SUDAN ADVOCACY ACTION FORUM - SITUATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Sudan Update 23-08    

August 29, 2008

NOTE:  As the world continues to focus on attacks in Darfuri refugee camps and on the now-resolved Sudanese plane high jacking, life in some of the other marginalized regions continues to be dismal at best with portents of violent outbreaks at worst.  SAAF

Floods leave thousands homeless in Jonglei’s Bor

(BAIDIT, Jonglei) - At least 3,350 persons, from 480 homesteads, have been left homeless following river Nile overflow at Baidit Payam, Bor County in Sudan’s Jonglei State.  3,900 cattle have their grazing lands tapered to anthills and 1,470 gardens are destroyed, an administrator told a team of reporters Monday at Payam headquarters (16 miles north of Jonglei capital Bor).

Baidit Payam civil administrator Michael Jok says children, pregnant women and the elderly people suffered the most. “Health has generally declined these days and many children suffer diarrhea,” he said. Some families were seen moving to higher neighborhood and children catch fish on road. Goats by the roadside climbed anthills and trees branches. A distance of 2 miles has been covered by water on road heading to Payam headquarters from Bor Town.

Acting commissioner of Bor County Deng Akuei Kur told a press briefing on Monday at Baidit that his government is unable to combat the situation. “I call upon the State government, the Government of Southern Sudan and the UN agencies to intervene,” he said. Touring the Payam on Saturday, Governor Kuol Manyang encouraged the population to build hand-made-dykes as the State analyzes the situation for possible assistance.  (Sudan Tribune, 08/26/08)

Sudan’s Nuba Mountains risk new conflict

(JUBA) — Sudan’s central Nuba Mountains region risks erupting into open conflict again because of a build-up of troops and weapons, analysts said on Tuesday.  The Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey research group said northern and southern forces were breaking the terms of a 2005 peace deal by taking on recruits in the politically tense but overlooked region.

The study said the Nuba Mountains had been largely ignored while international attention focused on Darfur and other north-south clashes, like the fighting that broke out over the central oil-rich region of Abyei earlier this year.

Under the CPA, the southern army was supposed to redeploy out of the Nuba Mountains area and northern forces were supposed to reduce their numbers to pre-war levels.  But the Small Arms Survey reported the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Army had grown with 1,500 new recruits over the last six months.  The northern army has refused to let U.N. peacekeepers monitor their troop numbers in the area, said the report, adding that the Khartoum-supported Popular Defence Forces militia could now have as many as 20,000 men in the region.

The Nuba Mountains lie in one of Sudan’s special "transitional" areas, identified under the 2005 deal. Although currently administratively part of northern Sudan the region was promised greater autonomy under the peace deal.  Members of the many Nuba tribes, citing marginalization by Khartoum, had joined the south during the civil war. Southerners will have an independence referendum in 2011 but residents in the Nuba Mountains area have only been promised a vaguer "popular parliamentary consultation" on their status.  (Reuters, 08/26/08)

Note: These  nearly simultaneous  events - Sudanese troops attack a refugee camp, the latest in a long line of peace negotiators arrives with hopes of ending the five year civil war, and President Al-Bashir denies that there is much of a problem to solve, demonstrate why solving the crises in Darfur is so intractable. SAAF

Government Kills Refugees. 

 

The Sudanese Government launched a military campaign on the refugee camp of "Kalma", near the city of Neyla, the capital of Southern Darfur on August 25th under the pretext that rebels use the camp as a base to attack Sudanese forces.  The police laid siege around the camp using more than 100 armored vehicles then opened fire on the camp, which resulted in the death of 33 persons and the injury of more than a 100.  All causalities were civilians not involved in the raging conflict in Darfur.  No news was received about the death of any rebel that the police claimed to be in the camp.  The Sudanese Police repeated laying siege around the camp of "Kalma" on Tuesday evening, which causes concern for the bloodshed to be repeated once again.

 

It is worth mentioning that the camp of "Kalma" hosts more than 90,000 refugees who left their home towns as a result of the raging armed conflict in Darfur for the past five years.  Opening fire on such a big number of people signals the possibility of the killing and injury of a huge number of civilians.  (Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, 08/28/08)

 

Note: In the wake of the Kalma camp attacks the United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) issued a strongly worded statement condemning the “excessive force” used by Sudanese authorities.  

Also, indigenous NGOs strongly condemn the attack and, among other things, ask for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor into the camp to evacuate wounded and to bring in much needed assistance. SAAF

 

SAAF Update 22-08

August 19, 2008

 NOTE:  In the wake of the ICC indictment of President Omar Al-Bashir (to be considered in court in mid-November) for war crimes in Darfur, Sudan Armed Forces and their allied militia have escalated their attacks in northern Darfur, allegedly to secure the area for petroleum exploration.  While the Darfur conflict rages, an initiative headed by Al-Bashir was formed to work toward resolving the root issues of the Darfur conflict. SAAF  

New Offensive in Darfur.  Sudan's government has launched a major offensive against rebel bases in the far north of Darfur, two rebel factions have said.  A commander from the Abdul Wahed faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), Sulieman Marajan,   said about 270 vehicles and 500 Janjaweed fighters were involved in the attack.  Nine rebels and nine civilians had been killed, he said. An army spokesman declined to comment. The government has previously denied links to Janjaweed fighters. The Sudanese army now controlled the area around Wadi Atron, near the border with Libya, the SLA commander said.  A spokesman for a rival rebel group, the SLA's Unity faction, said rebels had been expecting an attack and were preparing to defend themselves.  The government was trying to clear the rebels out of the far north of Darfur so that Chinese companies could explore for oil, he said.  North Darfur is part of Sudan's oil Block 12A, operated by a consortium led by the Saudi Arabian company al-Qahtani. (BBC News, 8/13/08) 

Darfur Oil Exploration Planned.  State-linked Chinese oil services companies are in talks to help Sudan exploit its crude reserves in its troubled Darfur region with the Sudanese army providing security.  "Preparations are ongoing to launch a small campaign of 1,000 kilometers of seismic" works at Block 12A in Northern Darfur said Denis Rey, Sudan’s country manager at Ansan Wikfs, a partner of Sudan-owned Sudapet. Based in Cayman Islands, Ansan Wikfs Investments Limited was formed in 1991. Ansan is an independent oil and mineral resources holding company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of petroleum and mineral properties. Sudan’s government demands "that the Sudanese army be deployed and in control of the area to be prospected before operations start," Rey said. A border station called Karab Al Tom, located between Block 12A and PetroSA’s acreage, "is now under (Khartoum’s) military control," he added. "We are awaiting progress reports about the situation more in the south of Block 12A before awarding contracts and making progress on this campaign."Seismic surveys will only begin once the army has "provided security passages in the area," an unnamed person with knowledge of the oil exploration plans confirmed. (Sudan Tribune, 7/08/08) 

Sudan People’s Initiative to Resolve Darfur Conflict.  The joint committee (Crisis Committee), headed by Salva Kiir Mayardit, has created the Sudan People’s Initiative, a conference to gather representatives from all the national political forces, the civil society and different traditional and political forces in Darfur including the rebel groups opposed to Abuja peace agreement. The joint committee agreed to entrust the president of the Republic to head the Sudan People’s Initiative. The two parties also said they completed their bilateral consultations on the objectives and the mechanism of the national conference to end the five years conflict in Darfur. The initiative intends to bring justice for Darfur people, fight the violence and to restore security in the region. In addition, the initiative should adopt a plan to reconstruct and develop the economy of the three states in Darfur and also should tackle the humanitarian aspect of the crisis including the issue of security, repatriation of the displaced and refugees to their villages after receiving their due compensations.  (Sudan Tribune, 08/16/08) 

NOTE: The time period for extending temporary protected status of Sudanese immigrants in the US is from August 15 to October 14. If you know persons who qualify, please advise them not to miss the deadline of October 14.  SAAF 

Sudanese Immigrants in US May Extend Status.  Immigrants from Sudan granted temporary legal status can stay and continue to work in the US if they reregister with the Department of Homeland Security. The government is extending temporary protected status for Sudanese immigrants through May 2, 2010. The extensions are available only to immigrants from Sudan who entered the US by Oct. 4, 2007. Applications to re-register can be filed from Aug. 15 through Oct. 14. Work permits for Sudanese immigrants who currently have temporary protected status also will be extended. Those due to expire Nov. 2, 2008 will be extended to May 2, 2009. About 500 people in the US from Sudan are eligible for the extended temporary protected status. Temporary Protected Status is granted to people who cannot safely return to their countries because problems such as natural disasters, wars or other conditions exist. Those granted temporary protected status generally are not deportable. (Chicago Tribune, 8/14/08)

                                                                            SAAF Update 21-08

                                                                                                        July 31, 2008

Note: Since the announcement that the International Criminal Court has asked that charges be brought against the sitting President of Sudan, Omer al-Bashir, the African States have been lining up in support of him and a coalition of Sudanese leaders has been set up within Sudan to formulate a plan of action to deal with the situation.  SAAF

Sudan to set up Darfur rights abuse courts:

(CAIRO) Sudan has agreed to set up special courts to try alleged human rights abuses in Darfur which will be monitored by international bodies including the UN, an Arab League official said Wednesday. "They agreed to establish special courts," Hisham Yussef, chief of staff for Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told AFP. "They also agreed that the Arab League, the UN and the African Union would follow (the trials) but also ensure that laws in Sudan cover all the aspects required under international law."

