- The Chadian rebels (backed by the Government of Sudan) are wreaking havoc in central Darfur. An 11 year young girl was raped by these rebels in the village of Kluklu, a villager told Radio Dabanga. The Chadian rebels were moved from the borders with Chad further in-land according to deals between the two governments: the Sudanese and the Chadian. Yet the Chadian rebels feel free to assault the Darfuri civilians wherever they go. Civilians in Ain Siero, Mallit, and Sayah in North Darfur have complained bitterly about the atrocities of these rebels (looting, rape, and terrorizing) but of no avail.
- Security forces of GoS (Government of Sudan) are in a campaign of arresting community leaders in South Darfur, A Darfuri Journalist reported. The arrests are mainly among Arab tribes leaders and civilians because the GoS is feeling the pressure of rebellion that is growing among Arab tribes in South Darfur, reported the Journalist. The Security forces are putting pressure on the detained leaders and demanding from them to intervene in order to stop the flow of the youth to the rebels, said the Journalist.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Day 256 - December 21st
- A leader of an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp of Abduljabbar near Kas (west Darfur) was gunned down, reported Raadio Dabanga. Sheikh Nassruldin Adam was killed by two gunmen. The sheikh is the leader of leaders of IDP in the area.
- 16 of detained IDP leaders in the prison of Elfasher (North Darfur) are suffering from bad detention and health conditions, reported Radio Dabanga. These are leaders of the camps near Elfasher and were detained since August this year without trial. Relatives and friends told Radio Dabanga that 4 of the leaders were transfered in chains to the Hospital of Elfasher due to deteriorating health conditions.
- 16 of detained IDP leaders in the prison of Elfasher (North Darfur) are suffering from bad detention and health conditions, reported Radio Dabanga. These are leaders of the camps near Elfasher and were detained since August this year without trial. Relatives and friends told Radio Dabanga that 4 of the leaders were transfered in chains to the Hospital of Elfasher due to deteriorating health conditions.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Day 252 - December 17th
- GoS (Government of Sudan) expelled 51 Darfuri female students from University of Khartoum. A female student told Radio Dabanga that she was and other Darfuri female students were surprised around 10:00 pm with a security unit storming the students residents in the campus and ordering the students out, throwing their belongings (mattresses, cloths, books) out on the street. The students said the security forces calaimed that they have orders from the University's Administration to expel the Darfuri female students for not paying the fees.
- From Sudan Tribune:
Sudan says it will not permit any demonstrations by opposition
Thursday 17 December 2009.
December 16, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government said it will categorically prevent any attempts to stage demonstrations saying that the conditions in the country are not suitable for this form of expression.
The Sudanese presidential adviser and the former director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Salah Gosh told a convention for the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) that the government will crack down “on any attempts to stir up the absurdity and the destabilization of the country’s security”.
Gosh was referring to two failed attempts this month by a coalition of Northern opposition parties and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) to stage a rally after hundreds of riot police were deployed to the streets and party headquarters to prevent the demonstrators from taking the streets.
Sudanese police said that the organizers did not get proper permission to conduct the rally but opposition parties say they have notified the authorities as required under the law.
A number of senior SPLM figures were arrested along with hundreds of other opposition supporters. The purpose of the demonstrations was to deliver a memo to the parliament demanding the adoption of pro-reform laws.
Gosh accused the opposition parties of seeking to create a popular uprising to topple the government describing that scenario as “impossible”. He added that the NCP is prepared to stop the absurdity of the opposition parties.
He challenged the opposition parties to “infiltrate” the security of the Sudanese capital even if supported by regional and international powers adding that the NISS has tight control over the security.
The former NISS director said that the NCP will teach the opposition parties “a brutal lesson during the elections” suggesting a landslide victory for the ruling party.
A political analyst speaking to Sudan Tribune from Khartoum said that Gosh is seeking to reinforce his image on the scene following his removal from the post as the spy chief last August.
“He is trying to say I am here and active on the scene. He also wants to show his loyalty to Bashir and the regime hence the strong language he used. It is quite unusual for someone who rarely made media interviews but given how shaken the NCP is after these demonstrations it is understandable” the analyst said.
The US condemned the crackdown by Sudanese authorities and called on Khartoum to allow peaceful freedom of expression without intimidation to allow for a conducive environment to hold the elections.
- From Sudan Tribune:
Sudan says it will not permit any demonstrations by opposition
Thursday 17 December 2009.
December 16, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government said it will categorically prevent any attempts to stage demonstrations saying that the conditions in the country are not suitable for this form of expression.
The Sudanese presidential adviser and the former director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Salah Gosh told a convention for the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) that the government will crack down “on any attempts to stir up the absurdity and the destabilization of the country’s security”.
Gosh was referring to two failed attempts this month by a coalition of Northern opposition parties and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) to stage a rally after hundreds of riot police were deployed to the streets and party headquarters to prevent the demonstrators from taking the streets.
Sudanese police said that the organizers did not get proper permission to conduct the rally but opposition parties say they have notified the authorities as required under the law.
