Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Update: Return of Scorched Earth

Brede Eschilman

On the ground: the janjaweed have returned to scorched-earth tactics, returning to the violent mass campaigns from the beginning of the genocide.  The campaign is aimed against JEM (Justice and Equality Movement), which has gained strength in the area and has ties with the government of Chad.

Approximately 20,000 people are trapped in western Sudan near Jebel Moon after the recent attacks there.  Humanitarian workers do not have access to the area, and those trapped in the area do not have adequate food and medical supplies.

Advocacy:  A recent editorial in The New Republic compared Darfur to Kosovo and advocated for NATO action in Sudan.

Global Response: BBC has posted pictures showing the effect of the most recent surge of violence in western Darfur and Chad.

Zhang Yimou, a Chinese film maker with whom Steven Spielberg had been working on the Olympic opening ceremonies, has called Spielberg’s decision to withdraw from his role as Olympic adviser “quite regrettable”.  Spielberg left his position in protest of China’s compliance with the Sudanese government.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

New Attacks in West Darfur

Christina Hueschen

On the ground – Sudan’s armed forces launched an offensive in West Darfur on February 8 with the supposed aim of clearing out rebel fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). But residents of the targeted towns Abu Surouj, Suleia and Sirba, and surrounding villages, say the rebels had left days before the attacks.  The violence was the region’s worst in months and affected up to 60,000 Darfuris, 12,000 of whom fled into Chad.  Locals say more than 100 civilians were killed.

Today, Sudan’s army clashed again with Darfur rebels in the mountainous Jabel Moun area.  The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) withdrew a team caring for refugees from the Chad/Darfur border after today’s fresh aerial bombing.

In diplomacy – American President George W. Bush paid somber homage today to the estimated 800,000 killed in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.  President Bush, who is currently on a five-country Africa tour, urged global action to end the bloodshed in Sudan’s Darfur region “once and for all.” He called again for a “robust” UN/African Union peacekeeping force Darfur, and insisted that China must act “collaboratively” on efforts to end violence there.

The president of Chad declared a 15-day nationwide state of emergency on Thursday.  President Idriss Deby said the emergency powers, which include a night-time curfew and controls on the movement of vehicles, are needed to restore order after the recent coup attempt in the capital.

In the activist movement – US film director Steven Spielberg withdrew last week as an artistic adviser for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  In a statement, he accused China of not doing enough to pressure Sudan to end the “continuing human suffering” in western Darfur.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Update: Fighting in Chad Slows, Problems Still Persist

Simon Warren

On the ground—Fighting between rebels and government forces has stopped in Chad’s capital, Ndjamena, the New York Times reports. Rebel forces had made their way to the capital, but over the past two days, the government had claimed to put down the fighting in the city. Problems still face the region, as Chad’s government accuses its neighbor Sudan of supporting the rebels, and Sudan accuses Chad of supporting Darfuri rebels. Both countries have long histories of intervening in each other’s affairs, as initial janjaweed militia men were from Chad, and Chad has allowed a European peacekeeping force to enter , against the wishes of Sudan. Conditions still are quite bad in Chad after the fighting has been stablized, with injured people only receiving treatment now, and with food shortages in the country.

In diplomacy-- Ethiopia and Bangladesh have promised helicopters to the beleagured UNAMID force. Ethiopia told UN ambassadors that they would give 3 transport helicopters and 2 attack helicopters. Bangladesh’s contribution promise is more vague. The force has had a great need for helicopters to patrol the Darfur area, and has issued a plan for 18 attack and 6 transport helicopters. The force is still undermanned, at 9,000 soldiers from 26,000 planned. Thai and Nepalese soldiers are scheduled to arrive soon, but Sudan is still demanding that as much of the force be African as possible.

The Dutch say that they are willing to host peace talks between Sudanese officials and rebel groups. The statement comes after Dutch Development Minister Bert Koenders met with a representative of the Sudan Liberation Movement/ Army (SLM/A) rebel group, SLM/A commander Ahmed Abdel Shafi has been quoted as saying: “The Netherlands would be a good option for peace talks.” and “Last October we gave a letter to the Dutch ambassador in Khartoum, with a request for peace talks in the Netherlands.” Talks in Libya in October stalled as SLM/A and other major rebel groups boycotted the talks.

UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon says that many of the problems in the beleagured region are caused by water shortages. In an address to the General Assembly, Ban stated “Water shortages are at the core of many of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of which is to reduce by half the number of people without safe access to water by 2015. When you consider the health and development challenges facing the poorest of the world’s population - diseases like malaria or TB [tuberculosis], rising food prices, environmental degradation - the common denominator often seems to be water.”

