CLICK TO SAVE DARFUR: 2008

Monday, April 21, 2008

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Darfur warring parties willing to discuss security arrangements - envoys
Sunday 20 April 2008 05:30. Printer-Friendly version Comments...

April 19, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — U.N. and African Union Peace envoys today announced the approval of all parties to the conflict in Darfur to start talks leading to stop the deterioration of the security situation before to engage in direct negotiations to achieve peace in Darfur

At the end of their fifth visit to Sudan, Jan Eliasson, the UN Secretary General envoy for Darfur and Salim Ahmed Salim, the African Union envoy to Darfur held on Saturday a press conference at the premises of the United Nations in Khartoum.

Salim Ahmed Salim said that Sudanese government and all the rebel movements in Darfur had expressed during the meetings that have taken place "their willingness to discuss the security arrangements."

"But each one of them had his own position on how this can be brought about ... Whether this could lead to a cessation of hostilities or to a ceasefire, this is the work that is being accomplished now." Salim added.

Jan Eliasson, said that they will begin a process consisting of three elements 1 - How and ways of the ceasefire, 2 - Cooperation between the Government of Sudan and UNAMID and the rebel movements in Darfur 3 – Ways to stop attacks and banditry occurring in Darfur, which has impacted negatively on the security operation and the civilians in Darfur.

Banditry has long been common in the remote west of Sudan, which borders Chad, Libya and the Central African Republic, but armed bands have organised to take advantage of rich pickings from the influx of U.N. and aid agency vehicles since the rebellion began.

The conflict has claimed an estimated 200,000 lives with 2.5 million forced from their homes, according to the United Nations. Khartoum disputes the figures, saying 9,000 have been killed.

Eliasson expressed hope that the talks on security arrangements begin before this autumn. He further said it is not possible now to give the date where the parties will sit together, or discuss in any other form the security measures that may lead to a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities.

He added that various circles have now begun work on these arrangements in coordination with the UNAMID.

The underscored that the current efforts aim to quell violence in the region and clear the way for the resumption of peace talks before the end of the year.

Salim further told the media "we are not saying that all parties now prepared for a ceasefire to determine when it will take place; but we said that all the parties have expressed willingness — whether the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur or the Government of Sudan — to discuss security arrangements.

The two envoys pointed out that the current row between Sudan and Chad is one of the reasons that led to the escalation of violence in Darfur. Salim said no one could believe that the problem of Darfur will be resolved unless there was a normalization of relations between Sudan and Chad.

They also welcomed the different offers to host peace talks including a proposal from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to hold peace talks in Britain.

The envoys pointed out that Brown didn’t consult them in advance. However Britain accepted that their offer is going to be under the lead of the United Nations and the African Union, underlined Eliasson.

In May 2006, Sudanese government and a SLA faction led by Minni Minawi signed a peace deal and some small splinter groups. Nonetheless the peace pact did not change the level of violence in the region, and the security situation even deteriorated since the signing of the deal and the fragmentation among the two main rebel groups.

A joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission took over in January from a beleaguered AU force to try to stem the violence. But it only has about 9,000 troops and police on the ground, out of a total of the authorized 26,000.

After spending around one year in attempts to reunite the different rebel factions in Darfur, the international community now seems convicted that no peace without security on the ground.

(ST)

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Jonglei’s schoolchildren challenge state education system
Tuesday 22 April 2008 03:23. Printer-Friendly version Comments...

By Philip Thon Aleu

April 21, 2008 (BOR, Jonglei) – Long holidays and low number of schools in Jonglei state is an "academics weevil," teachers and pupils expressed here Saturday April 19 at a seminar organized by primary teachers and high school students at Bor "A" primary school. They (teachers and pupils) call on the state government to consider reviving education system.

Schools in Jonglei state opens on April 1 despite using East African and New Sudan curriculum; calendar teachers and pupils call unacceptable. "There is no system here," Thon Bol, a primary eight pupil in Bor "B" primary school told Sudan Tribune at the seminar.

The teachers on the other hand complain about low teacher-pupils ratio. "In Bor "B" primary school, I registered 1,800 pupils in the first two weeks of the academics year that started on April 1st," Deng Machok, deputy head teacher revealed pointing that there are only ten (10) teachers recruited to teach in the school.