A number of senior SPLM figures were arrested along with hundreds of other opposition supporters. The purpose of the demonstrations was to deliver a memo to the parliament demanding the adoption of pro-reform laws.
Gosh accused the opposition parties of seeking to create a popular uprising to topple the government describing that scenario as “impossible”. He added that the NCP is prepared to stop the absurdity of the opposition parties.
He challenged the opposition parties to “infiltrate” the security of the Sudanese capital even if supported by regional and international powers adding that the NISS has tight control over the security.
The former NISS director said that the NCP will teach the opposition parties “a brutal lesson during the elections” suggesting a landslide victory for the ruling party.
A political analyst speaking to Sudan Tribune from Khartoum said that Gosh is seeking to reinforce his image on the scene following his removal from the post as the spy chief last August.
“He is trying to say I am here and active on the scene. He also wants to show his loyalty to Bashir and the regime hence the strong language he used. It is quite unusual for someone who rarely made media interviews but given how shaken the NCP is after these demonstrations it is understandable” the analyst said.
The US condemned the crackdown by Sudanese authorities and called on Khartoum to allow peaceful freedom of expression without intimidation to allow for a conducive environment to hold the elections.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Day 251 - December 16th
- Without the slightest warning to the residents of the region of Rockerro in Jebel Marra, a force of 17 vehicles believed to be a unit of the Sudanese army opened fire indiscriminately, prompting residents to flee and take refuge in nearby mountains. A witness called Radio Dabanga from his hiding place in the mountains and said the village was under a heavy attack by a hostile military campaign over the last two days. Adding he did not know the whereabouts of his family members and was not aware of whether there were casualties as a result of the incident.
- With the full knowledge of the regular forces and the local authorities in Kebkabiya, members of the border intelligence guards committed two grave violations against local population during last Monday and Friday.The first incident occurred last Monday in the city market when one of the border intelligence guards stabbed a local vendor in front of a large number of people using his rifle bayonet. Apart from the stabbing he tried to charge his weapon, sparking public panic. The incident led to the partial closure of the market.
According to the information available to Radio Dabanga this incident occurred when three border intelligence guards came to the vendor’s shop, ordering him to sell his goads in accordance with the by force imposed pricing but he refused to accept that , then immediately followed the attack . Eventually the vendor was taken to the hospital for treatment but no legal actions were taken so far to try to keep individuals responsible for the attack.
The city witnessed a similar event on Wednesday, when four members of border intelligence guards arrested two butchers on unfounded basis that they had slaughtered two stolen camels.
The butchers were moved to Jebel Si detention center, where they were severely tortured and locked up with no legal justifications provided to them. However, the row was only ended when a financial settlement was secured. Family members and Managing Director of Kebkabiya advised them to pay an amount of $ 10 million Sudanese pounds to ransom their lives.
- With the full knowledge of the regular forces and the local authorities in Kebkabiya, members of the border intelligence guards committed two grave violations against local population during last Monday and Friday.The first incident occurred last Monday in the city market when one of the border intelligence guards stabbed a local vendor in front of a large number of people using his rifle bayonet. Apart from the stabbing he tried to charge his weapon, sparking public panic. The incident led to the partial closure of the market.
According to the information available to Radio Dabanga this incident occurred when three border intelligence guards came to the vendor’s shop, ordering him to sell his goads in accordance with the by force imposed pricing but he refused to accept that , then immediately followed the attack . Eventually the vendor was taken to the hospital for treatment but no legal actions were taken so far to try to keep individuals responsible for the attack.
The city witnessed a similar event on Wednesday, when four members of border intelligence guards arrested two butchers on unfounded basis that they had slaughtered two stolen camels.
The butchers were moved to Jebel Si detention center, where they were severely tortured and locked up with no legal justifications provided to them. However, the row was only ended when a financial settlement was secured. Family members and Managing Director of Kebkabiya advised them to pay an amount of $ 10 million Sudanese pounds to ransom their lives.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Day 249 - December 14th
- Today, at this moment, The Government of Sudan is suppressing another peaceful demonstration in Khartoum.
The security forces of GoS faced with force the 2nd peaceful demonstration in Khartoum.
This time prominent leaders from North opposition parties are detained:
1- Shara Abdalla - Justice Party ( not JEM).
2- Ismail Mohamed Bashir - Student - Sudanese Independent Parti.
3- Mohamed Galal Ahmed Hashim.
4- Mubarak Alfadil - Umma Party.
5- Sara Nugdallah - Umma Party.
6- Rabah Alsadig Almahadi - Umma Party.
7- SidAhmed Alkhatib - Communist Party.
8- Mariam Alsadig Almahadi - Umma Party.
9- Abdallah Deng.
10 - Kamal Omer Abdulsalam - Popular Congress Party.
11- Faisal M. Shubbo - SPLM
Arrests and tear gases operations are still going on.
The GoS closed all the Bridges in the Capital, searching homes.
- From Reuters:
Sudan fires tear gas to disperse opposition rally
Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:52am GMT
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse about 200 opposition protesters on Monday who tried to rally near Sudan's parliament to demand democratic reforms before presidential and parliamentary polls.