The move follows a request by International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to have Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir charged with war crimes including genocide in the war-ravaged region of Darfur.

If Sudan holds viable trials of those accused of crimes in Darfur, the ICC automatically drops its charges.  (AFP, July 7) 

Egypt's Mubarak reaffirms his support to Sudann's Bashir  vs ICC:   

(CAIRO) President Hosni Mubarak reaffirmed today the support of the Egyptian government to the Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir after his indictment by the ICC prosecutor of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.


Egyptian President held talks on Sunday morning with visiting Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha on the current dispute between Sudan and the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the preparation for a comprehensive conference to settle on Darfur crisis. (Sudan Tribune, July 27)

Note: While the controversies about the International Criminal Court's charges against the President of Sudan continue to be debated, there are still signs of life in Sudan that indicate an air of hope for the future. SAAF

Sudan paves way for vote by approving electoral law

by Abdelmoniem Abu Edries Ali

(KHARTOUM) Sudan's parliament on Monday approved a new electoral law, a crucial step toward scheduled national elections and a democratic transition laid out in peace arrangements after a 21-year civil war.

For the first time in Sudan, the law grants women 25 percent of seats in the national assembly and introduces proportional representation into the biggest country in Africa by enshrining quotas for political parties.

The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed by north and south after a devastating two-decade civil war, calls for elections no later than 2009, although efforts to implement the accord have hit major delays.

In keeping with the new law, 60 percent of MPs will be elected directly by voters in local constituencies. Under the interim national constitution, set up after the 2005 peace agreement, all current MPs are appointed.

President Omar al-Beshir's National Congress Party (NCP) occupies 52 percent of seats and his former southern foes, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement which joined national government as part of the peace deal, holds 28 percent. Other political groups, including representatives from conflict-strewn Darfur who signed a 2006 peace deal with the Khartoum government in Nigeria, account for 20 percent.

Complete democratic transformation in Sudan would also require major legal reform elsewhere, such as media and national security legislation.  (AFP, July 7)

Southern Sudan's Malakal Town chosen for 4th Peace Celebration

By James Gatdet Dak

 (JUBA) The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) passed a resolution on Friday earmarking [the equivalent of] 21 million US dollars to prepare Malakal town, the capital of Upper Nile state, for the next year's celebrations of the 4th anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Last year the GoSS Council of Ministers resolved that the CPA's annual celebrations would be conducted on rotational basis among the ten state capitals of Southern Sudan as a way of supporting the state governments with peace dividend projects. Following the resolution of the Council of Ministers last year, the 3rd anniversary celebrations were conducted in Wau town, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state, after previously celebrating the 1st and 2nd anniversaries in Juba. (Sudan Tribune, July 26)

SAAF Update 20-2008

July 20, 2008

Al-Bashir Arrest Warrant Sought. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court formally requested an arrest warrant for Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir July 14, accusing him of masterminding and implementing a plan to wipe out three African tribes in Darfur with a campaign of mass murder, rape, torture and genocide. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented a three-judge panel in The Hague with evidence he has amassed to support 10 charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Al-Bashir, who, if the indictment proceeds, will become the first head of state to face charges before the ICC while in office.

"Al-Bashir specifically and purposefully targeted civilians, who were not participants to any conflict, with the intent to destroy then as a group," the prosecutor said. "Almost the entire population of the three targeted tribes have been forcibly displaced." The judges who received the case are expected to spend two months reviewing the evidence before deciding whether to charge Al-Bashir and issue an international warrant for his arrest.

Moreno-Ocampo's report describes in detail how Al-Bashir's forces operate. "The armed forces would arrive in trucks and land cruisers mounted with a machine gun, and the militia/Janjaweed would arrive on camels and horseback." the arrest warrant application says, "These forces would then surround the village as a precursor tot he attacks. The ground forces would then enter the village or town and attack civilian inhabitants. They kill men, children, elderly women, they subject women and girls to massive rapes. They burn and loot the villages." He said Sudan's strategy in Darfur goes beyond simply killing people and driving them from their homes, but seeks to destroy their very means of survival. (National Port [Canada], July 14, 2008)

Al-Bashir Appoints Salva Kur Head of Crisis Committee. President Omar Al-Bashir has appointed a high level committee, headed by his first deputy, Salva Kur Mayardit, to develop a road map against the accusations of genocide by the ICC. The crisis committee has to undertake diplomatic and legal actions to counter the charges against Al-Bashir. According to the presidential decree, the panel has to coordinate its efforts with the African Union, the Arab League and Movement of Non-Aligned Countries in this regard. The committee has to study the legal aspects of charges leveled by the ICC and find a compromise with the international community to avoid negative effects on the signed peace accords. The nine member committee, which consists of people from the different parts of the country, including Darfur, held a meeting to discuss a diplomatic plan of action to tackle the legal aspect of the charges. (Sudan Tribune, July 16, 2008)

ICC Action Protested in Sudan. Sudan slammed the ICC's call to arrest President Omar Al-Bashir as damaging to peace efforts in the country by vowed to continue co-operation with the UN. Al-Bashir said the ICC had no jurisdiction in Sudan and added that its charges were lies. "Whoever has visited Darfur, met officials and discovered their ethnicities and tribes ... will know that all of these things (including ethnic cleansing) are lies," Al-Bashir was speaking ahead of the signing of Sudan's new election law, expected to pave the way for Sudan's first free polls in 23 years, due in 2009. Vice President ali Osman Taha said that Khartoum was in contact with the permanent members of the UN Security Council. The council has the power to intervene to defer any prosecution for a year. "We are not yet finally agreed but we are engaged in discussions with the different members, especially China and Russia," Taha told a news conference. "We can't go along with implementing the CPA or other agreements with a president that is subject to international trial," he added, in reference to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the 2005 deal that ended two decades of civil war in the south. (Agence France-Presse [Sudan.Net], July 14, 2008)

Sudan Restores Relations with Chad. President Omar Al-Bashir has agreed to restore diplomatic ties with neighboring Chad, broken off in May after a rebel attack on the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Chad and Sudan have accused each other repeatedly of supporting rebellions in their respective territories since conflict began in Sudan's Darfur region in 2003. Senegal has brokered a peace deal between the two governments at an Organization of the Islamic Conference summit, although the deal has done little to smooth tense relations between Chad and Sudan or violence on their common border. The group discussed plans to deploy a peace and security force on the Chad-Sudan border and approved a $30.6 million budget. It said technical experts would meet in the second half of August to discuss the logistics and mandate of the force. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, has taken a lead role in mediating. (Reuters, July 18, 2008)

Bush Threatens Sudan with More Sanctions. President George Bush threatened the Sudanese government with more sanctions if it does not facilitate the deployment of peacekeepers and flow of aid in Darfur. "We're trying to work with Al-Bashir to make sure he understands that there will be continued sanctions if he doesn't move forward" Bush told reporters at a press conference in the White House. Bush said that the US wants to maintain a North South peace agreement and see full deployment of the long due African Union-United Nations troops in Darfur. he also voiced frustration with the slow delivery of humanitarian aid." Bush met privately with his special envoy to Sudan, Richard Williamson, for the first time since Williamson returned from Khartoum last month. (Sudan Tribune, July 15, 2008)

Opinion: Peace Before Justice in Darfur. Human rights activists say an indictment of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir by the ICC is a moral necessity. It will assert a legal principle of universal values in the face of mass atrocities, even if the court can't bring him to trial. A threat of arrest and trial may even be a way to revive a stalled peace process. Others, who seek a negotiated peace with Sudan to save Darfur refugees, say pursuit of court justice with slim ability to act on it will only harden Sudan's position. It may push Sudan to retaliate with more violence.