This arithmetically puts teacher: pupils’ ratio at 1:180, and substantially reducing children’s chances of learning. Moreover, there is only one classroom block serving upper classes of Primary 8, 7 and 6. Other classes learn under trees or seasonal tents set-up by school administration, Mr. Machok lamented a visible problem at his school.

The seminar that attracted 78 pupils was organized by Garang Institute students in conjunction with Bor "B" school authorities. It is the first time higher learning Jonglei citizens had made to help the ailing education format in the state through seminar.

The teachers-pupils’ challenge to Jonglei state style of education is not an accident. An international lecturer and a born from Jonglei, Prof. Agrey Ayuen elaborated at the opening ceremony of John Garang Institute on February 1 that teaching is poor at the low level of learning in Southern Sudan.

"We find a lot of difficulties in teaching students at the Universities, and this is an indication that something must be wrong at the primary or secondary levels," Prof. Agrey said referring to how weak how the curriculum is developed adding that the ministry of education must do something.

On the other hand, the organizers of the weekend’s seminars call upon the state government to come to their rescue. "We do not have means to transport teachers from various parts of Bor town to Bor "A," no funds to afford lunch for teachers and pupils and other teaching materials," head of the seminar organizers and a student at John Garang Institute Abraham Dhieu Machar told Sudan Tribune adding, "we too demand a word of courage from our elders."

He encouraged pupils to be tolerant and challenge the government by coming to schools despite what pupils call "lack of system." The pupils welcome the move to have seminars organized over weekend but fear ministry of education may not support the program.

"The seminar is okay," Ding Stephen, a primary eight pupils noted, but who will like it, he concluded.

Effort to back government’s LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND campaign is likely to fail if source of ’motivating facilitation’ is not rescue. Arrangement made to interview state education ministry on issues pertaining curriculum, lengthy holidays that deprived school children of coverage, few numbers of schools in the state, low provision of teaching aid facilities, few classrooms and high teacher: pupils’ ratio failed as the state education ministry officials were not available.

(ST)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Protesters march in Monclair against Darfur violence

Protesters march in Monclair against Darfur violence
by Carly Rothman/The Star-Ledger Sunday April 13, 2008, 10:00 PM

William Perlman/The Star-Ledger
Beijing U.S. Olympian Doug Lennox, a gymnast at Princeton University, walks with Emily Srebro, a Special Olympian gymnast, during today's rally.
Nearly 400 people gathered in Montclair today, protesting ethnic violence in Darfur with a march including an Olympic-style torch.

Sport and politics have long mixed at the Olympics. In 1938, Hitler tried to use Olympic victory to demonstrate Aryan superiority -- an effort undermined by champion runner Jesse Owens, an African American. In 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists. The United States and other countries have boycotted the games to protest other nations' policies.

The Beijing Olympics featured prominently at the Montclair rally today, and at other events worldwide marking the fifth anniversary of the conflict in the Sudan, as demonstrators highlighted the close relationship between the Chinese and Sudanese governments.

Vigil for Darfur

Since 2003, violence between Sudan's Arab-dominated government and ethnic African communities have led to more than 200,000 deaths and the displacement of 2.5 million people. Khartoum is accused of unleashing militia forces to commit atrocities against the rebel groups, charges the government denies.

Sumiea Eltayeb, a doctoral candidate in chemistry at Seton Hall University who grew up in Sudan, addressed the crowd of nearly 400 parents, children, politicians and clergy who gathered at the First Congregational Church in Montclair after the march.

"I think the Chinese government tried to solve the problem, tried to help, tried to rebuild the broken parts, but our government is so bad," she said.

Eltayeb said she's witnessed the poor conditions in her country's refugee camps -- no water, no food, no cure for diseases, and above all, no security.

"I want to show the world," she said.

Leaders from the Essex County Coalition for Darfur, which organized the rally, noted China is Sudan's largest foreign investor, trading partner and supplier of weapons.

Speakers including Gov. Jon Corzine urged Chinese leaders to push the Sudanese government to stop the killings and let U.N. peace-keeping forces into the country.

"We, as a nation, need to send a message through our leaders to China," Corzine said. "We cannot let the words 'never forget' be just words. They must be actions."

In addition to marching, rally-goers took action by raising money for Doctors Without Borders, collecting about $20,000 for the nonprofit's efforts in Sudan.

