. extends mandate for Darfur
Source: UPI.com - www.upi.com
Date: Friday, 15 October 2010 at 1:31 PM - excerpts:

Security Council voted to extend the mandate for the mission to Darfur as South Sudan gets set for a January vote for self-determination.

The U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, voted to extend a mandate for a monitoring group for Darfur. The group is tasked with monitoring an arms embargo and individuals who are thwarting the peace process in the troubled region of Africa.

China, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, abstained from the vote, saying it questioned the panel's objectivity.

Members of the Security Council recently returned from a tour of Sudan where they reviewed developments in Darfur and preparations under way to hold the referendum.

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Sudan's ex SLA rebel leader Minni Minnawi signed Darfur Peace Agreement security deal on Saturday, 30 Oct. 2010

Photo (from Sudan Watch archive): Rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi signs a deal with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006, after days and nights of intense talks under global pressure. The government of Sudan and the main Darfur rebel faction signed a peace agreement on Friday to end three years of fighting that has killed many thousands of people and forced 2 million to flee their homes. (Reuters/STR)
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Commissioner for Security Arrangements Arrives in Al-Fasher to Implement Arrangements with Menawi Movement
Source: SUNA - www.sunanews.net
Date: Thursday, 28 October 2010:

(Al-Fasher) - The Commissioner for the Security Arrangements, Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa Al-Dabi, has affirmed that the commission has reached at joint vision with the Sudan Liberation Movement, Mini Arko Mennawi faction, to meet in Al-Fasher in order to commence adopting the arrangements necessary for including the elements of the movement in the security arrangements, in accordance with Darfur peace agreement.

In a press statements he made upon his arrival at Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, Gen. Al-Dabi said that although four years and a half have passed since the signing of Darfur peace agreement, which stipulated implementation of the security arrangements in a two-year period, the government remained leading continuous dialogue with Menawi movement for the implementation of the security arrangements' clause for for the interest of the homeland and peace.

He said that the remaining period of the agreement does not exceed half a year, a matter that necessitates speeding up the steps to absorb the forces of the movement in the security arrangements.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Technical Department at the Commission, Maj. Abdalla Hassan Al-Amin, explained that his department was ready to implement the security arrangements for Menawi forces, adding that the meeting of Gen. Al-Dabi with the Chief of Staff at Menawi movement in Al-Fasher Thursday comes with the aim to determine and implement the security arrangements as soon as possible.
BH/MO

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Agreement on security arrangements reached to finalize Abuja peace deal
Source: SUNA - www.sunanews.net
Date: Saturday, 30 October 2010:

(Al Fashir) - Security Arrangement Commission and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)/Minnawi faction on Saturday signed document finalizing security arrangements as provided in Darfur Peace Agreement reached by Sudan Government of the Movement in May, 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Commissioner of Security Arrarngments, Gen Muhamed Ahmed Mustafa Al Dabi in the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority and Chairman of SLM Chief of Staff, Muhamedain Adam Bashr Members of Security Arrangements Commission, representatives of the Army and leader of the Movement attended the signed.

Gen Al Dabi stressed the keenness of the two sides to finalize the security arrangements, hoping that the move would lead to further stability in the region.

The Commission will begin implementing the arrangements according to the timetable set November 15th in favour of the two sides, he said.

Adam Salih Abaker, SLM Spokesman SLM has been keen on the ceasefire as stipulated by Abuja Peace Agreement and support to the security organs in the states.

The Director of Integration Maj Gen Abdallah Hassan Al Ami has said Security arrangements was the backbone of Abuja deal.
AH/MA

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Darfur peace partner seals security arrangements deal with the Sudanese government
Source: Sudan Tribune - www.sudantribune.com
Date: Sunday 31 October 2010:

October 30, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) headed by Minni Minnawi signed a security arrangements deal in North Darfur capital of El-Fasher today to more than four years after both sides signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) in Abuja.

The delay prevented Minnawi from running in last April’s general elections. He has also yet to retain his position as the senior presidential assistant which he acquired following the DPA.