These reactions to the ICC's move point to a problem for a permanent global war-crimes court: It has no independent "hard power" of enforcement. The 106 nations behind its creation are obligated to turn over indicted suspects to the Hague-based tribunal. But if Al-Bashir doesn't travel, he's safe. The US hasn't joined the ICC. But without the added might of the US to pressure or snag the world's worst criminals, the ICC might end up being a paper tiger.

The human-rights community has failed to create a broad-based backing for many of its causes, including the ICC – the kind that would bring overwhelming support among Americans and others to act boldly against genocide and other major crimes. Sometimes justice must be set aside or traded for peace. The UN Security Council has been unwilling to enforce peace in Darfur. But it does have the ability to suspend the ICC prosecution of Bashir. It should consider such an action if it might bring a negotiated settlement. Peace needs to come first. The time for justice will be more ripe, and enforceable, later. (Christian Science Monitor, July 16, 2008)

Opinion: Sudan Can Opt for Peace or Saber Rattling. A spokesman for the International Crisis Group said, “Our concern is that the regime will have to decide how it wants to react. It may decide to lash out at the international community and further destabilize the situation in Sudan and make life difficult for the UN missions, the NGO’s and the humanitarian agencies. But it may also decide its best option is to move toward peace, that its options are diminishing, and that it should demonstrate good faith if it wants to have the prosecution put on hold," he says. The Khartoum government must decide what's in its best interests, he said. "The regime always has a kind of calculating approach to its interests. To date, it's decided it's not in its interest to do peace in Darfur. But this may provide leverage that persuades it that that's no longer the case," (Voice of America, July 15, 2008

SAAF Update 19-2008

July 10, 2008

CommentThere has been a lot of news from Sudan in the past 10 days, and it is not all clear. In some respects it could be called "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." Just which is which will be clear as you read our update.

John Ashworth, a veteran observer and analyst of Sudanese affairs, made an observation that is applicable to the claims, denials and counterclaims that have been made concerning the mid-June attack on Nyongwa. Such conflicting information is not unusual when trying to understand what is happening in Sudan. He notes that it might be considered "the fog of war." We also would observe that it is not unusual for some parties to release false information when it seems to suit their purpose.

John says, "In Sudan it is often very difficult to know with certainty what is really going on in a given situation!" John's comments might encourage us to be cautious when we get news about Sudan and be somewhat measured in coming to conclusions.

One thing is clear is that conflict continues. Just today I read that the Government of Sudan has accused Ethiopia of attacking a base near their border. Fog?

As always we must pray for a just and lasting peace and try to assure that our words and actions are supportive of that goal.

SPLA and SAF Begin Withdrawal from Abyei. Sudan's north and south armies have begun to withdraw their forces from the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei, officials said on July 4, after missing an end-June deadline agreed to by the former foes. The southern army, known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), said that on July 3 they had almost completed their withdrawal. The Sudan Armed Forces is reported to have begun withdrawing on July 4. (Reuters, July 4)

PA Divestment Bill. On June 25, in a 185-15 vote, the Pennsylvania House passed what's known as the Protecting Pennsylvania's Investments Act. Over the past year, several bills related to the (divestment) issue have been introduced in both the House and Senate. One series took a broad approach, and two others focused more narrowly on Iran or Sudan. Many believe that a crucial amendment to the investment act -- one that stipulated that it target both Sudan and Iran -- gives it the necessary ingredients to make it through both chambers and to the governor's desk. (Exponent, July 3)

Action: Pennsylvania advocates: Please contact your state senators and support this bill.

UK lifts ban on deporting Darfur refugees to Sudan. Human rights groups feared on Monday that Darfur refugees who reached Britain could be sent to Sudan and tortured after London lifted a ban on deporting them to Khartoum. Britain had said in December 2007 that it would stop deporting failed asylum seekers to Sudan while it investigated a report by the Aegis Trust that refugees sent back to Khartoum had been tortured. But a spokeswoman said the review was now complete and that the Immigration Minister had written to the Aegis Trust to say its accusations of torture were not proven and deportations to Sudan's capital Khartoum could resume. (Reuters, July 7)

Kony's Motives Suspect. They came to condemn the Ugandan rebels and to press their government to engage the rebels in a war. Instead, lawmakers in Southern Sudan handed recluse warlord Joseph Kony the hope he critically needed. Following two days of debate, Southern Sudan lawmakers said the International Criminal Court (ICC) should defer the indictments against the Ugandan rebel group. The decision followed a presentation by Dr Riek Machar, Vice President of Southern Sudan, in which he said that despite the rebel attacks, the talks have spread peace throughout the region, and warned that a war against the LRA could lead to crisis. (Monitor, July 6)

In following days, rebel leader Joseph Kony made contact with the U.N. envoy for northern Uganda's conflict and told him he is committed to signing a final peace deal to end 20 years of war. Some understandably view Kony's statement with skepticism.

Fog of War? On June 14, an armed group of about 30 men raided a homestead at Nyongwa village, killing a man after abducting him and looting food and other household goods. International observers collected evidence implicating the Ugandan army in the atrocity. The incident prompted Southern Sudan Vice President Riek Machar to call for the Ugandan Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) to leave South Sudan. Uganda rejected the accusations. In a meeting between the SPLA and the UPDF over the incident, held in Nimule on June 25, the UPDF was cleared of any wrong-doing. Ultimately, this may remain an unclear situation. (Sudan Tribune and others).

John Ashworth comments that attacks which have been wrongly attributed are "...nothing new or unusual, but illustrate how complex things are in southern Sudan, and how things are often not what they seem. Several months ago a spate of attacks which everybody blamed on the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) turned out to have been by Sudan Armed Forces personnel. The Government of Southern Sudan eventually managed to arrest those perpetrators..... There are various interest groups that would like to derail the LRA peace talks (not least the NCP (National Congress Party), which has always used the LRA as a tool for destabilisation in the south), and there is the simple fog of war .... In Sudan it is often very difficult to know with certainty what is really going on in a given situation!"

SAAF Update 18-2008

June 28, 2008

Sudanese Parties to Submit Abyei Dispute to International Court. “Sudan's ruling National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the biggest party in South Sudan, agreed to submit their dispute over the oil-rich Abyei area to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The decision was made late yesterday (June 22) at the conclusion of a two-day meeting between the parties in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, Sudan's government said. Both sides agreed to “abide by the ruling'' of an arbitration panel at the court in the Hague.

Forces of the two governments clashed last month in the north-south border area, displacing more than 50,000 people and severely damaging the town. Both sides this month agreed to settle the two contentious issues of border demarcation and the makeup of Abyei's administration. They have been unresolved since the 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended Sudan's 21- year civil war between Muslim northern Sudan and the mainly Christian and animist south.” (June 23, Bloomberg)

Sudanese women rights groups condemn arrest of female Darfuri. The aftermath of the May 10th attack on Omdurman, a neighborhood close to the capital of Khartoum, has not been well publicized since the events of violence immediately following it. Due to the control exercised over Sudan’s news media and the restrictions on access to those who were arrested, very little is known about what has happened to the hundreds of detainees who were rounded up just because they were suspected of being Darfuri and/or had names that indicated they could be sympathetic to the cause. Names have been circulated of persons who have been missing since that date but nothing more is known. However, in a statement circulated on the Internet, issued on June 23, by Sudanese Women Rights Groups it is now known that a detainee’s family has been arrested.

Sudan expels head of MSF from South Darfur. The head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Khartoum said this week that conditions for humanitarian workers in Darfur were at their worst in 18 months.

“Sudanese authorities have expelled the head of the Dutch branch of the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) from the war-stricken region of Darfur, a humanitarian source said on Wednesday. Banu Altanbas, who heads operations in Nyala (South Darfur), was ordered to leave Darfur immediately" by Sudan’s Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC) on Sunday, the source told AFP, asking to remain anonymous. Kelly Gluck, the head of MSF-Holland in Sunday, told AFP she had received no formal notification on the case and refused to comment.

