---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2011 12:02:03 +0300 Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Fw: Khartoum rejects peace talks To: Group <[email protected]>
Following is a series of articles related to the civil wars in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and the position of SPLM-N. It should be remembered that SPLM-M negotiated in good faith when the South Kordofan civil war broke out in June 2011, only to have Khartoum repudiate the agreement. Now they are still willing to negotiate, but Khartoum prefers a military solution (article 1, below). Article 2, below, suggests that this is not only an assault on the people of two geographical areas, but part of an attempt to neutralise SPLM-N as a political force in the Republic of Sudan. This perhaps suggests that NCP fears the influence of SPLM-N in northern politics. Although SPLM-N alone may not be a huge political force nation-wide, nevertheless it might act as a catalyst for other opposition parties (see article 3). "The crisis in Southern Kordofan should serve as a lesson of the potentially devastating consequences if dialogue is abandoned and military means utilized" (Carter Center, article 12, below). It might also serve as a lesson on the potentially devastating consequences of international monitoring groups issuing ill-advised and hasty endorsements of elections (cf report by Rift Valley Institute questioning the Carter Center's report on South Kordofan elections, circulated on this Google group on 28th August 2011). John BEGIN 1. Sudan’s NCP rejects talks with Blue Nile’s rebels September 7, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s governing National Congress Party (NCP) has vowed to squelch the rebellion in the country’s southern state of Blue Nile, saying it is a prerequisite to any dialogue with the armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N). Sudan’s Blue Nile State last week plunged into an episode of violence that has recently engulfed the country’s border areas with the newly established state of South Sudan, including South Kordofan State which descended into violence since early June. The country’s army known as the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) clashed with SPLM-N forces led by the state’s governor Malik Agar who was elected to his position in 2010. Sudan’s president Omer al-Bashir declared a state of emergency in the state and sacked Agar, appointing an interim military ruler in his place. The presidential assistant and NCP’s vice-president, Nafei Ali Nafei, on Wednesday said that negotiating a peaceful settlement to the crisis in Blue Nile is contingent on the SPLM-N’s renunciation of its arms. Speaking upon his return from a visit to Somalia, Nafe asserted that the events in the Blue Nile represent a rebellion against the state and that SAF was doing its job in quelling forces "destabilizing" the country. He further reaffirmed the NCP’s rejection to any foreign mediation for talks with the SPLM-N. Efforts by the African Union and Ethiopia to broker a peaceful settlement to the crisis in Blue Nile and South Kordofan failed as the NCP rejected the SPLM-N’s demands for a third-party talks and recognizing the movement as a legal political party in the country before to disarm its fighters. Sudan accuses South Sudan of supporting the SPLM-N which says it is longer part of the South’s ruling party. Meanwhile, the meeting of the NCP’s leading bureau called on the country’s opposition forces to declare a clear position on the rebellion led by the SPLM-N in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The party’s media secretary Ibrahim Gandour on Wednesday said that what was happening does not accept “opaque” stances by political forces. He further said it was important for these forces to stand firmly behind SAF because what was happening is an attempt to undermine the state’s system and security. Sudan’s opposition forces have planned a protest march on Friday to demonstrate against the war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The parties intend to submit a memo to the president denouncing the war in the two states. The democratic opposition forces demand to stop hostilities and to hold a national conference to solve the armed conflicts in southern and western Sudan. But Gandour urged opposition forces to put national agendas ahead of their own goals, adding that the political parties’ law does not permit registration of groups with armed forces, in reference to the SPLM-N. The NCP’s meeting also censured the government of South Sudan for the support it allegedly provides to the SPLM-N in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The meeting, which was chaired by Vice-President Ali Osman, reaffirmed support for SAF to fulfill its duties in quelling forces trying to undermine security and stability in the country. (ST) END1 2. Perceived SPLM-North supporters arrested throughout the Sudan The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies Perceived SPLM-Northern Sector Supporters Arrested throughout Northern Sudan Contact: Osman Hummaida, Executive Director Phone: +44 7956 095738 E-mail: [email