Riot police with batons and shields lined the streets near parliament before the planned rally, a Reuters witness said.
Political tensions are mounting in Sudan in the buildup to the April elections. Khartoum drew international criticism after arresting three leaders from the main party in south Sudan at a rally last week.
South Sudan's former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement and opposition groups are demanding that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's National Congress Party usher in reform of Sudan's security forces and other arms of the government.
The sides came closer together on Sunday when Bashir's party reached a deal with the SPLM on the terms of a referendum on southern independence.
Opposition groups said on Monday they were pushing for more changes before the elections and referendum. More than 200 opposition and SPLM supporters had gathered outside a compound close to Sudan's parliament for Monday's protest.
"Monday's agreements were only partial. Laws relating to the democratisation process -- relating to the security service, the trade unions and criminal procedure still have to be changed," said Mubarak al-Fadil, leader of the opposition Umma Reform and Renewal Party.
He said supporters were hoping to hold a peaceful march to parliament to hand over a letter requesting the changes. But a large number of security forces in the streets were preventing protesters from approaching.
"For us, this crackdown proves our point that the situation in the country does not permit free and fair elections," Fadel told Reuters.
Ibrahim Ghandour, a senior NCP official, said the rally was a matter for the security services and that organisers had not applied for permission for a march.
"We hope that the opposition parties instead of talking in their historical jargon go forward and encourage their supporters, if they have any, to take part in the election," he said.
The security forces of GoS faced with force the 2nd peaceful demonstration in Khartoum.
This time prominent leaders from North opposition parties are detained:
1- Shara Abdalla - Justice Party ( not JEM).
2- Ismail Mohamed Bashir - Student - Sudanese Independent Parti.
3- Mohamed Galal Ahmed Hashim.
4- Mubarak Alfadil - Umma Party.
5- Sara Nugdallah - Umma Party.
6- Rabah Alsadig Almahadi - Umma Party.
7- SidAhmed Alkhatib - Communist Party.
8- Mariam Alsadig Almahadi - Umma Party.
9- Abdallah Deng.
10 - Kamal Omer Abdulsalam - Popular Congress Party.
11- Faisal M. Shubbo - SPLM
Arrests and tear gases operations are still going on.
The GoS closed all the Bridges in the Capital, searching homes.
- From Reuters:
Sudan fires tear gas to disperse opposition rally
Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:52am GMT
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse about 200 opposition protesters on Monday who tried to rally near Sudan's parliament to demand democratic reforms before presidential and parliamentary polls.
Riot police with batons and shields lined the streets near parliament before the planned rally, a Reuters witness said.
Political tensions are mounting in Sudan in the buildup to the April elections. Khartoum drew international criticism after arresting three leaders from the main party in south Sudan at a rally last week.
South Sudan's former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement and opposition groups are demanding that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's National Congress Party usher in reform of Sudan's security forces and other arms of the government.
The sides came closer together on Sunday when Bashir's party reached a deal with the SPLM on the terms of a referendum on southern independence.
Opposition groups said on Monday they were pushing for more changes before the elections and referendum. More than 200 opposition and SPLM supporters had gathered outside a compound close to Sudan's parliament for Monday's protest.
"Monday's agreements were only partial. Laws relating to the democratisation process -- relating to the security service, the trade unions and criminal procedure still have to be changed," said Mubarak al-Fadil, leader of the opposition Umma Reform and Renewal Party.
He said supporters were hoping to hold a peaceful march to parliament to hand over a letter requesting the changes. But a large number of security forces in the streets were preventing protesters from approaching.
"For us, this crackdown proves our point that the situation in the country does not permit free and fair elections," Fadel told Reuters.
Ibrahim Ghandour, a senior NCP official, said the rally was a matter for the security services and that organisers had not applied for permission for a march.
"We hope that the opposition parties instead of talking in their historical jargon go forward and encourage their supporters, if they have any, to take part in the election," he said.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Day 245 - December 10th
- Government of Sudan (GoS) arrests more refugees leaders, IDPs (Internally Displaced People), in the camps in Darfur, reported Radio Dabanga:
Security services launch a new campaign of arrests against IDP in Darfur
ABU SHOUK (11 Dec.) - IDPs in Abu Shouk camp appealed to the government authorities in Nyala to release Sheikh Mendy Yusuf Bosh because he is suffering from cartilage and high blood pressure. The spokesman of the IDPs in Abu Shouk cam, Adam Abu Al Kul said to Radio Dabanga that the elderly was arrested two days ago from the Southern market in Nyala and taken away by security authorities to an undisclosed location.
He added the number of detainees from the Abu Shouk and Al Salaam camp reached 28. He said the detainees are in danger because of the continued detention and lack of knowledge of their fate in the hands of security services.
Security services launch a new campaign of arrests against IDP in Darfur
ABU SHOUK (11 Dec.) - IDPs in Abu Shouk camp appealed to the government authorities in Nyala to release Sheikh Mendy Yusuf Bosh because he is suffering from cartilage and high blood pressure. The spokesman of the IDPs in Abu Shouk cam, Adam Abu Al Kul said to Radio Dabanga that the elderly was arrested two days ago from the Southern market in Nyala and taken away by security authorities to an undisclosed location.