All talk and no action in Darfur

All talk and no action in Darfur
Five years since the conflict in Darfur began, BBC News website's World Affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds asks why international concern has not been translated into effective intervention.
The deep concern about Darfur felt internationally has not been matched by a similar determination to intervene.

The peacekeeping force in Darfur has been weak

It is not from lack of knowledge.

There have been many reports, from the UN and others, which have laid the blame largely at the door of the government of Sudan.

The US has called the killings genocide, though the UN held back from using that word.

Map of displaced people from Darfur
However, whatever it is called, no major power was willing to send its own forces to try to put an end to it.

Instead, diplomacy has centred on putting pressure on the Sudanese government to restrain its armed forces and the Janjaweed militias it is accused of supporting - charges it denies.

Sudan has also been pressured into allowing in peacekeeping forces, first from the African Union (AU) and then from a mixed AU-UN force including other international troops.

However, those peacekeepers have been weak. The African Union force has been ineffective. The wider international force has not been properly deployed.

Diplomacy not enough

A great deal of effort has also been put into trying to solve the underlying political problems which led to the first rebel attacks in 2003, but these talks, amounting to agreements sometimes, have a habit of fading away.

The best aspect of the world's response perhaps has been humanitarian. Undoubtedly many lives have been saved.

More than two million have been displaced by the Darfur conflict
One of the problems for the outside world is that it has been dealing with a very determined government unwilling to concede much in what it sees as a major threat on its own territory.

Another is that the rebel groups have not been united and have not always been ready to make a peace agreement.

Clearly, diplomacy has not been enough.

"The Americans were quite driven over Darfur, but were hamstrung by their great achievement of the North-South agreement in Sudan," says Richard Dowden, executive director of the Royal African Society in London.

"This meant they could not apply too much pressure on Khartoum over Darfur because its co-operation was needed for the North-South implementation.

"Sudan was able to manipulate African opinion and blunt whatever pressure there was.

China, which buys about 60% of Sudan's oil and sells it weapons, has also played a key role in helping Sudan avoid UN sanctions.

"Although China did in the end persuade it to accept the hybrid force, breaking its own rules about not intervening in the political affairs of the countries in which it invests," Mr Dowden notes.

"If the US had not done Iraq, it might have done Darfur, but the mood in the West was that this was an African problem and an African solution should be sought.

"If there was genocide, then it happened in 2003/4. By the time the world got round to acting, it was too late."

Mention of Iraq raises the issue, though, of whether any intervention in Darfur would have produced its own problems, given the opposition of the Sudanese government.

'Turning point'

One example of how interested the world is in Darfur but how powerless it has been can be seen in the role of the International Criminal Court.

The court has indicted (but has not managed to have arrested) two Sudanese officials for war crimes - Ahmad Harun, currently the minister for humanitarian affairs, and Ali Kushayb, leader of the pro-government Janjaweed militia.

In a statement in February 2007, the court's prosecutor described how the "turning point" in the conflict was the rebel attack on Fasher airport in North Darfur in April 2003.

Ahmad Harun, the prosecutor said, was then appointed interior minister.

"Shortly after Harun's appointment, the recruitment of militia/Janjaweed greatly increased, ultimately into the tens of thousands.

"The vast majority of attacks in Darfur were carried out by the militia/Janjaweed and the armed forces... they targeted civilian residents based on the rationale that they were supporters of the rebel forces.

"This strategy became the justification for the mass murder, summary execution, and mass rape of civilians who were known not to be participants in any armed conflict. The strategy included the forced displacement of entire villages and communities."

Hostile forces

Yet Ahmad Harun nor Ali Kushayb have not been arrested and handed over by the government of Sudan.

Indeed, Ahmad Harun was subsequently put in charge of government refugee camps and has been appointed to the group monitoring the deployment of the AU-UN force.

The international humanitarian response has saved many lives
In December 2007, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told the Security Council:

"In Darfur in 2003 - 2004, we witnessed the first phase of the criminal plan co-ordinated by Ahmad Harun. Millions of people were forced out of their villages and into camps.

"In the second phase - happening right now in front of our eyes - Ahmad Harun is controlling the victims inside the camps... women are raped... the displaced are surrounded by hostile forces; their land and homes are being occupied by new settlers. The rationale is the same as before: target civilians who could be rebel supporters.

"As long as Harun remains free in Khartoum, there will be no comprehensive solution in Darfur."