Sudan official news agency (SUNA) quoted the commissioner for security arrangements at the executive transitional authority of Darfur Lieutenant General Mohamed Mustafa Al-Dabi as saying that the accord demonstrates the determination by both sides to make this the culmination of what was achieved through DPA.

He expressed hope that this would pave the way for peace and stability in Darfur and revealed that the implementation will start in mid-November in accordance with the timetable mutually agreed on between the government and the SLM-Minnawi.

Commander Adam Saleh Abakr told SUNA that they have been keen on making this agreement a reality and will work on getting it implemented as quickly as possible.

Sources in Khartoum say that Minnawi, who has recently moved to Juba, has been reluctant all these years to sign it because he wanted the government to implement a number of provisions in the DPA that he believes Khartoum has been foot-dragging on.

Minnawi persistently accused Khartoum of ignoring the terms of the DPA and has appeared unhappy over being excluded from peace talks with other major rebel groups of SLM-Nur and the Justice and Equality Movement.

SUNA did not provide details of the agreement but it includes integration of Minnawi’s forces into the army after determining their numbers and medical fitness. (ST)

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MINNI MINNAWI

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Suliman Arcua Minnawi known as "Minni" (born 1968 in Furawiyya, North Darfur) is the leader of the what once was the largest faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army until it was weakened by dissention and infighting. A former school teacher, Minnawi was the secretary of Sudan Liberation Army leader Abdul Wahid Nur, before the organization split in 2004.

Under Minnawi's leadership, his SLA faction signed a peace agreement, known as the May agreement, with the Khartoum government in May 2006. Nevertheless, fighting has continued with Minnawi's group fighting other SLA factions. In July 2006, fighting broke out around the northern Darfur town Korma, resulting in the deaths of at least 80 people. [2] Minnawi was appointed the top Sudanese official in the Darfur region, as chairman of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority, and is technically the fourth ranking member of the Presidency, as Senior Assistant to the President of the Republic but has been progessively shut out from power by his "peace partners" of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of President Omar al-Bashir. Minnawi belongs to the Ila Digen (or Awlad Digayn) clan of the non-Arab Zaghawa people.

On September 14, 2006, Minnawi broke ranks with the Sudanese government when he stated that he does not object to the new UN peacekeeping force detailed in UNSC Resolution 1706. [3]

ICC - France arrests Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana in Paris for war crimes committed in DR Congo’s Kivu province in 2009

ACTING on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), French police arrested Callixte Mbarushimana, vice-president of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), on Monday, 11 October 2010, in his Paris apartment. He stands charged of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in DRC in 2009.

The ICC alleges that Mbarushimana planned a series of crimes from his base in France with the intention of creating a humanitarian catastrophe, then extorting concessions of political power from the international community.

Almost two million people are internally displaced in eastern DRC’s Kivu provinces, in large part due to the activities of the FDLR.

Click here to read full story at Congo Watch, a sister site of Sudan Watch.



Photo: Callixte Mbarushimana, seen here in 2004 (AFP)

ICC: Darfur rebel leaders charged with war crimes and slaying of peacekeepers at Haskanita, N. Darfur, W. Sudan

ON Friday 22 October 2010, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a statement confirming that Darfur rebel group leaders Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus (Jerbo) are charged with, quote:

three war crimes (violence to life, in the form of murder, whether committed or attempted; intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, materials, units, and vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission; and pillaging) allegedly committed during an attack carried out on 29 September, 2007, against the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), a peace-keeping mission stationed at the Haskanita Military Group Site, in the locality of Umm Kadada, North Darfur. It is alleged that the attackers killed 12 and severely wounded 8 soldiers, destroyed communications facilities and other materials and appropriated property belonging to AMIS.

Confirmation of charges hearing in the case against Banda and Jerbo to start on 8 December, 2010. The hearing was initially scheduled to start on 22 November, 2010.

Full story below.



