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Situation on the Ground
 | As tensions escalate between
Sudan and Chad over the Darfur-Chad border, Chadian warplanes
bombed two villages in western Darfur on Jan. 7. |
| On Jan. 8, only one week after the deployment of
UNAMID, Sudanese soldiers shot at a
UNAMID convoy, critically injuring a driver and destroying a
fuel tanker. |
|
Richard Williamson, the new US envoy to Sudan, was sworn in
on Jan. 7. |
One week into 2008, the situation on the ground for Darfurian
civilians remains deadly, especially with
escalating tensions
on the Darfur-Chad border. In response to the government of Chad
threatening to attack
Sudan after Chadian rebels allegedly took refuge in Darfur,
Sudan Armed Forces spokesman Mohammed al-Aghbash said "military bases
in western Sudan are
ready to deal with any
attack launched from Chadian territory."
On Jan. 7, Chadian warplanes
bombed two villages
near the West
Darfur capital,
El Geneina, the second such air strike in 2008. The Chadian
government said its armed forces are
ready to carry out
further attacks on the Darfur-Chad border as long as it
perceives a threat from
Sudan. World leaders, including the African Union-United
Nations Joint Special Representative for
Darfur,
expressed deep concerns
over these rising tensions.
Swiss authorities took steps to clarify whether a
Swiss-built Pilatus
plane was used by the Chadian air force in attacks on
Darfur.
Darfurian refugees continue to flee into Chad to seek refuge from
violence. According to AmeriCares,
more than 200,000
Sudanese have fled into Chad since 2003.
As non-combatant civilians continue to be targeted for mass
atrocities, Refugees International says the government of Sudan is
obstructing
humanitarian relief and peacekeeping in the region.
On Jan. 5, an Islamic militant group known as Ansar al-Twahid in
Sudan
claimed responsibility
for the shooting of the US government aid officer on Jan. 1. The
authenticity of the claim is unclear.
Hybrid Peacekeeping Force
On Jan. 7, the United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon said full deployment of
UNAMID must occur as soon as possible, given the low
current troop levels.
As of Jan. 7, only 9,000 of the promised 26,000 blue helmets are on
the ground in
Darfur.
On Jan. 8, Sudanese soldiers
shot at a UN convoy
that was clearly marked "UNAMID"
on its way from the town of Um Baru to Tine in West
Darfur, critically injuring a driver and destroying a fuel
tanker. With the attack occurring only one week after the deployment
of
UNAMID, the UN secretary-general
condemned the attack.
International Action
US
President George W. Bush said he was
"deeply troubled"
by the unending crisis in
Darfur and called for rapid deployment of
UNAMID. As the new US envoy for
Sudan
Richard Williamson was sworn in on Jan. 7, the United States is
"preparing
for a new push" in
Darfur.
Germany became the first country to
donate to the Darfur
Community Peace and Stability Fund, which was established
to support development of local livelihoods alongside other efforts
for peace and security.
Sudan and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
The Enough Project
outlined three upcoming
milestones critical to the implementation of the CPA
between
Khartoum and Southern Sudan: the population census in
| A series of clashes between the government and rebel groups in
late December increased tensions in
Darfur. |
|
UNAMID, the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force, officially
deployed on Jan. 1. The force still lacks ground transportation
units and helicopters. |
| On Dec. 27, south Sudanese ministers rejoined the national
government. |
| Triggered by controversial election results, an explosion of
ethnic violence has affected hundreds of thousands of civilians in
Kenya. President Mwai Kibuki has accused his rival, Raila
Odinga, of inciting genocide and ethnic cleansing |
| The Sudanese People's Liberation Movement and the government of
South Sudan said they will once again participate in the national
government, indicating that most of the grievances regarding the
2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement have been resolved. |
| On Dec. 11, the Justice and Equality Movement claimed to have
attacked a Chinese oil field for the second time, reportedly causing
1,000 soldiers to flee. |
|
China and
Qatar blocked a Security Council Presidential Statement that
would have supported the arrest of war criminals wanted by the
International Criminal Court. |
|
Situation on the Ground
Almost five years into the conflict in Darfur, the situation on
the ground continues to remain dismal for non-combatant civilians.
Doctors Without Borders reported how many homeless
Darfurians' fears of insecurity have been compounded by being
repeatedly, forcibly resettled to multiple internally
displaced persons camps throughout the region. Many of these camps
are already operating at maximum capacity.