Such talk shows how much has yet to be done.

Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict

&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict

Many thousands of displaced people are in need of relief supplies
The United Nations Security Council has approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force to replace the 7,000 African Union (AU) observer mission struggling to protect civilians in Sudan's western province of Darfur.
But the exact make-up and deployment date for this beefed up force is still to be determined.

In the meantime, more than 2m people are living in camps after fleeing more than four years of fighting in the region and they are vulnerable without peacekeepers.

Sudan's government and the pro-government Arab militias are accused of war crimes against the region's black African population, although the UN has stopped short of calling it genocide.

Peace talks involving the government and most of the myriad rebel groups have recently resumed, but until the new UN-AU force deploys in Darfur the prospects for an end to violence look remote.

How did the conflict start?

The conflict began in the arid and impoverished region early in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets, saying the region was being neglected by Khartoum.

The rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs.

Darfur, which means land of the Fur, has faced many years of tension over land and grazing rights between the mostly nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa communities.

There are two main rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), although both groups have split, some along ethnic lines.

More than a dozen rebel groups are now believed to exist. Most will attend the talks in Libya, but one key leader, Abdul Wahid el-Nur, is boycotting the talks until the conflict ends.

What is the government doing?

It admits mobilising "self-defence militias" following rebel attacks but denies any links to the Janjaweed, accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Refugees from Darfur say that following air raids by government aircraft, the Janjaweed ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they can find.

Many women report being abducted by the Janjaweed and held as sex slaves for more than a week before being released.

The US and some human rights groups say that genocide is taking place - though a UN investigation team sent to Sudan said that while war crimes had been committed, there had been no intent to commit genocide.

Sudan's government denies being in control of the Janjaweed and President Omar al-Bashir has called them "thieves and gangsters".

After strong international pressure and the threat of sanctions, the government promised to disarm the Janjaweed. But so far there is little evidence this has happened.

Trials have been announced in Khartoum of some members of the security forces suspected of abuses - but this is viewed as part of a campaign against UN-backed attempts to get some 50 key suspects tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

What has happened to Darfur's civilians?

Millions have fled their destroyed villages, with some 2m in camps near Darfur's main towns. But there is not enough food, water or medicine.

The Janjaweed patrol outside the camps and Darfuris say the men are killed and the women raped if they venture too far in search of firewood or water.

The Janjaweed are accused of 'ethnic cleansing'
Some 200,000 have also sought safety in neighbouring Chad, but many of these are camped along a 600km stretch of the border and remain vulnerable to attacks from Sudan.

The refugees are also threatened by the diplomatic fallout between Chad and Sudan as the neighbours accuse one another of supporting each other's rebel groups.

Chad's eastern areas have a similar ethnic make-up to Darfur.

Many aid agencies are working in Darfur but they are unable to get access to vast areas because of the fighting.

How many have died?

With much of Darfur inaccessible to aid workers and researchers, calculating how many deaths there have been in the past three years is impossible.

What researchers have done is to estimate the deaths based on surveys in areas they can reach.

The latest research published in September 2006 in the journal Science puts the numbers of deaths above and beyond those that would normally die in this inhospitable area at "no fewer than 200,000".

The US researchers say that their figures are the most compelling and persuasive estimate to date. They have made no distinction between those dying as a result of violence and those dying as a result of starvation or disease in refugee camps.

Accurate figures are crucial in determining whether the deaths in Darfur are genocide or - as the Sudanese government says - the situation is being exaggerated.

Have there been previous peace talks?

Lots.

KEY REBEL PLAYERS
SLM: Minni Minnawi's faction signed 2006 peace deal
SLM: Abdul Wahid Mohammad Ahmed al-Nur's faction rejected peace deal
Jem: Khalil Ibrahim, one of the first rebel groups, rejected deal
Rebel negotiator: Suleiman Jamous
SLM Unity: Abdallah Yehia
UFLD: recently formed umbrella group including SLM commanders
Other breakaway SLM commanders: Mahjoub Hussein, Jar el-Neby and Suleiman Marajan
There are estimated to be more than 13 rebel factions in Darfur

The leader of one SLA faction, Minni Minawi, who signed a peace deal in 2006 after long-running talks in Nigeria, was given a large budget, but his fighters have already been accused by Amnesty International of abuses against people in areas opposed to the peace deal.

The other rebel factions did not sign the deal.

