Difficult road to peace in Gereda

With 135,000 internally displaced persons, the city of Gereda in South Darfur houses the highest number of IDPs in Darfur – a region in which some 2.5 million are displaced. After reports of a steady influx of IDPs in the locality, a United Nations team visited the area to assess the situation. The local authorities called for implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), while the displaced populations sought improved security and extended assistance.

On the 14th of February, a team composed of different UN organizations drove to Gereda to meet the local authorities and IDPs. The city, located three hours South of Nyala, the state capital, is secured by elements of the Sudanese Liberation Army under the command of Minni Minawi (SLA-MM). The rebel movement, signatory to the peace agreement, assumes the authority of the state in the area, while the government of Sudan takes over further to the south. However, relations between the partners are tense.

'The government is not committed to its word' declares an SLA-MM member in the area. He insists that 'the government has not implemented its requirement to provide logistical support to the movement. Until this is done, we will not allow the government to have authority over the area'. He adds, however, that he does not have power to protect the area's inhabitants and wants UNAMID to disarm the Arab tribe accused of banditry and violence against the local population – a tribe he says is Government backed. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Miliband urges Darfur peace force

Britain has condemned the continuing violence in Darfur and called for the speedy deployment of a joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping force.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband and International development Secretary Douglas Alexander spoke out after reports of further killings and waves of refugees fleeing militias.

Mr Miliband said he was particularly concerned at reports of Sudanese government bombing raids in defiance of the international community.

He said in a statement: "The recent fighting in West Darfur has had a devastating impact on the lives of innocent Darfuris.

"The UK shares the widespread international concern at the appalling suffering that this fighting has caused.

"I am particularly concerned by reports of aerial bombardment by Government of Sudan forces, in contravention of UN security council resolutions, and of violence by the Justice and Equality Movement, led by Khalil Ibrahim, and militia.

"This further fighting comes on the heels of violence in Chad and across the Darfur-Chad border that has caused a worsening in the humanitarian situation in Chad.

"I reiterate calls on both Governments to cease support for each other's rebel groups. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

'Justice' needed for Darfur

The Hague - Nine months after the first arrest warrants were issued for those suspected of being behind atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, the chief international prosecutor believes he has the masterminds in his sights.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has vowed to target the most senior people behind the violence and says that peace will only be possible in troubled Darfur if arrests are made and those responsible are brought to justice.

He issued a warrant last May for the arrest of Sudan's secretary of state for humanitarian affairs Ahmed Harun, but despite a UN resolution requiring Khartoum to comply with the court Harun is still at large.

"If Harun is not arrested and removed there will be no justice, no peace in Darfur," Moreno-Ocampo said in a telephone interview with AFP from his native Argentina on Friday.

He said arresting Harun "is the condition for any solution in Darfur." Read more >>>>>

Genocide

Soedan lanceert nieuw offensief in West-Darfur

Kairo/ New York,
Door een nieuw Soedanees regeringsoffensief tegen rebellen in de westelijke regio Darfur zijn duizenden vluchtelingen langs de grens met Tsjaad vast komen te zitten. Dat hebben rebellen en hulpwerkers gisteren bekendgemaakt.Volgens plaatselijke rebellencommandanten zijn ongeveer tien burgers gedood en 20 opgepakt tijdens het offensief in het westen van Darfur, waaraan regeringsmilitairen en met hen verbonden Arabische militieleden deelnemen. VN-secretaris-generaal Ban Ki-moon is volgens een woordvoerster „extreem bezorgd over het hernieuwde geweld”.

In Darfur zijn volgens VN-schattingen zeker 200.000 mensen om het leven gekomen en meer dan twee miljoen uit hun woningen gevlucht sinds Afrikaanse rebellengroepen in 2003 de wapens opnamen tegen de door Arabieren gedomineerde regering in Khartoum. De Janjaweedmilitie van Arabische strijders wordt voor de grootste wreedheden in het conflict verantwoordelijk gesteld.

Eerder deze maand zijn al zeker 12.000 mensen de grens met Tsjaad over gevlucht om te ontsnappen aan het escalerende geweld. Een in Parijs in ballingschap levende rebellenleider, Abdulwahid Elnur, beschuldigde de VN er gisteren van de burgers van Darfur in de steek te laten. „Het leger en de Janjaweed moorden op klaarlichte dag, en de internationale gemeenschap doet niets.” Lees verder >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dutch lawmaker calls for boycott of Olympic opening ceremony

THE HAGUE, Netherlands: A Dutch lawmaker wants an international boycott of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics to protest China's human rights record.

Joel Voordewind, a member of the Christian Union party, would like governments around the world to support the boycott and lean on sponsors to use their financial clout with Beijing.

"It is possible to take part in the games but skip the party beforehand," he said Tuesday. "Such a ceremony is only intended to glorify the host, China."

Voordewind also suggested setting up a venue in Beijing during the games where visitors can discuss human rights. He expected opposition from organizers, but said, "If the Chinese are against the plan, that means they are against human rights."

Voordewind has just begun enlisting world support. Neither the Dutch government nor the Olympic Committee has backed him. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>

Intervene in Darfur

Stronger peacekeeping effort should be an international priority

The worsening situation in the western Sudanese region of Darfur is a nightmare lived out by real people who desperately need the help of all nations. The latest news: Thousands of refugees are fleeing attacks by Arab militias and Sudanese Army bombs, to the point that the wave of humanity poses an enormous threat to neighboring Chad.