Violence between the Sudanese government and rebel groups has
continued. On Dec. 25, the Sudanese government launched both
air and ground
offensives against the Sudanese Liberation Army in West
Darfur. On Dec. 27, the Justice and Equality Movement
shot down a government
Antonov plane over West
Darfur and unilaterally declared a no-fly zone. Also, on Dec.
29, the JEM
attacked government
positions in
Silea in North
Darfur.
Following the attack in
Silea, the Sudanese government
arrested
six JEM officials who were serving as observers for the
African Union force. These arrests
raised concerns
because one of the officials is the JEM Representative to the
Ceasefire Commission of the UN Mission in
Sudan.
On New Years Eve, John Granville, a US diplomat from the US
Agency for International Development, and his driver were
shot dead
in a seemingly well-planned attack.
Tensions have escalated on the Sudan-Chad border as the Sudanese
government
accused Chadian aircrafts of bombing two areas in western
Darfur. The Chadian government has also accused
Sudan of violating existing peace agreements by sheltering
and rearming Chadian rebels who have fled across the border.
Hybrid Peacekeeping Force
UNAMID,
the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force,
took control
over the operations of the 7,000-strong
African Union force on Jan. 1. The United States, which funds
a quarter of UNAMID's budget, formerly issued a
statement of support
regarding the transfer of authority and stated its ongoing
commitment to peacekeeping in
Darfur. States continue to pledge ground troops.
Egypt
sent 1,200 troops
to
Darfur on Jan. 2.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that
UNAMID has
critical gaps because
the international community has yet to pledge enough ground
transportation units and aviation assets. The
UNAMID force still urgently
needs 24 helicopters
to effectively carry out its mandate in
Darfur. British envoy Michael Hoare said the UK mission to
the UN will
convene a conference
of donor countries to coordinate proposals for helicopters.
Observers have
expressed varying
degrees of skepticism regarding the impact of
UNAMID.
International Action
Libya took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security
Council and its diplomats have said
Darfur will
be a key issue
for the decision-making body in
January.
After
Andrew Natsios resigned his position,
President Bush
appointed Richard
Williamson to succeed Natsios as his special envoy for
Sudan.
France
extended Abdel Wahid Mohammed al-Nur's stay in
France for another three months, with the understanding that
he will participate in upcoming peace talks on
Darfur.
Sudan and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Two months after leaving their posts to protest the lack of
progress in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement,
ministers from South Sudan
rejoined
the national Government of Unity on Dec. 27.
Khartoum has
missed a deadline
to withdraw its troops from southern Sudan. Furthermore, the fate of
the
oil-rich region of
Abyei, a critical issue for the 2009 national elections,
is still in question
|
latest articles on War in Darfur :
British government condemns attack on Kordufan oil field
Friday 14 December 2007 05:30
December 13, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — British Government today has
slammed Darfur rebel attack on Chinese-run oil field in central Sudan
saying it aims to increase instability in the country.
"We condemn the attacks on a Chinese-run oil rig in Kordufan State in
Sudan, claimed by the rebel faction Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM) led by Khalil Ibrahim." Said the a statement by a spokesperson
of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
On Tuesday 11 December the leader of the rebel (...)
Update on news from
Darfur:
Sudan has been obstructing deployment of the hybrid force and
saying that they will refuse any troops that are not African or
Chinese. In Chad, French forces have deployed and have been attacked
by Chadian rebel groups backed by
Khartoum. Enough and other policy analysts have called for UN
Security Council Targeted Sanctions on Sudanese officials who impede
deployment of the UN mission. During the meeting on Wednesday, we
wrote letters to Zalmay Khalilizad, the US rep to the UN, calling for
these sanctions. We also called for the arrest of Ahmed Haroun,
indicted by the ICC for masterminding the Janjiweed attacks, who still
serves in a high position in the Sudanese government in
Khartoum. To write a similar letter, Ambassador Khalilizad's
email is
usunpublicaffairs@state.gov
Update on funding for UN hybrid force:
Vote is postponed until next week so people can still call
reps and senators to ask that they vote for funding $724 million to UN
peacekeeping. Rangel is on board. His office will inform us
when vote will be. We reviewed how to call as follows:
Make sure you tell them you are a constituent.
Ask if it is possible to leave a message for the Congressman's
legislative aide for foreign affairs.
Tell them you are deeply concerned about the situation in Darfur and
ask that they support the funding of UN peacekeepers.
Keep it short.
Be polite.
If you like, you can ask if they know yet which way the Congressman
will be voting. If Congressman will be voting for the funding, make
sure to thank his staffperson.