“After a report by MSF-Holland in 2005 that highlighted incidents of rape in Darfur’s refugee camps, angry Sudanese authorities briefly detained its head in Sudan, Paul Foreman, accusing him of crimes against the Sudanese state. The case was later dropped.” (Sudan Tribune, June 26)

On the Arrest of Zobida and Zahra Hagar and the Infant, Hashim Abdel-Shakur. “We, the undersigned from women civil society organization, have grave concerns for the welfare of Zubaida Hagar Sandal, her 9-month-old baby son, Hashim Abdel-Shakur and her sister Zahara Hagar. The two women and the baby were arrested on June 8, 2008, from their house in Khartoum by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) officers. We are opposed to their continued detention, which is illegal and is against all Sudanese traditions. In addition, we have serious concerns for their well-being as for other female detainees. This is especially alarming in light of recent campaign of arrests in the capital following May 10 events, which has taken place in house-to-house searches, public transport and the streets, targeting individuals from Darfur who are residents in Khartoum.” (Sudan Tribune, June 24)

Any Doubt Left? Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir vowed not to hand over any suspects accused of war crimes in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). “I swear to god, I swear to god, I swear to god we will not hand over any Sudanese to the International Court” ..... “We will not hand over any Sudanese as long as we have water in our eyes. Adopt how many resolutions you want and impose as many sanctions because threats and sanctions do not scare us.” he said. (Sudan Tribune, June 23)

SAAF Update 17-2008

June 20, 2008

Security Council Brief.With its latest invasion-by-proxy in Chad, the Sudanese government is taking its defiance of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to a new level. As we speak, the government in Khartoum is sponsoring and supporting an open and transparent effort to overthrow a neighboring government. A month ago, the regime burned the strategic town of Abyei to the ground, leaving the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) at extreme risk. This comes against the backdrop of a government offensive in Darfur and ongoing support to Ugandan rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), whose recruitment actions threaten the children of four countries.

....The lack of an effective response by the UNSC to Darfur is putting the credibility of the Security Council on the line for future efforts at peacemaking and peacekeeping around the globe

... Not imposing consequences for such destruction and obstruction emboldens Khartoum to continue to undermine the security of Sudan and the surrounding region, and encourages other rogue regimes globally to defy the UNSC’s will.

...The role of the UNSC is clear. By imposing consequences, the UNSC can provide the leverage – the pressures and incentives – that will provide influence for the mediators, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to do their jobs effectively. In the absence of such leverage, and if the UNSC passes more resolutions that don’t create real consequences for non-compliance, Sudan will continue to burn. (Enough!, June 17)

UNSC says Sudan must heed ICC on Darfur. Khartoum must stop turning a blind eye to crimes committed during the conflict in Darfur and hand over suspected war criminals to the ICC, the UNSC said on Monday. Monday's action was backed by both China, a strong protector of Khartoum, and the United States, which generally has not supported the ICC. U.S. officials say Sudan has no choice but to cooperate with it as required by council resolution 1593, which is legally binding. (Reuters, June 16)

U.S. envoy slams UN peacekeepers over south Sudan.The U.S. special envoy for Sudan Richard Williamson accused U.N. peacekeepers of failing to protect residents of Abyei during clashes last month. The violence in Sudan's Abyei region, straddling the border of northern and semi-autonomous southern Sudan, killed dozens and forced some 50,000 people from their homes. Speaking at an informal meeting of the UNSC, Ambassador Williamson made it clear that he felt the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) had not done its job.

"We pay a billion dollars a year for UNMIS and they didn't leave their garrison while 52,000 lives were shattered and nearly a hundred people perished," Williamson told council diplomats and representatives from activist groups. "The devastation was complete," he said about Abyei. "Meanwhile U.N. peacekeepers and UNMIS staff in their garrison were as close as 25 feet away. Sudanese homes were burned to the ground and looting took place, despite the fact that UNMIS has a mission ... to intervene to protect innocent people." (Reuters, June 17)

LRA-Uganda Peace Effort Falling Apart. Fugitive rebels from Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have clashed with south Sudanese forces for a second time this month, Uganda's military said. One guerrilla was killed and three captured on Sunday after LRA fighters raided the small town of Nimule, which lies on a major trade route between northern Uganda and the south Sudanese capital Juba, a Ugandan military spokesman said. "About 30 rebels came to Nimule, abducted two people and looted food. On their way back they had a brief contact with the SPLA," said Captain Chris Magezi, the Ugandan spokesman. (Reuters, June 17)

Instability Rises in Chad. Last month, Sudan accused Chad of helping a Darfur rebel group attack a city just outside the Sudanese capital. Chad denied the allegation but the UN says Sudan and Chad have been fighting a proxy war through each other's rebel groups. In February, Chadian rebels reached President Idris Deby's palace before being repelled by government forces. In recent days, the rebels have attacked several towns in the east, briefly occupied them, and then moved on. The Chadian government has accused Sudan's army of attacking a town on their border. "There were Sudanese army helicopters, backing up Sudanese troops that had already been massed on the ground for several days," said Communications Minister Mahamat Hissene.

Regional analyst Alex de Waal says he thinks the countries are on the brink of an "international war". (BBC, June 17)

South Carolina Passes Divestment Legislation. The Darfur Action Group of South Carolina, supported by the Sudan Advocacy Action Forum, chalked up a legislative victory in its effort to apply pressure to relieve the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan. South Carolina joined 24 other states in passing legislation that would prohibit investment of public retirement funds in certain companies that do business with Sudan. They hope it will send a message to the Sudanese government, which continues to carry out genocide on its citizens in the western region of Darfur. (The State, June 15)

SAAF Update 16-2008

June 12, 2008

Hu Jintao Presses Sudan on Darfur. In an abrupt policy about-face, Chinese President Hu Jintao called on the Sudanese government to “push forward the peacekeeping mission and political process in a balanced manner, quickly restore political negotiations and strive to ensure that talks achieve substantial progress.” He also said Khartoum should “push forward the relevant parties to realize a comprehensive ceasefire and to continually improve the humanitarian and security situation and on this basis help the people of Darfur to rebuild their homeland.” The remarks were delivered to Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha, who was in China to close a deal for China to help Sudan build a pilot agricultural center and to send training experts there. This is a major change from the prior praise by Chinese leaders for the “unremitting efforts” by Khartoum to end the Darfur crisis. (Reuters, June 12, 2008)

Genocide by Attrition. The Humanitarian Air Service of the World Food Program, facing a huge funding shortfall, plans to drastically cut back efforts to deliver food and medical care to displaced people in remote parts of Darfur. The service needs $20 million by June 15 to avoid cuts through coming months. Otherwise, the service is facing the possibility of closure. So far this year, donors have provided about 17% of the required budget. Cutting aid to the most vulnerable displaced persons is genocide by attrition. (UN News Service, June 10, 2008)

The Abyei Road Map. Due to objections by the National Congress Party (NCP), the Abyei Protocol of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 was not implemented, but hope now arises that a peaceful settlement is possible as a result of the road map signed last week by the NCP and the SPLM. The parties have committed to allowing the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) freedom of movement in Abyei for the first time. The road map also calls for the establishment of an interim administration for the disputed area and an orderly return of the displaced to their villages and towns by the end of this month. (Sudan Tribune, June 10, 2008)

US-EU and Sudan at Odds over ICC. Leaders at the recent United States and European Union summit issued a statement calling on Sudan to comply with the UN resolution that Sudanese officials Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kushayb be handed over for trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Warrants for the arrest of the two Darfur war crimes suspects were issued in May by the ICC. The US-EU request was refused by Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, who called the ICC a “first class terrorist organization.” Al-Bashir based his refusal to hand over the two individuals, first, on the prohibition under Islamic Shari’a law to hand over a Muslim to a court that does not implement Shari’s law and, second, because Sudan had not ratified the treaty (“Rome Statute”) that established the ICC. (Sudan Tribune, June 10, 2008)

SAAF Update 15-2008

May 28, 2008

CONFLICT IN ABYEI

Many have referred to Abyei as Sudan's Kashmir, referring to the volatile region jointly claimed by India and Pakistan which has been a flashpoint for decades. The resumption of heavy fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Abyei has caused total destruction of Abyei town, the dislocation of almost 100,000 residents, and fears of further breakdown of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Widespread looting and destruction by SAF soldiers has been reported by UN, South Sudanese, and NGO observers. The Kashmir comparison suggests that this conflict could lead to resumption of full scale armed conflict between the Government of Sudan and the people of Southern Sudan.

