day 406 - May 20th 2010

- From Reuters:

Darfur rebels and army clash, peace hopes fade
Thu May 20, 2010 12:02pm EDT

* Darfur rebels, army clash in South Darfur

* Hopes for peace talks fade

* Sudanese journalists protest against arrests, censorship



KHARTOUM, May 20 (Reuters) - Darfur rebels fought government troops on Thursday in the east of the troubled region, the latest in a wave of clashes which has seen hopes of reviving a faltering peace process fade away.

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's counter-insurgency campaign in Sudan's west sparked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and earned him an arrest warrant for war crimes from the International Criminal Court.

Darfur rebel divisions and clashes have been the main obstacles to Qatar-hosted peace talks. The militarily powerful rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has warned it would attack the government "anywhere" after suspending its participation in the talks, citing bombardment of its areas.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) JEM went into Um Sa'ouna village and began to use the civilians as human shields," Sudan's army spokesman said. "We have surrounded the roads leading out of the village and have heavy clashes with anyone who comes out," he said, adding the standoff was ongoing.

The spokesman said the army was not fighting inside Um Sa'ouna village in the east of South Darfur state, because it was worried about civilian casualties.

JEM said the army had been routed. "Their troops fled to Ed-Daeen and She'aria," said JEM commander Suleiman Sandal, referring to two nearby towns. He said JEM had lost four soldiers and had killed more than 200 government soldiers.

There was no independent version of events.



JOURNALISTS DELIVER MESSAGE

Also on Thursday, about 50 Sudanese journalists delivered a memorandum to government authorities condemning the closure, seizure of assets and the arrest of four employees of the opposition al-Rai al-Shaab paper in a midnight raid on Saturday.

Sudanese authorities also censored two papers on Wednesday night, which the journalists criticised as a step backwards in developing democracy.

One security source said the papers had been inciting people against the state.

Sudan held its first open elections in 24 years in April, and lifted direct censorship of the papers last year.

But journalists said restrictions continued in other ways like withdrawing government company advertising revenues, essential for papers to survive.

"This means papers are forced to self censor and that is more dangerous than the direct censorship," said Yasir Haroun from the English-language Sudan Tribune daily.

The Ajras al-Huriya daily is also facing five court cases raised by the police, army and security forces.

The journalists said if their four colleagues from al-Rai al-Shaab were not charged or released they would begin regular protests and lobbying against the authorities.

Al-Rai al-Shaab is the mouthpiece of opposition Islamist Hassan al-Turabi's Popular Congress Party. Turabi was also arrested on Saturday but the party said none of the five has been charged yet.

(Reporting by Opheera McDoom)

day 397 - May 11th 2010

From Radio Dabanga:

-
West Darfur residents flee JEM-Sudan fighting to Chad
KOUNOUNGO

11 May
Fighting between the government and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement has forced residents of West Darfur to flee to Chad. Approximately 2500 people arrived at Birak in eastern Chad from Holeilat, Bir Salila, Jebel Moon and Gergi Gergi. These areas were the scene of clashes and aerial bombardment. A source today said that the UN refugee agency met the refugees and promised to find a place for them in Mileh and Konoungo camps. The witness said the refugees are faced with bad conditions staying on the ground under trees.

day 392 - May 6th 2010

From Darfur:
The Government of Sudan is conducting campaign of more bombings in West Darfur, North Darfur, and South Darfur per reports coming from Darfur.
- Today (Thursday May 6th) SAF (Sudan Air Force) plane dropped a bomb on civilians near village of Tabit (between Elfasher and Nyala), killing a woman, her baby, and her donkey.
Eyewitness near Nyala said that they saw a military airplane went down coming from north (probably the same plane that killed the woman and her baby).

- Yesterday (Wednesday May 5th.), an Antonove plane bombed civilians while they were getting water from a well near the village of Gallabat (about 25 miles west of ElFasher). That bombing killed:
Sharafia Ahmed Mohamed - female in her 40s.
Magbola Gumaah and her son.
Magbola's husband was seriously injured, still alive.

day 388 - May 2nd 2010

- Police open fire on demonstration in Elfasher, North Darfur.
More Details:

1- The police, security forces opened fire ( light arms and machine guns) on the demonstrators at the center of the city. So far from the hospital at least 17 were dead and more than 200 injured.
2- The leaders of the demonstration claim that the Governor is involved in the scheme, that is why the demonstration was headed towards the Governor's office. They claim that the central government is involved in the cover-up. That is why the demonstration was met with deadly forces (use of machine guns).
3- Most likely curfew in the city will be declared.

4- The actual dead and the injured numbers are far more than reported in the international news agencies.


- From Radio Dabanga:
Sudan Air Force has dropped 9 bombs in the village of Gibbashah, West Darfur. No casualties reported. This bombing occured on Sunday May 2nd 2010.