Photo: Jerbo and Banda © ICC-CPI/ Toussaint Kluiters

Darfur rebel figures will not contest charges of killing AU peacekeepers: ICC
Source: Sudaneseonline.org /Sudan Tribune
Date: Wednesday, 20 October 2010. Excerpt:

(WASHINGTON) – Two Sudanese rebel leaders who stand accused of leading a deadly attack on African Union (AU) peacekeepers more than three years ago will not contest the charges at the confirmation hearing scheduled for next month, the prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said today.

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus each face three counts of violence to life in the form of murder, war crime of attacking a peacekeeping mission and pillaging.

The two men allegedly commanded a 1,000-strong rebel force in the Sept. 29, 2007 attack, on the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) base in Haskanita in North Darfur. They looted the camp of 17 vehicles, refrigerators, computers, mobile phones, ammunition and money.

The attack killed twelve soldiers and severely injured eight others who were mainly from Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Botswana. It was the deadliest single attack on the peacekeepers since they began their mission in late 2004.

Banda was a senior military commander in Darfur’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) before he was dismissed during a bitter split among the movement’s governing elite in mid-2007. He went on to form a rival faction, the JEM Collective Leadership, with former JEM vice president Bahar Idriss Abu Garda. The latter appeared voluntarily before the ICC to answer charges relating to the same attack but the court declined to pursue those charges in February citing insufficient evidence to prove his criminal responsibility.

Jerbo on the other hand was a leading figure in the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)-Unity faction before being removed later for unknown reasons.

The two suspects surrendered voluntarily to the ICC last June, almost a year after a summons of appear was issued for them in secrecy and appeared before a judge to be formally notified of the charges. Presiding judge Sylvia Steiner from Brazil set November 22nd as the date for a hearing to confirm the charges against the two men — a requirement before the case can go to trial.

The weekly briefing issued by the prosecutor on Wednesday revealed that his office and the defense made a joint filing before the Pre-Trial Chamber informing the judges of an agreement between the parties which may allow for a shortened confirmation hearing if the judges so decide.

"The parties agreed that the facts contained in the document containing the charges, which the judges are encouraged to consider, as being proven for the purpose of the confirmation hearing.....the Defence waived its rights to challenge the prosecution evidence, present its own evidence or contest the charges during the hearing. The approach agreed by the parties will involve a limited oral presentation by the Prosecution and the Legal Representatives for Victims as may be ordered by the Chamber," said the prosecutor’s office.

The prosecution described this approach as a "novel" one for the ICC and if approved by the judges "could save judicial time and resources".

"This agreement by the parties is limited to the confirmation hearing. In the event the Pre-Trial Chamber confirms the case for trial, the Defence may at that stage contest any of the charges".

Officials at the prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the new development when contacted by Sudan Tribune. [...]



Photo: Karim Khan (L), the lawyer for Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain (C) and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus (R), both suspected of having committed war crimes in Darfur, speaks at the International Criminal Court in The Hague June 17, 2010 (Reuters/ST)

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Confirmation of charges hearing in the case against Banda and Jerbo to start on 8 December, 2010
Source: International Criminal Court (ICC) /ReliefWeb/APO
Date: Friday, 22 October 2010
ICC-CPI-20101022-PR588
Situation: Darfur, Sudan
Case: The Prosecutor v. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus

Today, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to reschedule the confirmation of charges hearing in the case of The Prosecutor v. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain (Banda) and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus (Jerbo) to Wednesday, 8 December, 2010, in light of developments that have occurred in the composition of Chambers and of the Court schedule, as well as of the number of courtrooms which are available to the Court. The hearing was initially scheduled to start on 22 November, 2010.

The confirmation hearing is held to ensure that no case goes to trial unless there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed the crime with which he or she has been charged. The suspects have the right to attend the hearing or, in their absence, be represented by counsel. Pre-Trial Chamber I decided that, should the suspects intend to waive their right to be present at the confirmation hearing, the written request to the Chamber in this regard must be submitted no later than Monday, 8 November, 2010.

Mr Banda and Mr Jerbo are charged with three war crimes (violence to life, in the form of murder, whether committed or attempted; intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, materials, units, and vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission; and pillaging) allegedly committed during an attack carried out on 29 September, 2007, against the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), a peace-keeping mission stationed at the Haskanita Military Group Site, in the locality of Umm Kadada, North Darfur. It is alleged that the attackers killed 12 and severely wounded 8 soldiers, destroyed communications facilities and other materials and appropriated property belonging to AMIS.