The Government of Sudan's National Congress Party (NCP), willfully or otherwise, set the stage for this conflict by its recent unilateral rejection of the findings of the Abyei Border Commission, which the NCP earlier had agreed to accept under the CPA. This, along with other CPA implementation shortfalls, has led some observers to conclude that the NCP will not meet its commitments under the CPA. The obvious action to defuse the current situation is for both the SAF and SPLA to depart from Abyei and place a significant UN force (taken from the deployed UNAMID forces) in the region to maintain order. The longer term peace will be assured only if the international community places the same diplomatic focus on implementation of the CPA that it devoted to the establishment of the CPA. (SAAF)

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT - THE JUNE US PRESIDENCY OF THE UNSC,

On June 1, 2008, the US will begin its month-long presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council - a window of opportunity for effective international leadership. The top US priority for this period should be achieving the full deployment of the UNAMID peacekeeping force for Darfur, Sudan, that the Security Council authorized last July.

Over the past five months, Ambassador Richard Williamson, the US Special Envoy for Sudan, and other Bush administration officials, have blamed the lack of “creativity and flexibility” of UN bureaucracy for UNAMID’s slow deployment. Yet the United Nations can only be effective when empowered by its member states, of which the US is among the most powerful. Rather than passing the blame to the UN, the US should seize the opportunity of its June Security Council presidency as the time to leverage the necessary diplomatic and economic pressure to overcome all obstacles to the mission’s complete and effective deployment.

President Bush can help. Uncertainty about the terms of US -Sudanese bilateral negotiations weakens UN pressure on Khartoum. President Bush should facilitate the UN’s work by personally stating that US -Sudan relations will never normalize until UNAMID is fully deployed, the CPA fully implemented, and Sudanese government-sponsored atrocities against its own people cease. (Africa Action, May 19

US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES UNITED ON SUDAN

Ongoing and escalating violence in Sudan - including the recent destruction of the contested town of Abyei - reinforces the importance of this statement of unity from US Presidential Candidates Senators Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain which was released May 28.

“We deplore all violence against the people of Darfur. There can be no doubt that the Sudanese government is chiefly responsible for the violence and is able to end it. We condemn the Sudanese government's consistent efforts to undermine peace and security, including its repeated attacks against its own people and the multiple barriers it has put up to the swift and effective deployment of the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force. We further condemn the Sudanese government's refusal to adhere to the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the conflict in southern Sudan.

"Today, we wish to make clear to the Sudanese government that on this moral issue of tremendous importance, there is no divide between us. We stand united and demand that the genocide and violence in Darfur be brought to an end and that the CPA be fully implemented. ...... If peace and security for the people of Sudan are not in place when one of us is inaugurated as President on January 20, 2009, we pledge that the next Administration will pursue these goals with unstinting resolve." (Save Darfur Coalition Press Release)

SAAF Update 14-2008

May 15, 2008

Attack on the Capital of Sudan: Cause for Concern.

Reports from Khartoum on Saturday, May 10th revealed that Omdurman, across the Nile River from Khartoum, was attacked by several hundred Darfuri rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement, led by Khalil Ibrahim.

The first reports indicate that the attack has been repulsed and that the government is in firm control. What is clear is that the government of Sudan will retaliate on those whom it suspects were complicit. And when a leader is identified by tribe, tribal members will be targeted even if they were not involved. This means that tribal members living in and around Khartoum and in marginalized regions, such as Kordofan, could be attacked by government forces. Additionally, displaced persons from southern Sudan living in/near Khartoum might be targeted as well. Thus violence could spread into regions that are unhappy with the leadership in Khartoum but are not yet involved in active conflict.

We could very well be witnessing the beginning of violence in Sudan on a scale that we have not seen before. We shall keep watch and keep the people of Sudan in our thoughts and prayers.

For reports from Sudan go to: www.sudantribune.com

SAAF Update 13-2008

April 29, 2008

U.S. offers to restore ties with Sudan

This situation update seeks to provide a summary of the U.S. offer to restore ties with Sudan and put it in the perspective of the situation in Sudan. While the details have just been released, the diplomatic effort has been ongoing for much of this year at least.

In February, Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor was quoted, after meeting with Presidential envoy Ambassador Richard Williamson, as saying there was a timetable for normalizing ties that would include returning a U.S. ambassador in Khartoum, the lifting of at least some American sanctions, and removing the country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. The State Department downplayed the comment denying that there was such a timetable. (Reuters, State Department Release)

In March, Williamson confirmed that the U.S. offered to restore full diplomatic ties, lift sanctions and remove Khartoum from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism. In return, Sudan would have to remove obstacles to the deployment of a UN-led peacekeeping force, stop violence against civilians in Darfur, release U.S. shipping containers stuck in customs and carry out the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between north and south Sudan, including elections in 2009. Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations called the negotiations "a strategic shift," made possible by his government's "exemplary" cooperation on terrorism matters. (LA Times)

In April, details began to emerge when part of a series of negotiating papers exchanged between the two governments in preparation for talks were provided to The New York Times by an American government official critical of the administration's position.

- Sudan wants an end to economic sanctions imposed by the United States since 1997, United States backing for its membership in the World Trade Organization, support for the cancellation of Sudan's foreign debts, release of the Sudanese detainees at Guantánamo, and a formal apology for the Tomahawk missile strike on the Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum in 1998.

- In return the U.S. is asking for: additional visas for humanitarian workers, Sudanese consent to the inclusion of Thai and Nepalese units in the U.N.-African Union civilian protection force, permission for private aid organizations to work in Darfur, violence against civilians in Darfur to be stopped, release of U.S. shipping containers stuck in customs, and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to be implemented. (NYT)

Advocates response was immediate:

• Roger Winter, a long time advocate for a just peace said, “Given the fact that Khartoum has been involved in negotiations repeatedly over the years regarding Darfur and the comprehensive peace agreements and has signed documents and consistently failed to implement what they’ve signed, why are we discussing normalization with them?” (NYT)

• Jerry Fowler of the Save Darfur Coalition summarized reactions well, "Darfur activists around the world were at-once stunned, confused and outraged by this report on the content of the U.S.-Sudan negotiations...." (SDC Press Release)

• An outraged Democratic presidential contender, Barack Obama said, "This reckless and cynical initiative would reward a regime in Khartoum that has a record of failing to live up to its commitments." (Sudan Tribune)

SAAF Notes:

• Why apologize? Sudan seeks an apology from the U.S. for destroying a pharmaceutical factory because Sudanese agents attacked U.S. embassies in several African countries, the factory was being used for processing VX nerve agent, and alleged ties existed between the owners of the plant and al-Qaeda. Where is the Government of Sudan's apology for killing up to 450,000 in Darfur? For displacing up to 3,000,000 in Darfur? Where is the National Islamic Front apology for horrors committed against her own citizens in Southern Sudan, the Blue Nile, the Nuba Mountains, Abyei and Darfur.

• Why believe? SDC's Fowler said, "Khartoum sets the gold standard for breaking international promises...." Why believe a government which among others has failed to uphold agreements such as the Sudan Peace Agreement? Indeed, not just the Sudan Peace Agreement, but also the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement and the Darfur Peace Agreement! The United States should be holding the Government of Sudan accountable for its past promises to let UN peacekeepers operate within its borders; inaction and obstruction when it comes to the deployment of the AU-UN force must not be rewarded.

• Why remove a nation from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism when it is in the midst of genocide in Darfur, has killed 2.75 million of its own citizens, has displaced 7,000,000 just since 1982 and is deliberately terrorizing the citizens of neighboring nations to create instability? No nation should be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism for any reason other than the existence of proof that the government in question does not support terrorist organizations or is not itself engaged in terrorism.

If we examine our options in dealing with the Government of Sudan, we find that there are three:

• Economic. That tool has been used since 1997 in the form of U.S. economic sanctions which were expanded and strengthened last year. This form of influence has had only modest impact because the wealth from Sudan's oil production has allowed Sudan to pursue other options.