To make these calls, you can use either the Congressional switchboard
number
1-202-224-3121 or
1-800-Genocide and, after entering your zip, hit 2 to be
connected to a rep's office, 3 for your senator's office.
Update on
Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.
Apparently, it is the Kentucky Senators who have a hold on the
legislation now. If you have any connection with
Kentucky (or Alabama), please contact these Senators to express
your support for this legislation which will provide legal protection
for entities that divest and will bar companies that do business with
Sudan from US government contracts. This legislation tightens
sanctions on the Sudanese government. Further information and contact
numbers on Divest for
Darfur on SaveDarfur site:
Divest For Darfur |
Bill Details and Resources for Organizations and Activist Leaders
Dream for
Darfur campaign. The conclusion of the US portion
of the torch run will be held in
Washington DC this Monday December 10. The schedule is as
follows:
Holocaust Museum,
15th St. Plaza 9:45 – 10:20am
White House / Lafayette Park
11:00 – 11:20am
Sudanese Embassy
12:00 – 12:20pm
Chinese Embassy
12:40 – 1:30pm
There will be
people going from our area. There is a bus with a number of members of
the Darfuri community leaving at 5 am from Coney Island Ave. For info
on this contact
motasim2000@yahoo.com.
Or some people may be driving at 7:00.
Update on
New York City Divestment. We are receiving some
signs that we may be having an impact. We should know more soon. In
the meantime, keep calling the NYC Comptroller's office at
1-800-GENOCIDE and ask Comptroller Thompson that
New York City pension funds be divested from "worst offender"
companies that do business with Khartoum. Let the office know that
contributions to humanitarian aid are not a substitute for divestment
and that you wish
New York City not to invest in companies that provide funds to
conduct the genocide in Darfur. State pension funds are already being
divested from these companies. City Councilman Eric Gioia will likely
be joining our next meeting on January 2 to give us an update on where
things stand.
DarfurFast. We collected money from those
present to send to GInet for their civilian protection program for
DarfurFast which was on Wednesday. The money goes to patrols to
protect women and children in the camps. We are sending that money in
honor of our partners at NYU-STAND with whom we have worked on so many
projects (and in honor of the just-formed STAND group at St John's
University). If you wish to send a donation go to
Darfurfast.org.
Solar Cookers and backpacks with school supplies for the
refugee camps. We distributed literature from Jewish
World Watch which raises money for
Solar Cookers to be used in some of the refugee camps so that
women do not need to go out to collect firewood for cooking and risk
rape or death. Two
solar cookers may be purchased for $36. There is also a Jewish
World Watch project to provide backpacks to children in the refugee
camps filled with school supplies. Each of these backpacks cost $30.
These are wonderful projects for churches, synogogues and mosques
during the holiday season. Please consider enlisting your minister,
rabbi or iman. For more info:
NY Metro Website Ben Drexler, who recently
moved to
NY from
Colorado where he ran Boulder for
Darfur, will be helping us to put together a website. Our plan
for this coming year is to work closely with all metro groups (in
Westchester,
Long Island and
New Jersey as well as Brooklyn) and to have a common place
where we can post events, campaigns, and give people news on events
that have taken place. We have long needed such a site. More news on
our coordinated actions/website coming soon.
On January 2 Wednesday we will commemorate one year as a Coalition.
Please help us plan so that we will not have to commemorate another
year next year. Our monthly meeting will be January 2 at the Church of
St Paul and St Andrew, 86th and
West End Ave, film Voices from
Darfur at 7:30, meeting at 8 pm. Cake will be served.
Councilman Eric Gioia has been invited to speak.
Darfur
rebels claim second oil field attack
Tuesday 11 December 2007 12:45
December 11, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels said they attacked a
Chinese-run oil field in Sudan on Tuesday and vowed to launch more
assaults on other installations.
No one from Sudan’s armed forces or the Ministry of Energy was
immediately available for comment on rebel claims of an attack on the
field in Sudan’s Kordofan region.
But in October Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels seized five
hostages when they attacked Kordofan’s Defra oil field in an assault
they said was meant to (...)
Darfur
rebel leader plans attacks on Chinese oil firms
Saturday 8 December 2007 06:10
December 7, 2007 (LONDON) — A key rebel leader in Sudan’s
troubled Darfur region has singled out oil companies as military
targets, particularly from China, posing a threat to the Asian nation’s
crude imports and adding to the mounting challenges it faces over its
involvement in Africa.
In a face-to-face interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Abdelwahid Nur,
head of one of the two largest rebel groups in Darfur, said his
organization now intends to attack oil companies, particularly
from (...)