This case is the fourth in the situation in Darfur after the cases of The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Muhammad Harun (Ahmad Harun) and Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (Ali Kushayb), The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir and The Prosecutor v. Bahar Idriss Abu Garda.

The suspects (Harun and Kushayb, and Al Bashir) in the first two cases remain at large. Abu Garda appeared voluntarily before the ICC on 18 May, 2009. The confirmation of charges hearing took place from 19 to 29 October, 2009. On 8 February, 2010, Pre-Trial Chamber I declined to confirm the charges against him.

The situation in Darfur was referred to the International Criminal Court by United Nations Security Council resolution 1593 on 31 March, 2005, under article 13(b) of the Rome Statute.

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Associate Legal Outreach Officer, on +31 (0)70 515-9152 or at fadi.el-abdallah@icc-cpi.int

The ICC's activities can also be followed through YouTube and Twitter

Maanweg 174, 2516 AB The Hague, The Netherlands – Maanweg 174, 2516 AB La Haye, Pays-Bas
Telephone – Téléphone +31(0)70 515 85 15 / Facsimile – Télécopie +31(0)70 515 85 55
www.icc-cpi.int

Note from Sudan Watch Editor: I say, well done to the ICC for staying on the case and getting at the truth. Any attack on peacekeepers constitutes a war crime. Click on Haskanita label below to view related reports and photos in Sudan Watch archive.
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TOP ICC INVESTIGATOR DIRK FREIMANN

Top ICC investigator jets back, meets team
Source: The Standard, Kenya by Ben Agina and Cyrus Ombat
Date: Friday, 08 October 2010. Snippets:

Top International Criminal Court investigator, Dirk Freimann, a 43-year-old German, joined ICC in 2007 after serving his country’s police for 22 years and has led investigations in Georgia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

He was team leader for investigations against a rebel leader Idriss Abugarda of the United Resistance Front, who was accused of killing peacekeepers in Haskanita in Darfur, Southern Sudan, in 2007.

Abugarda was the first suspect to voluntarily appear before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 in 2009. He was, however, acquitted for lack of evidence.

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Further Reading

DARFUR CRIMES ATTORNEY ASSURES TO BRING PERPETRATORS TO JUSTICE

Report from: Radio Miraya
Date: Thursday, 28 October 2010 16:15

The General Persecutor of Darfur Crimes Justice, Adbul-Daim Zamrawi, has announced resuming investigations over all crimes committed in the region in the period between 2003 and 2010. In press statements after arrival in the town of Al-Fashir, Northern Darfur State; Zamrawi affirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Justice and achieve righteousness as it's imperative for security and stability.

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RADIO SILA IN GOZ BEIDA, EASTERN CHAD



Photo: Women in the Djabal camp in Eastern Chad listen in groups to Women's Crossroads on Radio Sila, a program produced by Internews. (Photo by United Nations)

1. Internews - Articles - Radio Sila, Radio for Darfuri Refugees ...

   4 Jun 2007 ... One of them is Radio Sila in Goz Beida, and it broadcasts in Arabic and French, the two languages spoken by Chad's literate communities. ...
   Radio Sila, Radio for Darfuri Refugees, Broadcasts in Zaghawa, Masalit Dialects...

   Fiacre Munezero, an employee at Radio Sila. said that while he was in Goz Beida, the refugees in the camp would run after the car shouting in Arabic, “Radio! Radio!” ”We did not understand what they meant because they usually ask for food, medicine, clothes, and blankets,” he said. “We later learned that they wanted to listen to Radio Sila which is broadcast in the Masalit dialect, and they are looking for transistors,” added Munezero.