In the activist movement-- Activist and actor Mia Farrow has criticized director Stephen Spielberg of complicity in supporting a Darfur-China connection. The director, while being donating money to many anti-genocidal organizations and activities, has continued to be an artistic advisor for the opening and closing ceremonies in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China has over $2 billion invested in Sudanese oil interests, and the Olympic games are targeted as a key issue in both China’s emergence in international affluence and as a key demonstration of the country’s involvement in the genocide in Darfur.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Update: UNAMID negotiates with Sudanese Government

Brede Eschilman

Diplomatically:
On Tuesday, officials from UNAMID met with Sudanese government officials in Khartoum to negotiate terms for the operations of the force, including the composition of its troops.  UN and AU special envoys Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim arrived in Khartoum at the same time.

One rebel group, SLA Unity, has agreed to meet with envoys for preliminary unity talks among rebel factions in preparation for peace negotiations.  JEM has refused to participate in the talks, citing as reason the participation of smaller rebel groups.

On the ground:

Humanitarian workers have claimed two bombings near El Geneina in Darfur.  This, in combination with increased violence in the area from Chadian forces, has made El Geneina inaccessible to aid workers.

Amnesty International has claimed that the rebel faction led by Abdel Wahid Nur, founder of the SLA, has kidnapped 17 people due to the kidnapped persons’ support of the unity talks with the UN and AU special envoys.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Update: Sudanese troops fire on UN convoy

Christina Hueschen

On the ground – Sudanese soldiers fired on a convoy of UN peacekeepers in Darfur late Monday - the first attack on UNAMID troops since their mission began earlier this month.  The gunfire critically wounded a local driver and destroyed a fuel tanker; UN troops suffered no casualties.  One UN peacekeeper said the Sudanese troops apparently mistook the convoy for Darfur rebels, but the UN has condemned the attack, stating that the vehicles were clearly marked.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the situation in Darfur is deteriorating, and the current peacekeeping force of 9,000 is not sufficient.  He called for “the rapid deployment of hybrid operations as agreed to the level of 26,000 (peacekeepers) as soon as possible.” Ban also announced that he plans to meet with Sudanese President al-Bashir in person at an upcoming AU summit in Addis-Ababa.

In diplomacy – The president of Chad, Idriss Deby, has threatened to send his armed forces into neighboring Sudan to destroy Chadian rebel fighters he accuses Khartoum of supporting.  He also announced that he may break off diplomatic ties with Sudan.

A group calling itself Ansar al-Tawhid has come forward to claim the New Year’s Day murder of US diplomat John Granville in Sudan.  In a statement posted on a militant website, the Ansar al-Tawhid group said the January 1 killing of USAID official Granville, 33, and his driver in Khartoum was in response to attempts to impose Christianity on Sudan.

In the activist movement – The Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund, which supports programs to develop local livelihoods in Darfur alongside efforts to work for peace and security, received its first donation of funds – 350,000 euros from Germany – this week.  The fund represents a new approach to work for peace in Darfur, one that links political progress to community-based support for development.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Update: UN-AU force takes over for AU.

Simon Warren

On the ground-- In a symbolic move yesterday, the African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur became a United Nations one, swapping their green berets for blue ones, and gaining the promise of more troops, better equipment, and greater security mandate. 20,000 troops and 6,000 police from several nations are planned to be sent to the country, however, there currently are only 9,000, mostly from the previous AU mandate. In the next two months, soldiers from Egypt, Pakistan, and Ethiopia, and police from Nepal are expected to be deployed. The force will be the largest peacekeeping operation in the world.

After a meeting with Libyan president Moammar Gadhafi, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak announced that his country would be sending 1,200 troops in the next few days.

In the ceremony yesterday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the gaps in the UNAMID deployment, particularly the lack of logistical support. The new force is asking for 24 helicopters to patrol the Dafur region, and no country has yet pledged the transportation or other units needed to protect civilians. He also went on to discuss the troubling role of the UN as a peacekeeping force, rather than a diplomatic force, and urged both sides to negotiate and avoid violence.

In diplomacy-- An American diplomat, John Granville, and his driver, Abdel Rahman Abbas, were shot an killed early Tuesday morning in Khartoum. Granville had been working as part of the US international development agency, and had been part of a team working to bring peace to South Sudan. A U.S. Embassy spokesman said it is “too early to tell” if Granville and Abbas’s deaths were terror or al-Qaida related, or if they were random killings. The Sudanese government says the act had no political or ideological connotations.