There has been a dramatic increase in violence and displacement since the deal was signed.

Amid international threats of sanctions for those refusing to attend, many rebel groups briefly attended preliminary talks with the government in Libya in October 2007 - but there is little hope of a quick breakthrough.

Is anyone trying to stop the fighting?

About 7,000 African Union troops are deployed in Darfur on a very limited mandate.

Experts say the soldiers are too few to cover an area the size of France, and the African Union says it does not have the money to fund the operation for much longer.

The recent killing of 10 AU soldiers by a rebel group in northern Darfur has highlighted the need for the new force to be deployed - but at the same time makes it harder for the AU and UN to secure pledges of troops.

The new, larger joint UN-AU force should be in place by early 2008 - if international support is forthcoming - and be better equipped and with a stronger mandate to protect civilians and aid workers.

But until recently, Sudan resisted strong Western diplomatic pressure for the UN to take control of the peacekeeping mission and their attitude to the deployment and its mandate remains ambiguous at best.

Some say even this new 26,000 force will not be enough to cover such a large, remote area.

Others point out that peacekeepers cannot do much unless there is a peace to keep.

They say the fighting can only end through a deal agreed by all sides, which has yet to materialise.

Activists Mark Darfur Anniversary

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Activists Mark Darfur Anniversary
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER – 2 days ago

LONDON (AP) — About 3,000 protesters rallied outside Sudan's Embassy in London on Sunday to demand an end to the five-year conflict and the quick deployment of an international peacekeeping force to the region.

The demonstration came on the Global Day for Darfur, a day observed by activists, celebrities and survivors across the world who are trying to raise awareness of the suffering in the western Sudanese region. The day marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict.

With rock music playing, the protesters in London chanted and raised up their palms, which were painted white in a symbolic call for peace.

"Don't be Deaf to Darfur," one placard read.

Ikhlass Mohamed, a mother of three who fled the conflict in 2004, said it was vital to keep the tragedy in the public eye.

"We came here looking for peace," she said. "Physically we may have peace, but mentally we will never be at peace until we see Darfuri people having a peaceful life."

Fighting has raged in Darfur since 2003, when ethnic African tribesman took up arms, complaining of decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese Arab-dominated government.

Khartoum is accused of unleashing janjaweed militia forces to commit atrocities against ethnic African communities in the fight with rebel groups — charges the government denies.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and about 2.5 million displaced in the conflict. Activists say more than 1 million children have been caught in the fighting.

A global humanitarian movement has risen up around the Darfur conflict, attracting numerous celebrity voices along with human rights activists. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Saturday that he has offered to host Darfur peace talks in London.

Video released by activists on the Global Day for Darfur showed Hollywood star Matt Damon taking a baseball bat to a dollhouse while British actress Thandie Newton burned a Barbie with a blowtorch. The video, meant to symbolize the shattered childhoods in Darfur, was aired on British television.

Four years after the U.N. Security Council first took up the issue of Darfur, U.N. and African Union peacekeepers are finally heading to the region. But the Sudanese government, which has long resisted such a force, continues to delay the full deployment.

Nicholas Kristof: It is still possible to affect change in Darfur

08:55 AM CDT on Monday, April 14, 2008

This month marks the 14th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide – the last time we said "never again." And as President Bush seems genuinely troubled by the similar slaughter in Darfur, here are concrete steps that he can take to make a difference:

1. Work with France to end the proxy war between Sudan and Chad and to keep Sudan from invading Chad and toppling its government. Stopping the Darfur virus from infecting the surrounding countries must be a top priority. And even if the West lacks the gumption to do much within Sudan, it should at least try to block the spread of genocide to the entire region.

France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is leading the way in providing a European force to stabilize Chad and Central African Republic; we should back him strongly. If Sudan dispatches additional proxy troops, France and the United States should use aircraft to strafe the invaders. But we also should push Chad's repressive president to accommodate his domestic opponents rather than imprison them.

2. Broaden the focus from "save Darfur" to "save Sudan." There is a growing risk that the war between North and South Sudan will resume in the coming months and that Sudan will shatter into pieces. The United States should try to shore up the fraying north-south peace agreement and urgently help South Sudan with an anti-aircraft capability, to deter Khartoum from striking the South.