   www.internews.org/.../20070604_asharqalawsat_darfur.shtm - Cached - Similar

2. In Chad, Locals Celebrate their Radio Station's Official Inauguration

   Officials at Radio Sila's inauguration. From left to right, the Sultan of ...
   Broadcasting from a container studio, Radio Sila is located in the trading city of Goz Beida, surrounded by the sprawling Djabal refugee camp and numerous IDP sites. Soon after its first broadcast, Radio Sila became the only means of mass communication and socialization for humanitarian organizations delivering aid and protection to populations fleeing the conflict in neighboring Darfur or border Chadian villages.
   www.internews.org/prs/2010/20100316_chad.shtm - Cached

Uganda says Sudan aware of Kony's presence in Darfur - US's Natsios says Turabi's loyalists seeking to undermine referendum

JOSEPH Kony, leader of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) terrorist organisation, is hiding in Sudan's Darfur region after fleeing a pursuit by the Uganda army in Central African Republic (CAR), the army said on Friday.

"Joseph Kony is no longer in Central African Republic. He crossed into Sudan a few days ago but some elements of LRA commanded by Dominic Ongwen are still in CAR," Felix Kulayigye, defence ministry spokesman told a news conference.

An International Criminal Court (ICC) indictee, Kony often escapes into Sudan whenever he's pursued in CAR because the Ugandan army lacks the mandate to operate there, the army said.

Andrew Natsios, former U.S. special envoy to Sudan, on Tuesday said that elements within the Sudanese government loyal to the Islamist opposition leader Hassan Al-Turabi are seeking to derail the January 2011 referendum in order to avert what appears to be the likely separation of the South.

Natsios [U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan in 2006-7] who just returned from a trip that took him to South Sudan said that while president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir and his 2nd Vice president Ali Osman Taha are "moderates", he pointed fingers at pro-Turabi figures within the regime who do not want the South to separate.

Full story below.

LRA's Kony now in Darfur-Ugandan army
Source: Reuters by Elias Biryabarema
Date: Friday, 29 October 2010 17:21:54 GMT

(KAMPALA) - Joseph Kony, leader of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, is hiding in Sudan's Darfur region after fleeing a pursuit by the Uganda army in Central African Republic (CAR), the army said on Friday.

The rebel group, which has waged a brutal insurgency for nearly 20 years, was ejected from northern Uganda in 2005 and has since roamed remote jungle straddling the borders of Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.

The LRA is known for chilling violence including hacking body parts off victims, the abduction of young boys to fight and young girls to be used as sex slaves.

"Joseph Kony is no longer in Central African Republic. He crossed into Sudan a few days ago but some elements of LRA commanded by Dominic Ongwen are still in CAR," Felix Kulayigye, defence ministry spokesman told a news conference.

An International Criminal Court (ICC) indictee, Kony often escapes into Sudan whenever he's pursued in CAR because the Ugandan army lacks the mandate to operate there, the army said.

"We cannot pronounce ourselves on whether Kony receives any support from the Sudanese authorities but what we can confirm is that (the Sudanese) are aware of his presence on their territory and they've not done anything to chase him," he said.

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has a forward operating base in Obo, CAR, where it has been fighting the LRA with U.S. backing since September 2009.

According to rights groups, the LRA has abducted hundreds of people in central Africa over the past 18 months and killed many of them, often by crushing their skulls with clubs.

Separately, Kulaigye said the army, the UPDF was committed to remaining neutral in Uganda's forthcoming presidential poll.

President Yoweri Museveni, a former guerrilla, has in the past been accused of using the army to intimidate the populace to vote for him and soldiers to facilitate vote rigging.

The commander of armed forces, Lt. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, was quoted earlier this year in the local media as saying the army would crush the opposition if they engaged in violence.

"The job of ensuring security in elections is for the Uganda Police and the UPDF recognises that Uganda is a multi-party democracy and respects all the political parties and their leaders. We take no sides at all," said Kulaigye. (Editing by David Clarke and Myra MacDonald)

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The Lord's Resistance Army: The Hunt for Africa's Most Wanted



Photo: Mbonih Ndele Mari was abducted by the LRA outside Niangara and left for dead by them after they cut off her lips and her ears. She is now in a hospital in Niangara. Her children are being looked after by family close by. Source: pulitzercenter.org/Joe Bavier & Marcus Bleasdale



Photo: The Chief and elders of the village of Daqua perform local rituals to exorcise the spirits from former child soldiers. The children complain of aggressive dreams and nightmares involving fantasies and killing. They want to get any help possible to stop these thoughts. The local chief and witch doctors know there is stronger medicine and help available but as no NGO work in the area to help the children they do what they can to help. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Democratic Republic of Congo, 2010.