On Monday, US President George Bush signed a bill that would allow state and local governments as well as private businesses to divest from companies with large ties to Sudan’s mining, oil, or military industries. The White House had reservations in regard to the bill as it allows non-federal governments to have a hand in foreign policy, however, decided to sign the bill given its humanitarian value, and under the condition that it not interfere with federal policy.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Update: Malnutrition Rises

Brede Eschilman

On the ground:
The malnutrition rate of refugees from Darfur has risen to 16.1% from 12.9% last year.  The UN classifies rates higher than 15% as emergency situations.  Many factors could have contributed to the rise, including the 150% increase in attacks on aid workers since last year.

SLM leaders told the Sudan Tribune Tuesday that government militias have attacked West Darfur.  They claim that the government’s refusal to follow the ceasefire is a reason that rebel groups will not participate in peace talks.

Diplomatically:
The UN approved a budget of 1.2 billion dollars for the UNAMID peacekeeping force Saturday.

President Bush approved the transfer of 34 camps to UNAMID earlier this month.  The U.S. will turn over the equipment, with an estimated worth of 40 million dollars, by January 1.

Advocacy:
The pope called special attention to Darfur in his Christmas message.  He addressed poverty, injustice, and war in general but pointed to Darfur as a specific location of concern.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Update: Bashir Will Not Accept Non-African Troops

Christina Hueschen

In diplomacy - As reported by Reuters Africa, Sudanese President al-Bashir stated Friday that he will not accept non-African troops in the combined UN-AU peacekeeping forces, apart from the Chinese and Pakistani technical units already committed.  He insisted that the incoming peacekeepers would have to be led by an African wearing an AU helmet.  Bashir’s statement is the strongest public announcement yet of Sudan’s resistance to outside involvement in Darfur.

According to the UN News Service, mediators from the UN and the AU just wrapped up a two day visit to north Darfur.  There, they held a meeting with leaders of the Sudan Liberation Army-Unity, during which they commended the SLA-Unity for their unification efforts and encouraged them to engage in the peace process.

On the ground - 130 Chinese engineers and medical officers arrived in the south Darfur city of Nyala today to aid preparations for the 26,000-strong UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force.  The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), one of Darfur’s largest rebel groups, is demanding that China pull out its peacekeepers.  JEM says it will not allow the newly arrived Chinese onto land it controls, accusing Beijing of supporting the Khartoum regime and fueling the Darfur crisis (from Al Jazeera).

In the activist movement - The ENOUGH project has released a new paper that lays out strategies to salvage the Darfur peace talks that began last month in Sirte, Libya.  Check it out here.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Update: Rebels take Military Base

Brede Eschilman

On the ground: Members of the United Resistance Front (URF), an umbrella of five rebel groups, have claimed that they successfully repelled an attack by government forces and seized an army base in north Darfur Tuesday.  Representatives of the Sudanese army have denied the conflict.  Any such confrontation would have broken the cease-fire agreement.

Diplomatically:  And EU mission of 3,700 that was scheduled to deploy in Darfur on the border regions with Chad and the Central African Republic in the middle of November has delayed deployment due to a lack of military helicopters to transport troops.

Tanzania has announced the contribution of 800 troops to the UNAMID peacekeeping force.  The Tanzanian defense minister has stressed that they will refrain from combat when possible and only fire if under attack.

South Africa has urged major world powers, including the United States, the EU, Russia, and China, to contribute military equipment to UNAMID.  South African cabinet will discuss the possibility of providing military equipment, but the deputy defense minister remarked that more capable countries should do their part.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Daily Update- More delays expected for talks

Simon Warren

AU Darfur envoy Salim Ahmed Salim said that talks will not continue until all key rebel factions were present to negotiate. While six groups of the SLM have united in name, two of the main factions have not agreed to unite. The Sudanese government has blamed countries who allow rebels to work inside the country for the failure of talks at the beginning of November.
Salim and UN envoy Jan Eliasson met this week in Eritrea to try to figure out a way forward, and have been somewhat successful in uniting the rebel groups.

In the US, President Bush met with Sudanese first Vice President Salva Kiir to discuss the current crisis in the nation.