He added the number of detainees from the Abu Shouk and Al Salaam camp reached 28. He said the detainees are in danger because of the continued detention and lack of knowledge of their fate in the hands of security services.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Day 244 - December 9th
- In a telephone call I was informed that the Government of Sudan (GoS) is using Chadian rebels to terrorize Darfuri civilians in Malit area ( North Darfur. The caller, who is a reliable source, said that the the Chadian rebels enter homes of civilians and threaten them while the GoS troops are at a visible distance. He said no injuries were reported. This incident occurred last Sunday.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Day 242 - December 7th
- Fresh fighting in Darfur.
From Sudan Tribune:
Rebels kill 17 Sudanese troops during fresh attack in Darfur
Monday 7 December 2009.
December 6, 2009 (LONDON) — Rebels in Darfur said today they killed 17 government troops when they repelled an attack by the Sudanese army against one of their bases in the western part of mountainous area of Jebel Marrah.
The Sudan Liberation Army led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLA-AW) said they repulsed an attack by the government troops and militias against their position in Tourain Tawrah in West Darfur.
"Some 500 soldiers and Janjaweed militia attacked early this morning our position in Trourain Tawrah. The assailants arrived in vehicles, camels and horses," Nimer Abdelrahman, the SLA-Aw military spokesperson told Sudan Tribune by telephone on Sunday.
The rebel official said they killed 17 army troops and militiamen, adding they destroyed three vehicles and captured two others; besides killing five camels and 15 horses.
The attacker who arrived from Kass meant to "take the control of our base there. It is part of their efforts to put pressure on our movement to join the peace process," added the rebel official.
The SLM/A-AW refuses to join the peace process in the Qatari capital Doha. However, the Paris based leader of the rebel group, Al-Nur engaged discussions with the Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole to find ways to reconcile their demand for security and the peace process.
Nimer said the assailants burnt the location of Tourain Tawrah and the civilians evacuated their homes and fled to the mountains. He called on aid groups in the restive region to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected population.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in a report o the UN Security Council at mid November that the Sudanese government restricts the movement of the hybrid peacekeeping mission preventing it from going to a number of areas there.
Since this summer Sudanese forces carry out regular attack on the SLA-AW positions in central Darfur area. On November 30, the rebels said they killed five troops in an attack against their position near Jiba, in Jebel Marrah.
From Sudan Tribune:
Rebels kill 17 Sudanese troops during fresh attack in Darfur
Monday 7 December 2009.
December 6, 2009 (LONDON) — Rebels in Darfur said today they killed 17 government troops when they repelled an attack by the Sudanese army against one of their bases in the western part of mountainous area of Jebel Marrah.
The Sudan Liberation Army led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLA-AW) said they repulsed an attack by the government troops and militias against their position in Tourain Tawrah in West Darfur.
"Some 500 soldiers and Janjaweed militia attacked early this morning our position in Trourain Tawrah. The assailants arrived in vehicles, camels and horses," Nimer Abdelrahman, the SLA-Aw military spokesperson told Sudan Tribune by telephone on Sunday.
The rebel official said they killed 17 army troops and militiamen, adding they destroyed three vehicles and captured two others; besides killing five camels and 15 horses.
The attacker who arrived from Kass meant to "take the control of our base there. It is part of their efforts to put pressure on our movement to join the peace process," added the rebel official.
The SLM/A-AW refuses to join the peace process in the Qatari capital Doha. However, the Paris based leader of the rebel group, Al-Nur engaged discussions with the Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole to find ways to reconcile their demand for security and the peace process.
Nimer said the assailants burnt the location of Tourain Tawrah and the civilians evacuated their homes and fled to the mountains. He called on aid groups in the restive region to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected population.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in a report o the UN Security Council at mid November that the Sudanese government restricts the movement of the hybrid peacekeeping mission preventing it from going to a number of areas there.
Since this summer Sudanese forces carry out regular attack on the SLA-AW positions in central Darfur area. On November 30, the rebels said they killed five troops in an attack against their position near Jiba, in Jebel Marrah.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Day 241 - December 6th
- From AllAfrica.com:
Rwanda: Govt Blames Sudan for Darfur Attacks
Frank Kagabo
6 December 2009
Kigali — Rwanda has accused the Khartoum government of being behind the ambush in which three RDF peacekeepers were killed and two injured at Saraf Umra in Darfur on Friday.
Hours later, two more peacekeepers were killed in a separate attack yesterday; the RDF spokesman Maj. Jill Rutaremara told The Sunday Times that there is no known presence of rebel activity in the area where the ambush took place.
He pointed out that the ambush took place 300 metres from the Government Forces' check point.
"The proximity of the ambush to the checkpoint manned by the government forces raises some questions. The only logical conclusion the RDF can make is that the RDF Peacekeepers were killed and injured by the government forces," said Rutaremara.