3. Right before or after this summer's G-8 summit, Mr. Bush should convene an international conference on Sudan, inviting among others Mr. Sarkozy, Gordon Brown of Britain, Hu Jintao of China, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Sudanese leaders. The conference should be convened in Kigali, Rwanda, so that participants can reflect on the historical resonance of genocide.

One aim would be to pressure China to suspend arms transfers to Sudan until it seriously pursues peace in Darfur (we'll get further by treating China as important rather than as evil). Such a suspension would be the single best way to induce Sudan to make concessions to achieve peace. The conference also would focus on supporting the U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur with helicopters, training and equipment.

4. The conference should aim to restart a Darfur peace process, because the only way the slaughter will truly end is with a peace agreement. A prominent figure like Kofi Annan should lead the talks, working full time and with a first-rate staff to crack heads of Sudanese officials and rebel leaders alike.

5. The United Nations and United States should take up South Sudan on its offers in 2004 and 2005 to provide up to 10,000 peacekeepers for Darfur. South Sudanese peacekeepers wouldn't need visas or interpreters. They can simply walk to Darfur from their present positions, and they would make a huge difference in security.

6. The United States should impose a no-fly zone over Darfur from the air base in Abeche, Chad (or even from our existing base in Djibouti). We wouldn't keep planes in the air or shoot down Sudanese aircraft. Rather, the next time Sudan breaches the U.N. ban on offensive military flights, we would wait a day or two and then destroy a Sudanese Antonov bomber on the ground.

Aid groups mostly oppose this approach for fear that Sudan would respond by cutting off humanitarian access, and that's a legitimate concern. We should warn Sudan that any such behavior would lead it to lose other aircraft. Sudan's leaders are practical and covet their planes.

7. We should warn Sudan that if it provokes a war with the South, attacks camps for displaced people or invades a neighboring country, we will destroy its air force. As Roger Winter, a longtime Sudan expert, puts it: "They act when they are credibly threatened. They don't react when we throw snow at them."

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

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US envoy holds rare direct talks with Darfur rebel JEM
Wednesday 16 April 2008 05:50. Printer-Friendly version Comments...

April 15, 2008 (PARIS) — The US efforts to boost efforts in the war ravaged region of Darfur took an unprecedented turn Tuesday with a senior official holding a rare meeting with a rebel movement in France.

US special envoy for Sudan Richard Williamson is seen in Khartoum in February 2008 (AFP) The US special envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson met with a high level delegation from Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to discuss the resumption of peace talks and cessation of hostilities in Darfur.

JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein told Sudan Tribune from Paris that the meeting was supposed to include Khalil Ibrahim leader of JEM but said that “logistical difficulties due to his presence in Darfur” prevented him from attending.

However Hussein disclosed that that Williamson had phone conversation with Ibrahim earlier today and that the latter will meet with the US envoy “very soon” to discuss ways of “bringing about a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Darfur”.

The meeting is the first of its kind since the US administration imposed sanctions on Ibrahim for his role and accused him of “activity aimed at further destabilizing the situation on the ground [in Darfur]”.

Last year a US state department official speaking to Sudan Tribune said that “Ibrahim’s agenda is that of Hassan Turabi, the head of the Popular Congress Party and an ex-ally of President Al-Bashir”.

The official elaborated by saying that it is clear to the US administration that Ibrahim is focused on Khartoum and not on the crisis of his people in Darfur.

The JEM delegation in the talks with the US envoy was headed by Dr. Mahmoud Abakar Tinawi, the vice chairperson of the general congress; Dr El-Tahir Adam El-Faki, the Chairman of JEM Legislative Council and Ahmed Hussein who is JEM spokesperson and in charge of relations with Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM).

The delegation also included Ahmed Tugud Lisan, JEM political secretariat and chief negotiator; Dr. Abdullahi Osman El-Tom, in charge of JEM Bureau for Training and Strategic Planning; Jibreel Ibrahim, economic adviser and Sadiq Hassan head of JEM office in France.

The JEM spokesperson said that the US official “emphasized Bush’s desire to help Sudanese parties reach a peaceful settlement and ending the plight of Darfurian people”.

“He told us that the US is looking for ways to achieve peace in Darfur before the end of Bush’s second term and the pivotal role JEM could play” Hussein said.

The Darfur rebel group underscored to Williamson the need for the full deployment of UN-AU hybrid force (UNAMID) for a “constructive environment”. The US official raised the need for cessation of hostilities “in the coming period”.