In Chad, a judge denied bail to six workers from the Zoe’s Arc foundation who had been charged with kidnapping. The issue is causing some backlash against Europe in the country.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Daily Update: UN Humanitarian Coordinator Expelled from Darfur

Christina Hueschen

In diplomacy - According to the UN News Center, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Wael al-Haj-Ibrahim, the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, was expelled from South Darfur under a directive from the State Governor, who accused al-Haj-Ibrahim of unspecified rule violations.

Speaking in Washington, D.C., the leader of the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, Salva Kiir, said that the SPLM will continue to boycott Sudan’s national unity government until all of its demands are met (from AllAfrica).

Three Spanish air crew and a Belgian pilot involved with the French charity Zoe’s Ark were freed Friday on the orders of Chadian prosecutors in the “kidnap” case of children in Chad whom Zoe’s Ark claimed to be Darfur refugees (from AFP).

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Update: UNAMID expectations wavering

Brede Eschilman

On the ground:  Leaders of JEM (Justice and Equality Movement) have announced that they will not release the five kidnapped oil workers until troops from the UN arrive in Darfur.  Initially, they had used the kidnapping to ask China to stop investing in the Sudanese government.

Diplomatically:  General Martin L. Agwai, commander of the hybrid AU-UN force known as UNAMID to enter Darfur, shared his expectations of the force in an interview.  He told AllAfrica that he expects less than half the planned number of troop to actually deploy by the end of the year and stresses the need for military helicopters, which no countries have pledged yet.

South African president Thabo Mbeki, after meeting with Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, has announced greater South African support for the UNAMID joint peacekeeping force, primarily in providing supplies after gauging the commitment level of other African countries.

Individuals: Patrick McGrann, working for the United Nations Commisioner for Refugees and SOS Children’s Villages, will sponsor a Darfur Kite Festival to teach children in Darfur, specifically in Oure Cassoni refugee camp, to make and fly camps.  His goal is to reclaim the skies from bombers and create a sense of optimism.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Report from Sirte, Libya

Ben Eidelson

Rahama Defallah, Secretary General of Brooklyn’s 300-member Darfur refugee organization, the Darfur People’s Association of New York, sent a note on Monday about the peace talks in Libya, which he is attending. He sent a second note on Wednesday.

Monday, Oct. 29, 2007

Hi All,

The Ceremony for the peace talks was opened at 3:00pm local time by Libyan Leader Muammar Gadaffi, and was co-chaired by Jan Eliasson, the Special United Nations Envoy, and by Dr. Salim Ahmad Salim, envoy of the African Union. 
Also present were the United States envoy, the Secretary of the Arab League, the representative of the Islamic Conference, foreign ministers from Chad, Egypt and Libya, and representatives from the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Nigeria, the European Union, and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Seven of the Darfur Movements attended; some others are boycotting the peace talks.The Sudan government delegation was led by Nafi Ali Nafi, adviser to President Omar al-Bashir. This delegation included the head of Sudan Intelligence, Salah Gush, and others.

Also present were 13 people representing the civil society (civilians) of Darfur, including tribal leaders, students, women and youth.

After the first day’s Opening Ceremony, speakers urged all parties to show a sincere desire for peace talks and to get other groups and individuals to participate. 

But the speech given by Libya’s Gadaffi angered the ("rebel") Movements present because he said that, when final decisions are made, and published, in the future about details of peace agreements made in Libya, the ideas and value of current Movement-participants will not be given more weight in peace agreements/negotiated-settlements than ideas proposed in the future by Movements that now boycotted. For example, if Darfur land or government jobs are divided among Movements, the October Libya-peace-talk participants will not be given more land or jobs just because they attended the October session; and Movements that may attend future sessions will not be “penalized” in any way just because they did not attend in October. In other words, Movements that participated from the beginning of peace talks in Libya feel that they should “get credit” for having been more interested in the peace process, as proven by their having participated earlier than other Movements.

In the official statement by the Sudan government spokesperson, Nafi Ali Nafi, the government declared an immediate ceasefire but, the next day, attacked the Darfur village of Annka, an action not publicized in the media.

On the second day of the peace talks, the Movements delivered a joint letter expressing their common positions. They also asked for more time to bring other Movements to the peace-talk table, and to finish the consultations taking place in Juba among the Movements.

On Monday, the meetings were closed:  a team of mediators met separately with the Movements and with the Sudan government. I attended closed-door meetings with the Movements, which were positive and constructive.

There also was a very good meeting between the Movements and the delegation from the civil society of Darfur.

There will be more closed-door meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then, most likely, the peace talks will be postponed for two or three months.

As I am taking part in the closed-door meetings, I will be here in Sirte until Thursday. I know you all care abut the issue of peace, so I will update you promptly.