The chaos has made for a toxic brew of rebels, government forces and ethnic militias, as Chadian rebels based in Sudan have tried to topple the government of Chad President Idriss Deby, who Thursday declared a state of emergency after fighting that reached the gates of the presidential palace in Ndjamena.

The rebel group that had controlled the part of Darfur under attack, the Justice and Equality Movement, warned the new United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force not to enter the area. Everyone is fair game in what has become one of the most significant acts of genocide in history. Perhaps most remarkable is that the genocide continues seemingly unabated.

Roughly 6,000 Sudanese recently reached the border town of Birak in Chad, while about the same number gathered in the nearby village. There already were 240,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad, and a nearly equal number of Chadians displaced because of what is occurring along the border.

The daily reports of the atrocities occurring in Darfur are truly horrific, and the ravages have continued since 2003 when the Arab-dominated government of Sudan let loose tribal militias known as the janjaweed on non-Arab rebel groups in Darfur that were seeking greater autonomy and a larger share of Sudan’s wealth. President Bush has labeled the subsequent atrocities genocide. And yet, the bloodletting continues.

At least 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur, and 2.5 million people have been displaced. The Sudanese government has spent most of this time denying the undeniable. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Widespread damage and thousands displaced after violence in West Darfur

NEW YORK, USA,
– UNICEF has conducted its first mission to northern West Darfur in the wake of an attack by Sudanese forces there.

The assessment team visited the towns of Sirba and Abu Surouj, where buildings had been burned and thousands of residents fled. The team found widespread damage.

“Initially, people needed food and medicine, there were cases of malnutrition, but the most common problem was people were burned,” said UNICEF Resident Project Officer Naqibullah Safi. “There are some civilian casualties, but exact figures are not known. Most shelters in Sirba have been burned, and 60 to 70 per cent of Abu Surouj.”

Attacks spark mass evacuation

The attacks have sparked a mass evacuation from the region. Of the 12,000 residents of Abu Seruj, only 2,000 to 3,000 remain. But where they have gone is uncertain.

There are reports that about 12,000 people have fled into Chad, which has prompted that country’s government to say it cannot take any more refugees from Darfur. Read More >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Darfur: Heavy bombardment by Sudanese army and the janjaweed

12,000 refugees flee Darfur for Chad: UN

Sudanese refugees return to camp after they collected fire wood in Touloum refugee camp in Eastern Chad. (File picture: AAP) The UN refugee agency says heavy bombardment and armed attacks in Darfur by the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed militia at the weekend have forced 12,000 refugees to flee into eastern Chad.

The refugees have fled to the Birak region, UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Helene Caux told AFP on Sunday.

Eastern Chad remains highly volatile after recent fighting between Chadian government and rebel forces, which led the UNHCR to evacuate staff from the country and thousands of Chadians to cross to neighbouring Cameroon, she said.

However, the fresh refugees from Darfur "have been through the worst already," she added.

Her colleague Catherine Huck, who runs UNHCR's operations in the Chadian eastern town of Abeche, stressed the difficulties that recent unrest in Chad itself have created for aid workers. Read more >>>>>>>>>>

Militia attacks West Darfur towns

8 February 2008

A large army-backed militia force is carrying out attacks on the West Darfur towns of Sirba and Abu Suruj. Janjawid militia on horses and in vehicles, supported by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), began their attack on the two towns on Friday morning.

According to reports from people living in the area, nine military aeroplanes from the SAF were seen overhead, described as being two MIG, two Antonov and five helicopters. The attacks started at 10am and were continuing at sunset.

The number of civilians in Sirba and Abu Suruj has grown due to an influx of internally displaced people who have fled there after earlier attacks elsewhere. The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), an armed group in Darfur opposing the Government of Sudan, seized control of the area in December 2007. It remains unclear whether JEM fighters are still in the area.

JEM fighters often station themselves within civilian areas. Attacks by Janjawid and SAF almost invariably fail to discriminate between civilian and armed groups. On 24 January, Janjawid and SAF forces carried out an indiscriminate attack on the town of Saraf Jidad near Abu Suruj. Some 24 people, mostly farmers, including the Fursha (chief) of the area, were killed in the attack. Read more >>>>>>>>>>

Sudan: Nederlandse bijdrage welkom in Darfur

KHARTUM (ANP) - Nederland is welkom om een bijdrage te leveren aan de vredesmacht UNAMID in Darfur. Dat hebben minister Maxime Verhagen (Buitenlandse Zaken) en Bert Koenders (Ontwikkelingssamenwerking) donderdag te horen gekregen van de Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Eerder wees de president de bijdrage van Scandinavische landen zoals Zweden af. Het kabinet overweegt met een veldhospitaal mee te helpen aan de gemengde missie van de Verenigde Naties en de Afrikaanse Unie die de bevolking in de geteisterde West-Sudanese regio moet beschermen. Lees meer >>>>>>>>

Sudan's evil president gloats over achievements

Opinion Headlines

The world appears to have abandoned any realistic hope that the new U.N.-African force can get Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur. It's not surprising that Sudan's embodiment of evil, President Omar al-Bashir, was — as reported on the Sudan Tribune Web site on Jan. 17 — "dancing (and) celebrating the completion of the Bridge of the Chinese-Sudanese Friendship north of Khartoum."

"With China's help," gloated al-Bashir — who has effectively obstructed the current mission of the combined force sent by the U.N. Security Council and the African Union — "Sudan will certainly score glorious achievements one after another on our path of construction and development." And China's glory in hosting this year's Olympics, so important for the improved reputation of that Chinese dictatorship, may not be tarred enough — because of its quintessential economic support of Al-Bashir — to stop that support. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>