JEM is thought to have the largest military rebel force in Darfur and has gained extra prominence in recent months through a series of clashes with government forces. But other groups, chief among the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction led by founder Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur, have huge support among Darfur’s displaced populations.

But Hussein said that the JEM delegation told Williamson that the movement “is not just a military power but managed to transform itself in many parts of Darfur and that many people look at them for hope”.

“We thanked the US and President Bush for helping the people of Darfur and his devotion to the problems facing Sudan” he added.

JEM expressed their willingness to negotiate “immediately” saying that peace “is a strategic objective”.

However the delegation told the US envoy that there needs to be a mediation change and called for a sole mediator to replace the U.N.’s Darfur envoy, Jan Eliasson, and his African Union counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim.

The rebel group also expressed to Williamson their “skepticism of Khartoum’s seriousness in pursuing peace as an alternative to a military solution” and that any future negotiations should address the “root causes of the conflict”.

Williamson met with SLM leader Al-Nur on Monday and is will fly to Rome for a meeting with a Sudanese government delegation on Wednesday.

The Sudanese delegation will be headed by presidential adviser Nafi Ali Nafi, foreign minister Deng Alor and Salah Gosh, the head of National Security and Intelligence Service. Sudan official news agency (SUNA) said the talks will tackle normalization of bilateral relations and that it will last till Saturday with a possibility of extension depending on the progress.

International experts estimate some 200,000 have died and 2.5 million have been forced from their homes in the five years of revolt in Darfur, which borders Chad.

Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing the central government of neglect. But rebel divisions and the government’s mobilization of mostly Arab tribal militia have created a mix of armed groups and a breakdown of law and order.

Washington calls the violence genocide, a term European governments are reluctant to use and Khartoum rejects.

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Students invited to compete in Darfur fundraising challenge
By DAVID LAZARUS, Staff Reporter
Thursday, 17 April 2008
MONTREAL — A nationwide online fundraising competiton for students to help the children of Darfur was recently launched at Bialik High School Called the Darfur Challenge, the campaign is meant not only to raise funds, but also to raise awareness among students about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the region of Sudan where millions have been slaughtered and displaced by civil strife over the last four years, and to bolster advocacy initiatives, said Bialik student Adam Shapiro, one of the organizers of the competition.

The schools that raise the most money will win valuable prizes.

“We based it on a similar campaign in the U.S. called Dollars for Darfur,” which raised some $400,000, Shapiro said in a telephone interview for which he was joined by two other Bialik student organizers, Lauren Pinkus and Shawn Greenstone.

Shapiro, 15, earlier won praise for founding the Human Promise: Young Voices for Darfur, a youth-led movement of Quebec high school students whose goal is to educate their peers about the genocide in the Darfur region.

Although the competition is aimed primarily at elementary and high school students, almost any other type of youth group – from sports teams to groups of friends to siblings – can also enter.

“Any fundraising idea is good,” Pinkus said, adding that even though the competition is open to virtually anybody, it’s hoped that Jewish schools will lead the way because humanitarian issues are “Jewish issues.”

“We are building on the number of schools,” she said. “It’s all about kids looking out for other kids.”

What is unique about the competition, Shapiro said, is that it is being run entirely through “viral marketing,” that is, tools such as Facebook, MySpace, e-mail and online registering will be utilized to maximize recruitment as well as the competition’s potential.

Hundreds of schools have been sent letters inviting them to participate. At writing, the Darfur Challenge website, www.darfurchallenge.org, listed participating schools in Montreal, in Ontario and in British Columbia. The website is being used for all registration as well as for access to tools and resources including photos, logos, T-shirts and fundraising advice.

The main link on the site is the “Campaign Resources” menu, which downloads a “kit” that includes fundraising ideas and an event-planning guide, and gives advice on being an effective leader and how to attract media attention.

The Darfur Challenge officially ends May 21, but funds can be turned in until May 30.

The initiative, Shapiro said, is being co-sponsored by the advocacy coalition Save Darfur Canada, with proceeds earmarked for War Child Canada, which provides humanitarian aid to child victims of war, and for Save Darfur Canada’s advocacy work.

Among those attending the official launch at Bialik were Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, a prominent figure in local Darfur advocacy; Father John Walsh of St. Jean Brébeuf Parish; and Holocaust survivor Leslie Vertes, who told students that young people are duty-bound to learn from the Holocaust in regard to the Darfur crisis.