Rahama Deffallah

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Hi all

On Tuesday, at separate closed-door meetings by mediators with the Sudan Government, and with the Movements, discussions centered around two issues:
1) the timing for the Movements to be ready to participate in new or resumed centralized peace talks and 2) possible methods to bring Movement groups to peace talks who now are boycotting the talks in Sirte, Libya.

Everyone agreed to keep the Sirte meeting-site open for ongoing consultations as well as for workshops, with a permanent presence by representatives of the Sudan Government and of the Movements as well as a team of mediators. No significant activity is planned or expected to occur at this site when formal peace talks are not in session.

A delegation from the United Nations and the African Union is departing Libya to visit Juba, sites in Darfur, and other places for the purpose of convincing leaders of the Movements that boycotted the Sirte peace talks to now join the peace process.

The Movements present at the Libya peace talks proposed a one month time-frame after which peace talks in Sirte should resume. During this month, meetings and workshops now being conducted in Juba among most/all Movements are expected to finish, and the recent effort to unify the Movements within Darfur should have met with more success...which should lead to less boycotting of future peace talks.

The Movements present in Sirte agreed to notify their members of the proposed one-month-plan, to convince their members to agree with this plan, and to have their members nominate new negotiating teams to participate whenever peace talks resume in Sirte.  They also will consult the boycotting Movements about the value of resuming peace talks in Libya in one month. 

Rahama Deffallah

Monday, November 05, 2007

Daily Update: Rebel leaders may not be ready for talks by December

Simon Warren

In diplomacy-- Leaders of the two main Darfuri rebel groups say that they will not attend meetings held in December by the UN and AU unless the venue of those talks is changed and the number of participants is limited. UN negotiators had asked to reconvene peace talks in the first week of December after the meetings at the end of October had stalled due to boycotts by the main rebel groups. The leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Army refused to participate in talks because several other splinter groups had been invited to the talks, and because hosting president Muammar Gaddafi had made remarks saying that the current conflict is a local and tribal one which needed no international resolution. The JEM and SLA believe that they will not have enough time to bring all the rebel groups together before the December talks, and will not attend talks unless they are the only rebel groups invited.

Chief UN negotiator Ahmad Fawzi stated that ”the rebel movements should get their act together.” He went on to ask the Darfuri movements to “unify their position”.

A group of European aid workers, journalists, and flight staff were released after being arrested in Chad. The Europeans, working for an organization called Zoe’s Ark, were charged with kidnapping African children, who they intended to place with host families. They were released after French president Nicolas Sarkozy met with the president of Chad. While the aid workers may have had good intentions of removing the children, who they believed to be orphans of the Darfur struggle, their methods have come under harsh criticism from their own members and the French government.

On the ground- On Saturday, Darfur rebels announced they would release 5 oil workers they had taken as hostages. The JEM had attacked the Defra oil field, one of the most lucrative in Sudan, after threatening oil companies in the area to leave or become targets. The workers were Sudanese, Iraqi, and Egyptian, and the JEM was responding to Egyptian, UN, and humanitarian calls to release them.

On Wednesday, the UNAMID force set up its base in the town of El Fasher. The main part of the force is due to be deployed in early 2008.

In the activist movement- The Save Darfur Coalition called today for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to condemn continuing violence in the region and to end delays to the deployment of a hybrid AU-UN peace force. The call was written to the president of Indonesia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council. The Indonesian ambassador to the UN said that no other Security Council member had called for such urgency, and so the process would continue steadily but slowly.

The Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay reached Seattle Sunday.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Daily Update: Sudan Continues to Clear Out Darfur Refugee Camps

Christina Hueschen

On the ground - According to the United Nations, the Sudanese government continues to pressure civilians in Darfur to leave refugee camps, even loading refugees onto trucks to relocate them.  Khartoum insists that it is forcing no one to leave but does say it wants to encourage refugees to return to their villages because the camps have become too large, squalid, and dangerous.  Refugees agree that camp conditions are bad, but say they have nowhere safe to go (from the AP).

In diplomacy - A spokesman for the UN denies that Darfur peace talks in Libya have been postponed until December.  He says that contrary to some published reports, the talks are continuing, even in the absence of key rebel groups (from VOA).

In the activist movement - ”Darfur Now” opened today in major cities across the U.S.  The documentary by Theodore Braun tells the stories of six people and their work for Darfur, from Don Cheadle to a mother who joins rebel forces after her infant son is beaten to death (from Reuters).