He revealed that the second attack in which two soldiers died yesterday were carried out by gunmen dressed in civilian clothes in Shagilitobay where they were supplying water to Internally Displaced Persons, the army spokesman said,
"There is nothing that immediately points an accusing finger to the Government forces in the Shangilitobay case apart from the coincidence of timing."
"More investigations are needed in this second case to establish the identity of the perpetrators," he added.
Rutaremara, however, said that the RDF is hopeful that a diplomatic solution will be found.
"Meanwhile the RDF peacekeepers are observing maximum vigilance ready to defend themselves and where necessary pursue the attackers as they did. There are always some lessons learnt in any operation. The RDF will constantly review the way they conduct their operations in light of these developments."
Rwanda has over 3,500 troops serving under the UN-AU hybrid force, UNAMID as well as UNMIS.
Rwanda: Govt Blames Sudan for Darfur Attacks
Frank Kagabo
6 December 2009
Kigali — Rwanda has accused the Khartoum government of being behind the ambush in which three RDF peacekeepers were killed and two injured at Saraf Umra in Darfur on Friday.
Hours later, two more peacekeepers were killed in a separate attack yesterday; the RDF spokesman Maj. Jill Rutaremara told The Sunday Times that there is no known presence of rebel activity in the area where the ambush took place.
He pointed out that the ambush took place 300 metres from the Government Forces' check point.
"The proximity of the ambush to the checkpoint manned by the government forces raises some questions. The only logical conclusion the RDF can make is that the RDF Peacekeepers were killed and injured by the government forces," said Rutaremara.
He revealed that the second attack in which two soldiers died yesterday were carried out by gunmen dressed in civilian clothes in Shagilitobay where they were supplying water to Internally Displaced Persons, the army spokesman said,
"There is nothing that immediately points an accusing finger to the Government forces in the Shangilitobay case apart from the coincidence of timing."
"More investigations are needed in this second case to establish the identity of the perpetrators," he added.
Rutaremara, however, said that the RDF is hopeful that a diplomatic solution will be found.
"Meanwhile the RDF peacekeepers are observing maximum vigilance ready to defend themselves and where necessary pursue the attackers as they did. There are always some lessons learnt in any operation. The RDF will constantly review the way they conduct their operations in light of these developments."
Rwanda has over 3,500 troops serving under the UN-AU hybrid force, UNAMID as well as UNMIS.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Day 240 - December 5th
- The Peace Keepers in Darfur are targetted:
From Reuters:
Two Darfur peacekeepers killed in second attack
1:33pm EST
By Andrew Heavens
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Two Rwandan peacekeepers were shot dead and one was wounded in Sudan's Darfur region on Saturday, the second attack on their contingent in 24 hours, the force said.
Gunmen in traditional robes opened fire on the soldiers as they distributed water in a refugee camp, the joint U.N./African Union force said, a day after three Rwandan soldiers were killed in an ambush as they escorted a water tanker.
UNAMID communications chief Kemal Saiki said it was too early to say whether the attacks were linked. The shooting brought to 22 the number of peacekeepers killed since the undermanned force were deployed in January 2008.
UNAMID, which is supposed to keep the peace in a territory about the size of Spain, has faced threats and harassment from Sudanese government troops, the United Nations reported last month, and has also been targeted by bandits active in the remote western region. Khartoum dismissed the U.N. report.
Saiki said the Rwandans were handing out water at a refugee camp in the settlement of Shangil Tobay, about 65 km (40 miles) south of the capital of north Darfur El Fasher.
"Some men in the crowd were hiding guns in their robes ... They opened fire without warning. Two of the peacekeepers were killed on the spot," Saiki said.
A third Rwandan soldier was wounded, he said, adding the attackers drove off in a UNAMID pick-up, later found abandoned by pursuing peacekeepers.
Three Rwandan soldiers were killed and two wounded in an ambush near the north Darfur settlement of Saraf Omra, about 200 km west of El Fasher, Friday.
UNAMID said it was investigating the motives of the attackers, but suspected they were trying to steal a vehicle.
Law and order has collapsed more than six years after mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglecting the region.
Sudan's government mobilized mostly Arab militias to crush the uprising. Violence has diminished in recent years, replaced in many areas by a free-for-all involving rival tribes, rebel splinter groups and bandits.
Estimates of the death toll range from 300,000 according to the United Nations, to 10,000 according to Khartoum.
From Reuters:
Two Darfur peacekeepers killed in second attack
1:33pm EST
By Andrew Heavens
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Two Rwandan peacekeepers were shot dead and one was wounded in Sudan's Darfur region on Saturday, the second attack on their contingent in 24 hours, the force said.
Gunmen in traditional robes opened fire on the soldiers as they distributed water in a refugee camp, the joint U.N./African Union force said, a day after three Rwandan soldiers were killed in an ambush as they escorted a water tanker.
UNAMID communications chief Kemal Saiki said it was too early to say whether the attacks were linked. The shooting brought to 22 the number of peacekeepers killed since the undermanned force were deployed in January 2008.