• Military. While there is no question that the United States has the military ability to subdue the janjaweed and Sudanese Armed Forces and force the acquiescence of the National Congress Party, the consequences of such action likely destabilize the entire region.

• Political. The only viable option is political engagement which the United States must pursue. The objectives of our negotiations should be the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a negotiated settlement in Darfur, and, ultimately, a plan for sharing the nation's wealth equitably. Meanwhile we should continue to develop the SPLM into an increasingly capable, professional defensive force. A stronger Southern Sudan is a key to peace in Sudan and stability in the nation and region.

Nonetheless, in our negotiations, we should provide no benefit to the NCP based on their promises, but only on their demonstrated actions. Presidential envoy Amb. Williamson has clearly agreed stating that, "Concrete, verifiable, significant progress must be achieved on the ground before we can contemplate improved relations." Darfur and Sudanese advocates should be cautious to avoid creating an environment in this nation which precludes that which they seek...a just and lasting peace.

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SAAF Update 12-2008

April 20, 2008

Government Suspends Indefinitely Signing Peace Deal With LRA: The much-anticipated signing of the peace agreement between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has been put off indefinitely. The failure of LRA Leader Joseph Kony to sign the Final Peace Agreement, painstakingly negotiated in Juba since July 2006, came as a big blow to the people of northern Uganda who hoped the deal would bring permanent peace after two decades of war. South Sudan leader Salva Kiir says that peace talks will continue despite the current setback. (The Nation, AFP)

Census Delayed, Rescheduled. Last week the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) withdrew from a census that will help decide how wealth and power are shared. The SPLM wanted boundary disputes to be resolved and southerners living in the north to return to the south before the census to give a better indication of the population and how wealth and power ought to be shared. Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party condemned the decision by the SPLM, while the two largest Darfur rebel groups applauded. The SPLM action was a surprise coming only one day after the President of the Government of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir urged all Sudanese to participate. Although none of the issues SPLM raised to explain why they wanted the census to be postponed has been solved, following heated debate between NCP and SPLM members, and international diplomatic efforts, the Presidency finally decided to postpone the census for only one week. It will begin on April 22. (Reuters, Sudan Tribune)

Humanitarian Conditions in Darfur. Darfur’s rainy season largely coincides with the traditional “hunger gap” between spring planting and fall harvest; so the loss of transport capacity, rebel violence along the Chad/Darfur border, humanitarian obstruction by Khartoum, pervasive insecurity throughout Darfur, and the failure of effective UNAMID deployment may make this rainy season the “perfect storm” of human destruction. The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) is falling further behind every day in meeting the necessary benchmarks in transporting and pre-positioning food in anticipation of the rainy season. The current shortfall in food actually in transit to Darfur is approximately 50% according to WFP. The Government of Sudan's open and continuous contempt for the international community and international law tells all too much about the fate of ongoing humanitarian efforts .... Increased cost of food and fuel for transport, increased insecurity and violence toward humanitarian workers, increased numbers of those requiring food assistance, and continued obstruction by the Government of Sudan, suggest massive starvation could follow the rains this year. Never have the odds been so fully stacked against the people of Darfur and Eastern Chad. (Eric Reeves)

SAAF Update 11-2008

April 10, 2008

Fifth year of conflict in Darfur and the National Census in Sudan

Comment: This month marks the fifth year of conflict in Darfur as noted by the organizers of the Day for Darfur which will be held on Sunday April 13th. They have chosen the children of Darfur for the 2008 focus and note:

“This April many children in Darfur will be reaching their 5th birthdays without ever having known peace. That's five years in which the international community has failed to respond adequately to the scale of the crisis.

"Many of the children living in the camps are traumatized by what they have seen. The climate of fear, uncertainty, and rising domestic violence is compromising their security today; the denial of a normal childhood is compromising their future.

"Children outside the camps live in fear of attacks on their homes and villages. Their access to education and health care is under constant threat, and some are forcibly recruited to serve as child soldiers.”

But it should also be noted that half the post-conflict reconstruction period in southern Sudan has elapsed and neither the institutional foundations nor the requisite electoral processes are in place to establish the kinds of prerequisites necessary for the referendum elections of 2011. One of the most important parts of this, the population census, will finally be attempted between April 15th and 30th. This is vital to not only South Sudan’s future referendum but also for the Nationwide General Elections slated for 2009. While the census would not be an electoral registration, it would help determine the spread and number of constituencies which in turn is necessary for determining power and wealth sharing.

There are reports from numerous refugee assistance agencies that over 215,000 Sudanese have returned to southern Sudan in an effort to participate in the census. However, there is not the same kind of enthusiasm for the census in Darfur. A spokesperson for the Justice and Equality Movement, a major rebel faction in Darfur, has said he is strongly against support for the census taking and is urging a boycott of the process, an action which could seriously harm the outcome. His opinion is based on the fact that due to the lack of security in Darfur there are significant numbers of Darfuri who will not be counted and this alters the outcome in a way favorable to the National Congress Party.

Sudan Census $13 million Short Two Weeks Before the Start.Sudan's government has not released $13 million in funds needed to pay those carrying out its first census since a north-south peace deal ended Africa's longest civil war in 2005, a U.N. official said on Monday. The census is due to start on April 15 and for two weeks will employ around 60,000 people throughout the million square mile nation to count the number of people, with questions on whether they are northern or southern -- critical for a 2011 referendum in which southerners could decide on secession. "This year they (the government) said they would pay an additional $18 million ... but they have only released $5 million as we speak," Herbert Kandeh, the chief U.N. technical adviser to the census, said. “This was for salaries for those filling out the questionnaires and said if employees were not paid they may be reluctant to hand over their work, so it was important to have the money as early as possible.” (Herbert Kandeh: Interview with Reuters and the BBC.)

SAAF Update 10-2008

April 1, 2008

New Voices Heard and Welcomed

Arab NGOs in a communiqué to the Arab League summit meeting held March 29-30 wrote that while "All sides to the Darfur crisis bear responsibility for the widespread abuses of humanitarian and human rights law", they believe that "the Sudanese government has fuelled the crisis through its support to the Janjaweed militias, who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity." The group notes that long deliberations and procrastination have failed to provide protection for civilians or to stop the conflict and crisis in Darfur. It requests strong action and effective solutions by the Arab League.

An unprecedented coalition of Muslim groupsgroups in an appeal issued March 28 asked the Arab League to do more to address the killings in Darfur. In the open letter the groups criticize the lack of attention paid to the crisis so far saying, "The crisis has cost the lives of at least 200,000 Muslims yet has not yet captured the attention of the Muslim world in the way that it should."

Both groups offered strong recommendations to the Arab League nations to contribute much more to the humanitarian effort, to getting Sudan to cease obstructing the deployment of U.N. troops in Darfur, to protecting the humanitarian workers, and to obtaining a genuine cease fire and peace effort.

Abyei. Conflict between the SPLM and Misseriya Militia continues in Abyei threatening the peace hoped for when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed. In the midst of this, a voice rises encouraging peace. Dhieu Mathok Ding repeatedly thrusts his left fist in the air and together with the more than 100 representatives of the Aweil, a Dinka community living along the north-south Sudan border, chants enthusiastically, "United we stand, united we stand, united we stand."

His is not a call for a unified Sudan after the referendum in 2011, nor a cry to war, but a call for unity to peacefully counter attacks by the Misseriya, Arab nomads they suspect want to annex parts of their lands in the north.