Sudan
army continues to kill civilians in Darfur
Friday 7 December 2007 04:10
December 6, 2007 (GENEVA) — Sudanese armed forces continue to
kill civilians in Darfur and all sides in the conflict still abuse human
rights with impunity, according to the latest report by a group of U.N.
experts.
"According to U.N. sources, from June 20 to mid-November 2007, at least
15 land and air attacks were made on civilian centers in all three
Darfur states by the forces of the government, affiliated militia and
the Minni Minawi faction of the [rebel] Sudanese Liberation Army," (...)
300
Darfurian killed by Sudan forces in six month
Wednesday 5 December 2007 04:15
December 4, 2007 (GENEVA) — Sudanese forces and allied militia
have killed several hundred civilians in ground attacks and aerial
bombardments on villages in Darfur in the past six months, United
Nations human rights experts said on Tuesday.
Bystanders caught up in clashes between the warring parties have also
been tortured, raped and suffered widespread looting in the western
region, according to the U.N. experts on Darfur.
Their 106-page report calls on the Khartoum government to protect (...)
Darfur
rebels refute UN accusation over attack against AU force
Saturday 1 December 2007 05:30
November 30, 2007 (LONDON) — The rebel Justice and Equality
Movement denied recent accusation in a UN report on its responsibility
over the last September attack against African Union peacekeepers
position in northern Darfur.
The UN Secretary General on November 5 said in a report to the Security
Council that "Preliminary results of an investigation initiated by the
AMIS Force Commander immediately after the attack on the AMIS military
group site in Haskanita on 29 and 30 September suggest (...)
Chad
summons Sudan envoy on alleged arming of rebels
Thursday 29 November 2007 01:00
November 28, 2007 (NDJAMENA) — Chad’s foreign minister summoned
the Sudanese ambassador Wednesday to protest about Khartoum’s alleged
arming of Chadian rebels who clashed with the army, an official said.
"Foreign Minister Ahmat Allami received the Sudanese ambassador in
Ndjamena to deliver a strong protest on the unfriendly attitude of
Khartoum, which armed and equipped the rebels," the ministry official
said.
Allami accused Sudan of violating October’s Syrte peace agreement
between (...)
Chad
accuses Sudan of arming rebels
Wednesday 28 November 2007 02:10
November 27, 2007 (ABOU GOULEM, Chad) — Chad’s intelligence chief
Tuesday accused Sudan of arming rebels who clashed with the army as
troops showed off the battleground with bodies still laid among
smoldering military vehicles.
"Sudan violated the peace agreement," General Ismael Chaibo, director
general of the National Security Agency, or ANS told journalists.
Government forces and rebels clashed near Abou Goulem Monday following
the collapse of a truce. The army said it had killed (...)
Armed
bandits continue to hijack cars in Darfur
Thursday 22 November 2007 01:30
November 21, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Armed bandits continue to wage
attacks on private and UN vehicles across Darfur, especially in the
south of the war-torn Sudanese region, the United Nations Mission in
Sudan (UNMIS) reported yesterday.
An estimated 30 bandits stopped commercial trucks on the weekend on a
South Darfur road about 70 kilometres southeast of Nyala, the provincial
capital, and exchanged fire with five soldiers from the Popular Defence
Forces (PDF) who were escorting the convoy. (...)
Darfur
rebels claim victory after govt "attack"
Wednesday 21 November 2007 02:30
November 20, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels said on Tuesday they
had seized a Sudanese army base after repelling an attack by government
soldiers.
A spokesman for Sudan’s armed forces dismissed the report as "baseless".
If true, it would be the first serious clash reported between insurgents
and government troops in Darfur for almost four weeks, and a serious
blow to ongoing peace talks.
It would also be in breach of a government ceasefire in the war-torn
western region.
The United (...)
Five
abducted oil workers freed in Sudan
Tuesday 20 November 2007 04:10
November 19, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Five oil workers, two of them
foreigners, arrived in the Sudanese capital on Monday after a hostage
ordeal of nearly a month, an industry official said.
"They are safe and sound. Some have already been reunited with their
families. The Egyptian and Iraqi engineers will leave the country on
Tuesday," the unnamed official said.
Darfur rebels abducted Joseph William Samuel from Egypt, Ahmed Heyman
Mohammed from Iraq and three Sudanese technicians in an attack (...)