UNAMID, which is supposed to keep the peace in a territory about the size of Spain, has faced threats and harassment from Sudanese government troops, the United Nations reported last month, and has also been targeted by bandits active in the remote western region. Khartoum dismissed the U.N. report.
Saiki said the Rwandans were handing out water at a refugee camp in the settlement of Shangil Tobay, about 65 km (40 miles) south of the capital of north Darfur El Fasher.
"Some men in the crowd were hiding guns in their robes ... They opened fire without warning. Two of the peacekeepers were killed on the spot," Saiki said.
A third Rwandan soldier was wounded, he said, adding the attackers drove off in a UNAMID pick-up, later found abandoned by pursuing peacekeepers.
Three Rwandan soldiers were killed and two wounded in an ambush near the north Darfur settlement of Saraf Omra, about 200 km west of El Fasher, Friday.
UNAMID said it was investigating the motives of the attackers, but suspected they were trying to steal a vehicle.
Law and order has collapsed more than six years after mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglecting the region.
Sudan's government mobilized mostly Arab militias to crush the uprising. Violence has diminished in recent years, replaced in many areas by a free-for-all involving rival tribes, rebel splinter groups and bandits.
Estimates of the death toll range from 300,000 according to the United Nations, to 10,000 according to Khartoum.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Day 239 - December 4th
- Hearing of House Subcommittee on Sudan on 12/03/2009, with General Gration, John Prendergast, and others as witnesses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNAzWm6ViP4&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNAzWm6ViP4&feature=channel
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Day 236 - December 1st
- From Sudan Tribune:
* Lack of publicity hits voter registration across Sudan
* Fears of intimidation at Darfur registration stations
* Peaceful registration process praised
KHARTOUM, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Millions of voters could be left out of Sudan's first elections in 24 years because of a failure of authorities to persuade more people to register for the poll, international observers said on Tuesday.
The elections, scheduled for April next year, have already been marred by accusations of fraud and opposition parties have threatened to boycott them if democratic reforms are not passed before they take place.
International observers from The Carter Center said they were concerned poor publicity over the process had already hit the number of people registering to vote, warning some states might sign up fewer than half of eligible voters.
"Without civic education millions may effectively be disenfranchised by a combination of ignorance of the electoral process, mistrust of central authorities, and poor publicity of registration activities," a Carter Center statement said.
"Without specific attention to reaching those most distant from the process, the registration exercise will be undermined."
The ballot was set up under a 2005 peace agreement that ended more than two decades of north-south civil war in the oil-producing nation. But leaders from both sides remain at loggerheads over preparations.
The Carter Center urged Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) to increase publicity and funding for teams signing up voters across Africa's largest country, saying current figures showed most states might miss registration targets.
It said there were concerns over the turnout for registration in western Darfur territory as well as the east, south and the central Kordofan regions.
Registration was due to end after a 30-day period on Nov. 30 but was extended for one week following concerns about low turnout and public awareness.
The presence of government intelligence agents at registration centres in Darfur might intimidate voters there, it said.
It also said agents from some political parties were gathering outside centres to take down voters' personal details and persuade them to hand over their registration receipts.
The Carter Center also said it was concerned that military and security personnel had been allowed to register where they work, rather than where they live, which might allow for double registration.
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSHEA134129._CH_.2400
- From Reuters:
* U.S. urged to push China to pressure Khartoum
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States and other world powers should impose sanctions on key members of the Sudanese government for refusing to end violence in Darfur and south Sudan, a report by an anti-genocide group said on Monday.
Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem reacted angrily to the report, calling the Enough Project, a Washington-based anti-genocide group, "war mongers."
The Enough Project's report said there was a risk of a new civil war and warned that nationwide elections next year and a 2011 referendum on whether the oil-rich and semi-autonomous south should secede from the Khartoum-led north would not be free and fair.
The report placed the bulk of the blame on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was indicted in March by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Sudan's remote western region of Darfur. The report called for sanctions.
"Without a firm response from the international community, led by the United States, full-scale nationwide war is inevitable," said the report, written by Enough Project co-founder and former U.S. State Department and National Security Council official John Prendergast.
"This should involve a special outreach effort to China because of the vulnerability of its oil investments should war resume in the South," the report said. "The United States must, then, organize and lead a multilateral diplomatic surge in Sudan aimed at negotiating and consolidating national peace."
It recommended "multilateral asset freezes aimed at key members of the NCP who have enriched themselves as a result of the oil boom of the last decade in Sudan." The report also supported travel bans and denying Khartoum access to the debt relief it has been lobbying for.
Sudan's U.N. envoy Abdalhaleem rejected the report.
"Those war mongers and war traders are in a race with time to stop the peace train which is already moving to its destination," he told Reuters. "Their report exposes their bankruptcy and the fact that realities on the ground .... defeated their sick mentality."
DISAPPOINTMENT
The head of Save Darfur, a separate coalition of more than 180 religious, political, and human rights organizations, backed the main conclusions of the Enough Project report.