Photo: South Sudanese children displaced by attacks by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the town of Mundri, Western Equatoria state, where some 8,000 Sudanese have gathered fleeing the guerrilla raids. Credit: Photo by Peter Martell/IRIN
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INTERVIEW: Former U.S. special envoy says Turabi’s loyalists seeking to undermine referendum
Source: Sudan Tribune online
Date: Thursday, 28 October 2010 - excerpt:

October 27, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The former U.S. special envoy to Sudan on Tuesday said that elements within the government loyal to the Islamist opposition leader Hassan Al-Turabi are seeking to derail the January 2011 referendum in order to avert what appears to be the likely separation of the South.

Andrew Natsios who just returned from a trip that took him to South Sudan said that while president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir and his 2nd Vice president Ali Osman Taha are "moderates", he pointed fingers at pro-Turabi figures within the regime who do not want the South to separate. [...]

He also warned that any move to delay the vote by more than two weeks "could bring violence" to the region. Furthermore, he said that the Obama administration should be prepared to use its air force should the North attempt to invade the South or take over the oilfields.

Click here to read full story.

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ENOUGH'S POO-STIRRING

Without Sudan, it will be impossible to successfully confront the LRA
Source: CSMonitor.com by Ledio Cakaj, Guest blogger
Date: Wednesday, 27 October 2010 - excerpt:

Sudan has not been included in meetings to discuss ways to fight back against the Lord's Resistance Army. This is a missed opportunity, says Ledio Cakaj, a guest blogger from the Enough Project. ...

ON LRA, AFRICAN UNION OVERESTIMATES MILITARY MIGHT, LEAVES OUT KEY ACTOR
Source: Enough Project.org by Ledio Cakaj
Date: Wednesday, 27 October 2010 - excerpt:

CORRECTION: Enough learned that in fact the Sudanese embassy in Bangui sent representation to the meeting but that no high-ranking officials from Khartoum attended.

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Copy of insightful comment by Ibrahim Adam posted at above:

Ledio: you're simply poo-stirring against the Sudanese government, vis-a-vis the LRA regional insecurity issue, aren't you not?
If not, care to explain this patently absurd and contradictory statement in your post below?
"simply to press for potential Sudanese support to the LRA to end."
Thought not.

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Note from Sudan Watch Editor:
Heh. Poo-stirring. Well said, Mr Adams. I enjoy reading your comments.
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Photo: Villagers who have formed a local self defense force move during a training session in the village of Bangadi in northeastern Congo February 18, 2009. In the face of attacks and massacres by Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, who have slaughtered some 900 Congolese civilians since December, villagers in Bangadi have formed a self-defense force with locally made weapons and have twice repelled LRA attacks in recent months. (Credit: Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters/CSMonitor.com/Enough Project, 27 Oct 2010)

Shame on Sudan for executing people (Update 1)

WHERE are all the religious bods and human rights do-gooders when needed? Is the man in this photo being executed for adultery or for acting in self defence? He needs legal help, urgently. Shame on the countries that execute people.



Photo caption: 'A man on death row waits for execution orders in the Bentiu prison in southern Sudan. He was having an adulterous affair with a woman whose husband eventually caught on. The husband stabbed him with a spear in the abdomen, a scar visible in this photo. He killed the man during the confrontation. Prison authorities expect that he will be executed in the coming month. Haunting to think that this is the last photo anyone will ever take of him.'

Credit: Photo and caption by Peter Muller posted to Facebook on Friday 22 October 2010. Click here to read the full story at Peter's blog. Click here to follow Peter on Twitter.

Copy of 3 comments posted at Peter's Facebook page re photo above:

By Shanjok Shan October 22:
is that the prison wall i think it can easily be penetrated ..