Sudan’s Mahdi proposes tribal conference to ease Sudan Chad tension

April 15, 2008 (PARIS) — The Former Sudanese Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Umma Party proposed to hold a conference for the tribal and traditional leader of all the ethnic groups disseminated between the Sudan and Chad.

Sadiq al-Madi greeting Chadian President Idris Deby at the Presidential Palace N’Djamena on Monday April 14, 2008 The Chadian President, Idriss Deby received Sadiq al-Mahdi in the Presidential Palace on Monday April 14, 2008 to discuss a peace plan to defuse tension between the two neighbouring countries.

A Umma Party delegation led by Sadiq al-Mahdi proposed a plan to reconcile Khartoum and N’Djamena. A Chadian official, who requested anonymity, said the former Prime Minister suggested to hold a conference for the tribal leaders in the war affected areas in eastern Chad and western Sudan to reconcile them.

"Al-Mahdi proposed to convene this meeting for the traditional leaders because he believes that the solution should come from the ground" the source said.

The Zaggawa ethnic group, Al-Mahamiyed and Tama tribes are among groups concerned groups living in Chad and Sudan and involved in the internal conflicts in the two countries.

According to the Chadian Presidency website, Sadiq al-Mahdi told Deby he can not remain indifferent towards current conflict between Chad and Sudan, two neighbouring countries, linked by history. He further said that his plan aiming at re-establishing "peace and harmony between the two countries."

"The proposal will be discussed by the highest authorities in Chad who, I am sure, will give their agreement in principle," al-Mahdi said following the meeting. He further pledged that the Umma Party will do its utmost to achieve the objective he has set: reconciliation between Chad and Sudan.

Darfur region was considered as the most important popular base for the Umma Party before the 1989 Islamist coup d’etat led by General Omer al-Bashir.

The meeting was attended by the Chadian Ambassador to Sudan, Baharadine Haroun, and two members from the Umma Party.

(ST)

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Darfur Latest News

April 14, 2008 (PARIS) — The US special Envoy to Sudan, discussed with Sudan Liberation Movement founder leader the deployment of peacekeeping troops and international efforts for a comprehensive settlement to Darfur crisis.

Abdelwahid al-Nur In a meeting held in the French capital, Paris, Richard Williamson and Abdel-Wahid al-Nur discussed on Monday the deployment of the 26000 joint U.N.-African Union troops in Darfur charged with the protection of civilians in the region and the creation of a conducive environment to resume the peace process.

Al-Nur who described the meeting as “very constructive” told Sudan Tribune that the meeting discussed US efforts to speed up the deployment of the international troops in the region.

The security situation has dramatically deteriorated in the region despite the official take over of the hybrid force since last January, the rebel leader said.

“While we relentlessly repeating our demand for the conflict suspension the government and its militias continue to wage attacks and practice the conflict escalation policy,” he said.

Janjaweed attacks against El-Fasher inhabitants, Nyala and Korma, the killing of local chief in Kalma camp of IDPs, the bombing of last week in Jebel Marra "all these attacks are just a repetition of what happened last month, last year; or yesterday nothing new and nothing changed" he added.

The rebel leader said the meeting discussed Bush Administration efforts to support the effective deployment of the 26000 troops on the ground because it will help to change the course of “this tragic situation.”

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon early April, U.S. Presidential Envoy for Darfur Richard Williamson, urged the UN chief to deploy more 3,600 new African troops by June. Also, Washington pledged $100 million to train and equip peacekeepers to be deployed as part of the U.N.-AU mission in Darfur, known as UNAMID.

Only 9,000 of the required 26,000 international troops and police have been deployed in Darfur. Western governments have blamed Khartoum for the slow pace of deployment, saying it has dragged its feet in approving the composition of the force and set up unnecessary obstacles.

Al-Nur also said the meeting discussed the ongoing efforts to engage the political process to end the conflict. "We explained our vision in this regard to the US envoy” he added.

The rebel leader who requires the protection of civilians and the return of displaced to their villages, asks to dedicate the talks to discuss the root causes of the conflict in order to preserve the rights of Darfur people within a democratic Sudan.

He also said they agreed to continue dialogue and consultations in order to advance the peace process in the region.

(ST)

Sunday, April 13, 2008