"Coordinated multilateral action is crucial to promoting peace in Sudan, and that action has to deal with the reality that the core of the problem is the ruling National Congress Party's seeking to maintain its domination of power and wealth," Save Darfur president Jerry Fowler told Reuters.
"It is difficult for me to see how a strategy that doesn't include pressure could succeed," he said.
Behind the complaints of Darfur activists is disappointment with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, which took nearly 10 months to formulate and announce a new Sudan policy that they worry is not being implemented aggressively enough.
That strategy calls for renewed U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan, but also offers Khartoum new incentives to end violence in Darfur and the South ahead of polls next year.
The former head of the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur said earlier this year that the six-year conflict in Darfur was essentially over.
But that assessment was contradicted by a recent report of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said that fighting between the Sudanese army and rebels continued, civilians remained at risk, and peacekeepers were routinely harassed by government forces.
U.N. diplomats and analysts say China's opposition to U.N. sanctions on Khartoum remains steadfast. Beijing holds a veto on the U.N. Security Council, which means it has the power to block any resolution imposing U.N. sanctions on Khartoum.
They also warn that a 2005 peace deal between the North and South that ended a two-decade civil war is unraveling.
The United Nations says more than 2 million people were driven from their homes and some 300,000 people died in the Darfur crisis, although levels of conflict have fallen since the mass killings of 2003 and 2004. Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000.
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSN30423373._CH_.2400
‘Keep Silent’ on Darfur, Sudan tells US
Tuesday 1 December 2009.
November 30, 2009 (WASHINGTON) - The US administration should stay away from the crisis in the Darfur region if it is to be resolved, the Sudanese UN ambassador said today.
“It is better if the US want to assist the peace process is to keep silent because they don’t have the information and the UN itself confirmed in no uncertain terms through the visit of Mrs. Malcorra [UN Under Secretary-General for Field Support, Susana Malcorra] last week in Sudan through the tripartite arrangement and mechanism that access is provided, that cooperation of Sudan with UNAMID is on course,” the Sudanese envoy Abdel-Mahmood Abdel-Haleem told reporters today at the UN headquarters.
His statements came few minutes after his US counterpart Susan Rice criticized at the stakeout what she described as impediments made by Khartoum to UNAMID that was mentioned in the periodic report by the UN Secretary General.
“The United States is particularly concerned about the reports that we heard referenced in the Secretary-General’s report of some 42 instances in which UNAMID personnel and patrols have been denied freedom of movement and access” Rice said.
“These quite directly and seriously contravene the terms in the status of forces agreement that the government of Sudan has committed to. It impedes UNAMID’s ability to protect civilians and do its vital work and it is utterly unacceptable, as are the threats by the government of Sudan against UNAMID and its personnel, threats that are amply documented in the Secretary-General’s report. But we expect that the UN will continue the important and vital efforts of UNAMID occurring in the most difficult of circumstances and we expect that the UN will report fully, accurately and on a timely basis, not only about incidents that occur, but who is responsible for incidents when they occur” she added.
The UN ambassador also took a hit at Abdel-Haleem accusing him of “bullying”.
“The sort of efforts that we saw today by the Permanent Representative of Sudan in the Chamber to try to bully and intimidate the United Nations into not reporting fully and accurately, will not be tolerated. And we will insist on and continue to expect timely and full reporting on these incidents and clear accounting for who is responsible so that we and other members of the Security Council can employ this vital information in the implementation of our national and our collective policies” she said.
The Sudanese official objected to the “bleak” pictures presented in the report and claimed that his views were shared by half of the UN Security Council (UNSC) members.
The Deputy UN peacekeeping chief Edmond Mulet who briefed the UNSC today said that Darfur rebel forces also have made it difficult for UNAMID to carry out its mission.
“Similar commitments to UNAMID’s freedom of movement are required from the armed [rebel] movements with respect to their areas of control if UNAMID is to succeed in its mission of assisting the parties in re-establishing comprehensive peace and stability," Mulet said.
The UN official noted that the opening of a new round of UN-backed talks on Darfur this month in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar coincided with an escalation of armed clashes between the rebels.
He gave examples in southern Darfur, where Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) from the Minni Minnawi faction (SLA/MM) attacked two villages, killing 11 people, and a few days later on 19 November 29 Sudanese soldiers were ambushed and killed, with both SLA/Abdul Shafie and SLA/Abdul Wahid fighters claiming responsibility.
“These attacks are unacceptable and illustrate the extent to which the fragmentation of the Darfurian rebel movements continues to be a reality ¬– with obvious implications for the mediation and peace process,” Mr. Mulet said in the briefing on UNAMID.
The Assistant-Secretary-General told the Council that a number of groups in Darfur, including the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and SLA/AW continue to express concern over the holding of national elections, slated for April 2010, before a peace agreement is reached.
In this connection, Mr. Mulet said that the “start of elections registration on 1 November led to heightened tensions in some areas of Darfur,” which he characterized as an unacceptable threat to the electoral process in Sudan.
This month Hussein Abu Sharati the spokesperson of Darfur IDP’s and refugees told Sudan Tribune that seven IDP’s were killed in West Darfur in a clash between the residents and government troops which attempted to force them to take part in voter registration process.