Darfur
rebel markings used in AU attack - UN
Tuesday 20 November 2007 03:00
November 19, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Armed raiders who killed 10
African Union soldiers in an attack on their base used vehicles marked
with the letters JEM - the name of a powerful Darfur rebel group, the UN
reported on Monday.
JEM, or the Justice and Equality Movement, denied any involvement in the
attack on the AU base in the eastern Darfur town of Haskanita when it
happened in late September.
JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim repeated the denial on Monday, saying:"It was
not JEM who attacked the (...)
Darfur
rebels deny allegations of Israeli support
Friday 16 November 2007 06:10
November 15, 2007 (LONDON) – Sudan’s Bashir allegations that
Darfur rebel groups are supported by Israel expresses the hysteria and
the dissatisfaction of the Sudanese regime after its failure to tame
Darfur movement through plots and violence, JEM rebel spokesperson said.
Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir on Tuesday addressing a Muslim clergy
conference in Khartoum accused Israel of fabricating and supporting the
Darfur rebellion. Al-Bashir speech was aired by the Doha based
Al-Jazeera TV. (...)
Darfur
rebels free kidnapped oil workers
Wednesday 14 November 2007 02:05
November 12, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A Darfur rebel group on Monday
freed five workers, including two foreigners, taken hostage in a rare
attack on a Sudanese oil installation almost three weeks ago.
"We handed them over to tribal chiefs this morning who will pass them on
to the International Committee of the Red Cross," Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM) commander Abdelaziz el-Nur Ashr said.
He said that the men — an Egyptian, an Iraqi and three Sudanese — were
given to tribal chiefs in the (...)
Rebel JEM
waiting for UN before freeing oil workers
Wednesday 7 November 2007 03:00
November 6, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A Darfur rebel group said on
Tuesday it was waiting for a United Nations mission to arrive so it can
free five oil workers kidnapped last month in the neighbouring Kordofan
region.
"We are still waiting for the people from the UN," said Abdelaziz el-Nur
Ashr, from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
Ashr had said on Sunday that the movement’s leader Khalil Ibrahim had
ordered the five to be released at the request of the Egyptian
government.
The rebels (...)
Rebel JEM
says to free oil workers after Egyptian contacts
Monday 5 November 2007 02:10
November 4, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A Darfur rebel group said on Sunday
that it had decided to free five oil workers, two of them foreigners,
that it kidnapped in Kordofan late last month, The groups said this
release comes following Egyptian intervention
The rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said they would
free the hostages, who include an Egyptian and an Iraqi, through the
United Nations in the next few days.
A rebel JEM commander told the AFP that JEM leadership has taken (...)
Darfur
rebels will release five oil hostages
Sunday 4 November 2007 02:30
Novrmber 3, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels said on Saturday they
would release five hostages they kidnapped after attacking an oil
installation in Sudan’s most lucrative area.
The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked the Defra oil field
last month and took an Egyptian, an Iraqi and three Sudanese oil workers
hostage. It ordered all other oil companies working in the Kordofan
region bordering Darfur to leave or beome military targets.
"JEM is releasing all the captives from the oil (...)
Rebel
groups accuse government of attacks in Darfur
Monday 29 October 2007 13:00
October 29, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels accused Sudanese
government forces of attacking an area along the border with Chad in
violation of a unilateral ceasefire the government declared at the
opening of peace talks in Libya.
Rebels from two factions, which did not attend the talks, confirmed to
Reuters on Monday that the government had attacked the Jabel Moun area
along the Chad-Sudan border on Saturday, the very day the government
announced a ceasefire.
SLM founder Abelwahid al-Nur (...)
Rebels
warn Sudan against force to free hostages
Sunday 28 October 2007 02:19
October 27, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels on Saturday warned
Sudan not to use force to free five hostages taken in an oil field
attack, and repeated threats to target more foreign workers if their
companies did not leave in less than a week.
"If they try to take them by force, we will not be responsible for their
safety," said Mahamat Bahar Ali Hamadein, a commander with the Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM).
JEM said it attacked the Defra oil field in the region of Kordofan,
which (...)
Darfur
rebels vow more attacks on Sudan oil fields
Friday 26 October 2007 03:00
October 25, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels vowed on Thursday to
launch more assaults on oil installations across Sudan until Khartoum
gave in to a string of demands.
"This is only the beginning," said Ahmed Tugud, the chief negotiator of
the Justice and Equality Movement. "We will carry out attacks across
Sudan and our main target will be oil fields."
JEM said it attacked Sudan’s Defra oil field on Tuesday, killing 20
government soldiers and taking two foreign hostages, one Canadian,
the (...)
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