"Since we are neighbors, we believe we should co-exist peacefully," Ding said. "We have no problem with allowing the Misseriya to graze their cattle on our land, provided they do not come with guns." (The Nation, March 26)

SAAF Update 09-2008

March 20, 2008

Nationwide Census April 14-15. Sudan needs to conduct a nationwide census before scheduled general elections can be held next year. According to UN figures, 4.6 million people were displaced by war, largely from southern Sudan. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in 2005, brought an end to the north-south conflict and since then, there has been a steady and voluntary return of internally displaced people. "We believe over the last three years close to two million people have already returned, either refugees from the seven neighboring countries or displaced people largely from the north and they returned south," said Khaled Mansour of the UN Mission in Sudan. Mansour says the mapping of enumeration areas has been under way for some time and the UN has been delivering materials. Sudanese will be counted wherever they are on the night of April 14-15 and they will indicate where they come from. One critical area where it will be extremely difficult to carry out the census is Darfur, where hundreds of thousands have yet to return to their villages and Mansour admits there may be some inaccuracies due to difficulties in access to some of the areas. (Voice of America, 03/14/08)

AFRICOM Restates Its Mission. In a key briefing to the United States Congress on March 13, General William “Kip” Ward, head of the US Command for Africa (AFRICOM) devoted only 15 seconds of his opening remarks to a possible humanitarian role. Focusing instead on military training, security and counter-terrorism, his remarks came in sharp contrast to a year ago when officials announced that the command would concentrate on humanitarian assistance, alarming many aid agencies, which were concerned that US military involvement in humanitarian aid would undermine their neutrality. Ever since AFRICOM was launched as a separate US military command for a continent that had previously been divided between the European, Central and Pacific commands, it has raised concern over the emphasis put on its humanitarian and developmental dimensions. (IRIN, 03/14/08)

Chinese Arms for Oil. A major report by NGO Human Rights First, “Investing in Tragedy, China’s Money, Arms and Politics in Sudan,” documents that by 2003, when the worst violence in Darfur had commenced, China was providing small arms to Sudan valued in excess of $3 million. From that year to 2006 (the latest year in which small arms data is available), China sold over $55 million worth of small arms to Khartoum. Starting in 2004—the year in which the UN imposed an arms embargo—China sold Khartoum on average 90% of its small arms, and continued to be the near-exclusive provider through 2006. Recent television footage of a military parade showed that Sudan had late-model battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and military trainers from China. Despite the fact that Chinese arms have been well-documented in Darfur, the government of China has variously either disavowed their existence, minimized the scope of China’s arms trade with Sudan, or simply denied that its weapons make a difference in the conflict. China’s refusal to cease arms exports under these circumstances to Sudan indicates the greater significance of that aspect of its relationship with Khartoum. Beijing has used arms exports to help it both to enter and to stay in Sudan’s oil markets.

SAAF Update 08-2008

March 10, 2008

General Comment. Twelve actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated in February according to International Crisis Group. Sudan was among the twelve as ICG noted that in Darfur, the Sudanese government attacked three towns and an IDP camp from both ground and air, marking the worst violence in the region in months. ICG might well have noted the increased violence in Abyei and the growing tension relating to southern fears that the census, elections and referendum are being threatened as well. Clearly the CPA is at increasing risk and there is no evidence that the international community is working to forestall a failure. See "A Genocide Foretold" by Nicholas Kristof at: http://www.sudanadvocacy.com/Editorial.htm

Abyei. The oil-rich region straddling northern and southern Sudan, remains a flash point three years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Since late November, there have been repeated clashes in Abyei between South Sudan's armed forces and a large tribe of Arab nomads, the Misseriya, which is armed and backed by the Sudanese government in Khartoum. Continuing conflict between the SPLA and the Misseriya tribe exploded on March 1 resulting in the deaths of more than 70 tribesmen and SPLM soldiers. Another 120 were wounded. (Reuters and others)

Darfur. It was just over five years ago that an attack by rebels from non-Arab tribes seeking greater wealth and autonomy for the neglected and impoverished region of Darfur, prompted the Arab-dominated government to marshal Arab militias in the region that ultimately evicted millions from their homes, burning, looting and raping along the way. The campaign pushed many non-Arab people off their land and into vast, squalid camps across Darfur and Chad.

As the conflict enters its sixth year, an older, deadly pattern is returning, and with it fears are rising among villagers, aid workers, diplomats and analysts that Darfur is headed for a new cycle of bloodletting and displacement on a vast scale. Attacks by the janjaweed, the fearsome Arab militias, accompanied by government bombers and followed by the Sudanese Army, reflect a return to the tactics that terrorized Darfur in the early, bloodiest stages of the conflict. Such brutal, three-pronged attacks of this scale resemble the kinds of campaigns that first captured the world’s attention. (NYT March 2)

China's Action. China has urged Sudan to do more to stop fighting in Darfur and speed the arrival of more peacekeepers, Beijing's envoy on the crisis said, defending his country as a diplomatic bridge to help end the bloodshed. In an unusually explicit press release, Beijing envoy Liu Guijin called the violence in Darfur a "humanitarian disaster," urged Khartoum to give ground on disputes holding up full deployment of UN-African Union peacekeepers, and conveyed China's grave concerns about the deterioration of conditions in western Darfur. (Reuters)

SAAF Update 07-2008

February 27, 2008

SOUTHERN SUDAN:

• CPA Envoy Appointed by AU. The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union appointed a Special Envoy for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). In his capacity as Special Envoy, Ambassador Adeniji of Nigeria will work closely with the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan, as well as with relevant members of the international community, to ensure that the AU fully accompany the parties in their efforts towards the successful implementation of the CPA and the promotion of lasting peace and reconciliation in the Sudan. AU Liaison Offices will be established in Khartoum and Juba. (various sources)

• LRA Ceasefire Brokered in Southern Sudan. The government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army and Movement have signed a Permanent Ceasefire Agreement in Juba, the capital of southern Sudan. The accord was endorsed by: Riek Machar, Vice President, Government of Southern Sudan, representatives from several African countries, the European Union and a senior advisor from the U.S. Dept of State for African Affairs. The Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army will be responsible in part, for providing the security for the LRA encampment. (Sudan Tribune)

• U.S. President Bush’s Sudan Funding Requests. President George W. Bush has requested Economic Support Funds for Sudan in the amount of $254 million, targeted to support implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to ensure a just peace in Sudan and support peace processes in Darfur. President Bush has also made a request for $70.8 million for Peacekeeping Operations for the transformation of the Southern Sudanese military from a guerilla force to a conventional military force. Eyed are construction of various headquarters, provision of strategic and operational advisory assistance, professional training, as well as communications and other equipment for the new military force. (White House News & Policies)

CHINA CHALLENGED ON DARFUR

• On February 12, one hundred twenty Members of Congress sent a letter urging President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China to extend far more pressure on the Government of Sudan to help end the killing in Darfur.

• The Darfur Olympics campaign has gained momentum with letters being delivered to Chinese Embassies urging China to put more pressure on the GoS to bring an end to the conflict in Darfur and reopen peace negotiations.

• Olympians Shannon Shakespeare and Nikki Dryden delivered an open letter to China's United Nations offices. "We are all aware of the tremendous potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur," said the letter, signed by eight Nobel Peace Prize winners and 13 former Olympians. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

SAAF Update 06-2008

February 18, 2008

No US Troops for Darfur. US President, George W. Bush, has defended his decision not to send troops to the Sudanese region of Darfur, despite what he calls a genocide taking place there. However, Mr. Bush, speaking before leaving for Africa, said he was frustrated by the slow pace of international action on Darfur. He was scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, about efforts to boost peacekeeping forces in Darfur. He also discussed the controversy over China’s Olympics, saying he would attend the event as scheduled. "I view the Olympics as a sporting event," he told a BBC interviewer. “I’ve got a firm, heartfelt commitment to the continent of Africa.” But he added that he would meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and "remind him that he can do more to relieve the suffering in Darfur". (ST, 15-Feb-08)

Chinese media stifle Darfur connection to Olympic Games. Across China, people woke Feb. 15 to news that atrocities in Darfur could have an impact on next summer's Beijing Olympics. It was startling news for most readers in China and seemed to come totally out of the blue. The high profile effort to convince China to use its economic clout to pressure the Sudanese government to end the killing in Darfur has been making headlines worldwide for nearly a year, but not in China's state-controlled media. International pressure groups have been trying to use China's fixation on the success of the Olympics as leverage to force Beijing to act on pressing human rights issues inside China and on Darfur, but the results have been negligible. The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders lamented the situation: "Nobody apart from the International Olympic Committee seems to believe the (Chinese) government will make a significant human rights concession before the Games start.” (Canwest News Service, 15-Feb-08)