- From Reuters:
Millions could miss Sudan elections - observers
* Lack of publicity hits voter registration across Sudan
* Fears of intimidation at Darfur registration stations
* Peaceful registration process praised
KHARTOUM, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Millions of voters could be left out of Sudan's first elections in 24 years because of a failure of authorities to persuade more people to register for the poll, international observers said on Tuesday.
The elections, scheduled for April next year, have already been marred by accusations of fraud and opposition parties have threatened to boycott them if democratic reforms are not passed before they take place.
International observers from The Carter Center said they were concerned poor publicity over the process had already hit the number of people registering to vote, warning some states might sign up fewer than half of eligible voters.
"Without civic education millions may effectively be disenfranchised by a combination of ignorance of the electoral process, mistrust of central authorities, and poor publicity of registration activities," a Carter Center statement said.
"Without specific attention to reaching those most distant from the process, the registration exercise will be undermined."
The ballot was set up under a 2005 peace agreement that ended more than two decades of north-south civil war in the oil-producing nation. But leaders from both sides remain at loggerheads over preparations.
The Carter Center urged Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) to increase publicity and funding for teams signing up voters across Africa's largest country, saying current figures showed most states might miss registration targets.
It said there were concerns over the turnout for registration in western Darfur territory as well as the east, south and the central Kordofan regions.
Registration was due to end after a 30-day period on Nov. 30 but was extended for one week following concerns about low turnout and public awareness.
The presence of government intelligence agents at registration centres in Darfur might intimidate voters there, it said.
It also said agents from some political parties were gathering outside centres to take down voters' personal details and persuade them to hand over their registration receipts.
The Carter Center also said it was concerned that military and security personnel had been allowed to register where they work, rather than where they live, which might allow for double registration.
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSHEA134129._CH_.2400
- From Reuters:
Report urges sanctions against Sudan ruling party
* Sudan's UN envoy says Darfur activists are "war mongers"* U.S. urged to push China to pressure Khartoum
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States and other world powers should impose sanctions on key members of the Sudanese government for refusing to end violence in Darfur and south Sudan, a report by an anti-genocide group said on Monday.
Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem reacted angrily to the report, calling the Enough Project, a Washington-based anti-genocide group, "war mongers."
The Enough Project's report said there was a risk of a new civil war and warned that nationwide elections next year and a 2011 referendum on whether the oil-rich and semi-autonomous south should secede from the Khartoum-led north would not be free and fair.
The report placed the bulk of the blame on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was indicted in March by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Sudan's remote western region of Darfur. The report called for sanctions.
"Without a firm response from the international community, led by the United States, full-scale nationwide war is inevitable," said the report, written by Enough Project co-founder and former U.S. State Department and National Security Council official John Prendergast.
"This should involve a special outreach effort to China because of the vulnerability of its oil investments should war resume in the South," the report said. "The United States must, then, organize and lead a multilateral diplomatic surge in Sudan aimed at negotiating and consolidating national peace."
It recommended "multilateral asset freezes aimed at key members of the NCP who have enriched themselves as a result of the oil boom of the last decade in Sudan." The report also supported travel bans and denying Khartoum access to the debt relief it has been lobbying for.
Sudan's U.N. envoy Abdalhaleem rejected the report.
"Those war mongers and war traders are in a race with time to stop the peace train which is already moving to its destination," he told Reuters. "Their report exposes their bankruptcy and the fact that realities on the ground .... defeated their sick mentality."
DISAPPOINTMENT
The head of Save Darfur, a separate coalition of more than 180 religious, political, and human rights organizations, backed the main conclusions of the Enough Project report.
"Coordinated multilateral action is crucial to promoting peace in Sudan, and that action has to deal with the reality that the core of the problem is the ruling National Congress Party's seeking to maintain its domination of power and wealth," Save Darfur president Jerry Fowler told Reuters.
"It is difficult for me to see how a strategy that doesn't include pressure could succeed," he said.
Behind the complaints of Darfur activists is disappointment with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, which took nearly 10 months to formulate and announce a new Sudan policy that they worry is not being implemented aggressively enough.
That strategy calls for renewed U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan, but also offers Khartoum new incentives to end violence in Darfur and the South ahead of polls next year.
The former head of the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur said earlier this year that the six-year conflict in Darfur was essentially over.
But that assessment was contradicted by a recent report of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said that fighting between the Sudanese army and rebels continued, civilians remained at risk, and peacekeepers were routinely harassed by government forces.
U.N. diplomats and analysts say China's opposition to U.N. sanctions on Khartoum remains steadfast. Beijing holds a veto on the U.N. Security Council, which means it has the power to block any resolution imposing U.N. sanctions on Khartoum.
They also warn that a 2005 peace deal between the North and South that ended a two-decade civil war is unraveling.
The United Nations says more than 2 million people were driven from their homes and some 300,000 people died in the Darfur crisis, although levels of conflict have fallen since the mass killings of 2003 and 2004. Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000.
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSN30423373._CH_.2400
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