By Pete Muller Photography October 23:
it is the prison wall. Perhaps you're right, Shanjok, but he is shackled and quite emotionally defeated.

By Paula Muller October 23:
Boy, this is very tough. Life can really be hard. Maybe he wouldn't be defeated if he were sprung. But then you are hunted too................... Maybe not a great idea.
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Kalma camp IDP sentenced to death

A resident of Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur was sentenced to death by hanging on Sunday for allegations that he attempted to kill a supporter of the Doha peace process.

Hussein Hassan Abdel Kareem was arrested on July 22nd by a pro-Doha group in the camp who delivered him to the Sudanese security service. He was accused of being an anti-Doha activist inside the camp

The leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Abdal-Waheed faction Ibrahim Al-Hilu spoke to SRS from Paris describing the incident as injustice.

Click here for full story at SRS 26 October 2010.
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SHAME ON SUDAN FOR EXECUTING PEOPLE BUT PARDONING GENERALS

Pardoned Generals

On October 6, 2010, The President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), General Salva Kiir Mayardit, has issued an Executive Order, pardoning senior army officers who rebelled or fought against the SPLA forces before and after April’s elections. Among them were those of Major General Gatwech Chan, also known as Gabriel Tanginye, Lt. General George Athor Deng and Colonel Gatluak Gai. The presidential decree also urged those Generals to rejoin the ranks and files of the SPLA forces and move freely in the South. Kiir also said that the pardon will not come into effect unless the three officers unconditionally lay down their arms and rejoin the SPLA.

Major General Tanginye was accused by GOSS of causing military confrontations with the SPLA in 2006 and 2008, which left about three hundred people dead in the Upper Nile state’s capital of Malakal. General Athor and Colonel Gai have also rebelled and clashed with the SPLA in protest of the outcome of the gubernatorial elections in Jonglei and Unity states, respectively.

Click here for full story at oyetimes.com 14 October 2010.
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General Athor welcomes GOSS amnesty

The former SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff, the renegade General George Athor says he welcomes the GOSS Presidential amnesty directed at him and others.

On Wednesday last week, President Salva Kiir issued an executive order which grants an amnesty to four military officers - George Athor, Gabriel Tanginye, Gatluak Gai and Robert Gwang.

Click here for full story at SRS 11 October 2010.
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SPLA renegade general rejoins SPLA

The SPLA renegade General Dau Atur Jong, has rejoined the SPLA. Jong resigned from the SPLM after he lost the gubernatorial elections in Norther Bhar El-Ghazal state in April. He spoke to the press in Juba on Friday. ... Early this month, the president of GOSS Salva Kiir issued a decree pardoning the SPLA Generals who rebelled against the SPLA.

Click here for full story at SRS 25 October 2010.
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WHICH COUNTRIES EXECUTE THE MOST PEOPLE?

According to Wikipedia, a study done in 2005 found that the following countries did the most executions:

China (At least 1,770 executions)
Iran (At least 94)
Saudi Arabia (At least 86)
United States (60)
Pakistan (31)
Yemen (24)
Vietnam (21)
Jordan (11)

Barbarians. How many of those people executed were innocent, drunk, drugged, mentally ill, I wonder. Capital punishment (death penalty) is wrong, wicked, evil. Maybe that is why the only legal US source of sodium thiopental has refused to play any further part in executions. Click here to view an avalanche of shocking, barbaric, blood curdling comments at The Arizona Republic's article, 26 October 2010, "U.S. Supreme Court clears way for Arizona execution".
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UPDATE PUBLISHED ON SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER 2010:
Special courts in Darfur sentence nine individuals, including four children, to death
Source: Sudan Tribune
Date: Thursday, 28 October 2010:

From: African Center for Justice and Peace Studies
Contact: Osman Hummaida, Executive Director
Phone: +44 7956 095738 E-mail: osman@

(27 October 2010) - On 21 October, Judge Shegifa Ali Eshag of the Special Court in Nyala, South Darfur, sentenced a group of nine individuals allegedly affiliated with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to death for a carjacking in Khour Baskawit, near Selia and Yaseen in South Darfur on 13 May 2010. Four members of the group are under the age of 18. The group was convicted under Articles 50 (offences against the state), 51 (fomenting war against the state), 168 (armed robbery), and 182 (criminal damage) under the Sudanese Penal Code of 1991.