Sudan’s Two Faces. Many lauded the signing of the “Status of Forces Agreement” by Khartoum on Feb. 9. The agreement provides the legal framework for some 9,000 UN/AU peacekeepers in Darfur. With the signing, the Sudanese government has dropped restrictions which were previously handcuffing the force. But even as officials in Khartoum signed the documents, Darfur refugees were fleeing into Chad to escape bloodshed from air strikes Feb. 8 by Sudanese helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft. This latest violence left many wondering which is the true face of Sudan. Many observers suggest the authorities signed the agreement under extreme pressure from the international community to avoid a confrontation with the UN. Additionally, by signing the agreement, Sudan has shifted responsibility to the international community to fully fund and equip the peacekeeping force in Darfur, which it has been slow to do. (Institute for War & Peace Reporting, AR No. 156, 13-Feb-08)

Hundreds of Darfuri Children Missing. Several days after the Feb. 8 attacks, hundreds of Darfuri children remain unaccounted for, according to UNICEF. Initial reports suggested that up to 800 children were unaccounted for following an assessment mission to the towns of Sirba and Abu Surouj. The attacks sparked a mass evacuation from the region. "There are indications as many as 30,000 people might have been displaced," said UNICEF. The UN World Food Programme, which participated in the joint assessment mission, said about 5,000 people were in urgent need of food, shelter, medical support and other non-food items. (IRUN, 14-Feb-08)

SAAF Update 05-2008

February 11, 2008

Chad - Darfur: The United Nations condemned a failed rebel attempt to overthrow the government of Chad and cleared the way for possible French military intervention to support President Idriss Deby, although it is not clear that the French intend direct intervention. While the United States, France, Chad and others accuse the Government of Sudan of masterminding the failed coup attempt, the GoS likewise accuses Chad of supporting rebels in Darfur. Tens of thousands of people fled when rebels entered the city last Saturday, and casualties, particularly among civilians, were high. Cleanup is in progress and the capital N’Djamena is returning to a semblance of normalcy. Conflict impedes the ability of aid agencies to provide for Darfur refugees in Eastern Chad and has stalled the European Union plans to deploy troops to protect those refugees. (Bloomberg, NYT and others) Comment: This has direct parallels with the Ugandan/ LRA conflicts that took place on the border with Southern Sudan during the Civil War.

UN Urges Implementation of CPA In a report to the U.N. Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that although Sudan's government of national unity has been restored, "its resilience will depend on its ability to ensure sustained implementation" of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the 21-year civil war in 2005. He said "major challenges" need to be addressed in the weeks and months ahead, including redeploying forces, forming joint military units, marking the north-south boundary, and resolving the crucial issue of who should control the contested oil-rich Abyei region. The two sides also need to move forward with a census which is essential to prepare for elections which must take place in 2009, he said. (International Herald Tribune, Feb 4)

Kiir Expresses Satisfaction. Following a meeting with Sudanese vice-president Ali Osman Taha in Juba on Friday, First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayadrit showed satisfaction over the CPA implementation. He asserted that the two peace partners are going in the right direction and determined to resolve the outstanding issues. Kiir reported that the two had discussed the electoral law, issue of Abyei, and the national census. The two partners have diverged positions on the electoral law. (ST, Feb 7)

Excerpts from previous Situation Updates

Sudan Cannot Speak In Our Name. To the relief of many and credit to its membership, Tanzania, with president Jakaya Kikwete, was elected African Union chair at the ongoing summit in Addis Ababa Thursday, taking over from Ghana. (Various wire sources)

Comment: "The Government of Sudan is one of the most unscrupulous governments in the world, and this is no mean 'achievement' given the many claimants to this dubious honour. It is so cynical that the words 'shame' and 'sensitivity' do not exist in its political dictionary...It cannot be right that a country and a government that kills its own people is allowed to be spokesperson for Africa. Khartoum should be disallowed from assuming the chair of the Union..." (Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem)

China out of patience on Darfur. A senior Chinese diplomat today warned Sudan that "the world is running out of patience over what’s going in Darfur". The Special envoy of Chinese government to Sudan Liu Guijin met with Sudan’s foreign minister Deng Alor on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Abbaba. Alor said that the Chinese envoy reaffirmed his government’s support to Sudan, but called on Sudan "not to do things that will cause the international community to impose sanctions on them". China has generally avoided appearing to pressure Sudan directly over the Darfur crisis to be in line with its long standing policy of not interfering in internal affairs of other countries. Beijing, a veto wielding member in the UN Security Council, has protected Sudan from international condemnation and sanctions causing frustration among Western powers and human rights group worldwide. (Sudan Tribune January 30, 2008)

Kenya Impacts Sudan "Think of Kenya (and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa) as a wall, made up of stones of different sizes representing the different tribes. Imagine this wall as being weakly cemented together and acting as a dam holding back a huge body of water. Think of the body of water as poverty, joblessness, increasing populations, hunger and so on. There is an obvious strain on the wall as the water dams up. Democracy, religion, rule of law, constitutions and some of the other institutions that you may be familiar with can be considered merely as wallpaper that one can bring and paste over this wall. It would certainly look pretty, but trouble would be brewing as the mass of water increased." (Raphael Marambii Jan 9)

Sudan needs reality check (Excerpts from Al Jazeera Analysis Jan 7)

• The Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Sudanese government and the Sudan's People Liberation Movement signed on January 9, 2005 ended years of bloody warfare which had effectively split the country in two.

• History still haunts the peace partners to this day; the walls of distrust are too thick to be demolished by the mere exchange of smiles and pleasantries.

• The CPA deliberately prolonged the transitional period in order to build trust between North and South. The goal was to convince south Sudanese that they would be better off in a united Sudan. Unfortunately, unity seems like an impossible goal right now after three years of this strange power and wealth-sharing formula.

• The CPA, which was designed to bring about peace and prosperity to the Sudanese people after 22 years of war, has so far very little to show for itself.

• It is time for a reality check for all of Sudan. Otherwise, the partition of the country is a very likely prospect.

(Al Jazeera Analysis Jan 7; for complete story see: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D91576FE-E30A-4A4B-B431-533277048B89.htm)

Bush Signs SADA into Law. On December 31, President Bush signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment bill into Law. The law aims to shield state and local governments, mutual funds and private pension funds from investor lawsuits if they divest shares of companies active in Sudan’s oil, mining, power and military equipment industries. It also denies federal contracts to foreign companies involved in Sudan’s oil, mining, power, and military equipment industries. (Various wire sources)

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Worth Remembering from 2007

"This is another timely reminder that the problem in Sudan is not in Darfur (nor in Nubia, nor the south, nor the east, nor Abyei, nor southern Blue Nile, nor Kordofan) but is in Khartoum. Until the centre-periphery dynamics and the entrenched power of a small elite are addressed, the problems will not be resolved. And as long as the world continues to focus its attention on Darfur rather than Khartoum there will not be peace in Darfur or Sudan." John Ashcroft, Sudan Advocate.

Natsios Criticizes Sudan's Government. Andrew Natsios, the (former) special envoy of President George W. Bush accused the Sudanese government of delaying the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the 21-year North-South civil war. “If the Sudanese government is serious about improving relations with the United States, they need to implement the peace agreement between the North and the South,” Natsios said. He noted failure to withdraw troops from Upper Nile and delays in implementing the census and elections as examples of delays. (Sudan Tribune July 24, 2007)

Root of the Problem. We will make no progress in either understanding or halting the ongoing, indeed spreading, human destruction in Darfur and eastern Chad unless we look to the heart of darkness that beats relentlessly in Khartoum. The real explanation to genocide in Darfur lies in the ruthless and brutal regime that rules in Khartoum. (Eric Reeves)

Responsibility to Protect. " It has taken the world an insanely long time to come to terms conceptually with the idea that state sovereignty is not a license to kill – that there is something fundamentally and intolerably wrong about states murdering or forcibly displacing large numbers of their own citizens, or standing by when others do so." (Gareth Evans, International Crisis Group, 13 April 2007)

The comments of Stephanie Nyombayire, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, are pertinent, "You cannot call it a genocide and allow the Sudanese government to continue its killing sprees happening in Darfur today. We said 'never again' after World War II. We said 'never again' after Cambodia. We said 'never again' after Rwanda. I think it's time to make 'never again' be meaningful,'”

Khartoum's agreement to anything is not "news"; real news would be if Khartoum were to honor any of its agreements. John Ashworth

As we celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr., it is worthwhile to consider some of his words in the light of the situation in Sudan.

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?'

Expediency asks the question, 'Is it political?'

Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?'

But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'

And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular...... simply because it is right."

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