The names of the adults sentenced to death are:
Aboalgasim Abdalla Abubakar, 30 years old, Masaalit Tribe
Hassan Eshag Abdalla, 20 years old, Zagawa Tribe
Adam Altoum Adam, 40 years old, Zagawa Tribe
Mohamed Adam Eisa, 28 years old, Zagawa Tribe
Alsagig Abakar Yahya, 20 years old, Tungour Tribe

The names of the four children are:
Ibrahim Shrief Yousef, 17 years old, Birged Tribe
Altyeb Mohamed Yagoup, 16 years old, Zagawa Tribe
Abdalla Abdalla Doud, 16 years old, Gimr Tribe
Abdarazig Daoud Abdelseed, 15 years, Birged Tribe

The application of the death penalty to a child is forbidden by Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Sudan is a state party. Notwithstanding its international commitments, domestic law in Sudan continues to make provisions for the application of capital punishment for children. Although Article 36 of the Interim National Constitution (INC) of 2005 restricts the use of the death penalty for individuals under the age of 18, it does not exempt children from application of the death penalty in the event of “serious offences”, namely hudud crimes. Under the 1991 Sudanese Penal Code, certain hudud offences, including armed robbery, are capital crimes. The 2004 Child Law of Sudan attempted to rectify this gap in compliance with international law by restricting juvenile executions in principle and recommending maximum sentences. However, the Child Law fails to fully protect children by defining a child as a person under 18, unless “they have reached maturity under other applicable law”. This opens the door to application of Article 9 of the Sudanese Penal Code of 1991 which allows for persons to be considered adults if they have attained puberty. Despite amendments made to the Child Law on 29 December 2009, this gap in who may be sentenced to death was never remedied.

In this case, the four minors sentenced to death had given their actual ages to the registry, but the court tried them as adults pursuant to medical examinations while they were in custody that determined that they were over 18. There is no specialised permanent medical committee or standard procedure for assessing age, and in remote areas the medical committee is often presided over by a medical assistant rather than a doctor. Even when a doctor does conduct the examination, no medical tests are undertaken and the assessment of the child’s age is based upon physical appearance, and is thus more estimation than scientific assessment. Though the government of Sudan has argued before that in practice no juvenile is ever actually executed and minors are sentenced in order to collect diya, it can still be argued that the act of sentencing a child to death in light of the mental anguish imposed is in and of itself a rights violation, even if the sentence is never implemented.

In addition to the penalty, it appears that a number of procedural irregularities may have undermined the rights of these children. The Child Law of 2004 established specialized courts and juvenile detention centres, but the minors were tried in the same court as the rest of the group, violating their right to a fair trial under Article 34 of the INC. The case has been appealed, and will be tried by the Chief of Judges in South Darfur rather than an Appeals Court (which would be presided over by three judges) due to procedural regulations of the Special Court. The Special Court which convicted the group is distinct from the Special Criminal Court on the Events in Darfur established in 2005 following the opening of the ICC’s investigation into Darfur. In this case, the Special Court refers to a local court mandated since 1997 to prosecute cases of armed robbery and hijackings. Though the media frequently reports trials as being heard solely by the “Special Court” the two are not analogous and function separately; in this case, this is significant as the Special Courts for Darfur receive significantly more judicial monitoring and oversight.

The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies condemns the use of the death penalty in all cases, particularly when imposed against minors, as this is a clear violation of international law. In addition, there are worrying suggestions that the death penalty is being applied in this case as a tool to suppress ethnic minorities and against individuals who are viewed as being against the Sudanese state. In light of the insecurity in Nyala as of late, it is also possible that the group is being used as an example. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies calls on the Ministry of Justice to review the cases of the group and conditions under which they were sentenced, and to re-try those under 18 in a specialized juvenile court.