protected] (6 September 2011) — The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies has documented hundreds of incidents of arbitrary arrest on the basis of perceived political affiliation and membership to particular ethnic groups since conflict reignited in Northern Sudan’s contested South Kordofan state in early June. Similar incidents have occurred in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, although on a smaller scale when members of the Nuba ethnic group and Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement – Northern Sector (SPLM-N) supporters were arrested in June. Despite a late August ceasefire declared by President Omar al-Bashir in South Kordofan, arrests on the basis of political affiliation have not abated. As the African Centre has already reported, 12 individuals were arrested on 2 September in El-Moreib El-Suq under the orders of the Local Commissioner, Police and National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) (see Arbitrary Arrests in South Kordofan Continue). Meanwhile a further 200 people are estimated to have been arrested since 28 August in South Kordofan, when the National Congress Party (NCP)’s Military Commander, Ahmed Adam Mohamed Adam, head of Military Unit no. 53, deployed joint forces comprised of members of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), police, and NISS in Abugebiha area, South Kordofan, to arrest members of the SPLM-N. The detainees were reportedly divided into two groups and then held at an oil factory owned by Haj Ahmed Alfadul and an ice factory owned by Abdulrazig Alhaj. Commander Adam gave his forces orders to execute the detainees in the event that the SPLM attacked the area, perhaps to make it appear as if the detainees were civilian casualties of the SPLM. The identities of those known to be in detention currently are: 1. Kaltoum Musa Aldai, female 2. Khadiga Ismail Kojo, female 3. Abdulbagi Hamad Adam, male 4. Alsarih Brima Mohamed, male 5. Nato Musa, male 6. Abdalla Osman Kosmie, male 7. Mohamed Salim Mohamed, male 8. Amna Alnour, female 9. Alawia Dawalbait, female 10. Aisha Alsafi Nwai, female 11. Meryan Khalifa, female 12. Radi Ali Alfadul, male 13. Fadlal Almwla Musa, male 14. Gesma Alteyeb Alnour, female 15. Arafa Ibrahim Alwali, female 16. Tajouj Bab Alla, female 17. Alhadi Abdraham, male 18. Alhaja Agrab, female 19. Majda Fadulalla, female 20. Alshikh Abdlkreem, male 21. Um Slama Mohamed, female 22. Kaltoum Jrban, female 23. Maria Ahmed Aljak, female 24. Rizig Hmada, male 25. Shakir Makki, male 26. Hawa Shaa Aldeen, female 27. Kaka Abdalla, female 28. Alumda Ahmed, male 29. Abdalla Shool, male 30. Haja Bento, female 31. Agsaam Ibrahim, female 32. Ekhlas Musa Alwan, female 33. Awatif Alamin Kafie, female 34. Kuka Alamin, female 35. Mahmoud Alsikh, male, 36. Wageela (accountant), male 37. Mukhtar Alzubir, male 38. Ibrahim Alnour Hassan, male 39. Magda Fadulalla, female 40. Abashar Adam Dabuk, male 41. Mohamed Ismail Kajo, male 42. Musa Altoum Abaker, male 43. Abduaziz Jabir Alawal, male 44. Adam Jumma, male 45. Osama Abdalla Alniel, male 46. Omar Abdalla Eissa, male 47. Tety Ahmed, female 48. Hassan Jumma, male 49. Amir Salih Ali, male 50. Ali Eissa, male 51. Altegani Yousef, male 52. Alshikh, male 53. Ibrahim Ismail Hussein, male 54. Um Alhussein Fadlalla, female 55. Fatima Adam Ali, female 56. Adam Daieen Sbah Alkhair, male 57. Omar Abdallah Eissa, male 58. Hassan Eissa, male 59. Musa Altoum, male A short-lived framework agreement on South Kordofan and Blue Nile signed on 28 June in Addis Ababa between the SPLM-N and the National Congress Party (NCP) affirmed the right of the SPLM-N to exist in the North. However, the NCP quickly rejected the agreement and on 3 September, the NCP officially declared the SPLM-N to be illegal, freezing their assets, closing their offices and arresting members present. The NCP then embarked on a broad campaign of arrests against perceived SPLM-N supporters. The African Centre documented the following consequences of this decision on 3 September: Khartoum: the NISS stopped SPLM-N members as they were leaving the party’s headquarters in Arkaweet area. They were told that they were no longer allowed to work in Northern Sudan, and ordered not to return to the office. NISS officers remained outside the headquarters. The office of SPLM-N chairman Yasir Arman was also closed. El Fashir, North Darfur: the NISS entered SPLM-N headquarters, arresting three SPLM-N members and freezing their assets. Those arrested are: o Abdulshahour Ishag, member of the SPLM-N cabinet; o Albdmajed Ahmed Fadul, member of the SPLM-N cabinet; and o Azideen Mohamdeen Knajok, Youth Secretary. Kosti, White Nile State: the military in White Nile State arrested a number of SPLM-N members. Those arrested are: o Abdallah Saeed Daud: the SPLM-N chairperson of Kocity locality, he was arrested from his home at 12 PM; o Abdalwahab, arrested from the SPLM-N’s offices at 8 PM; o Alfatih, arrested from the SPLM-N’s offices at 8 PM; o Neemat Adam Jmaa, arrested from the SPLM-N’s office at 8 PM. She was released at 11 PM on 4 September, and ordered to report back to the NISS’ office on 5 September. Ms. Jmaa was an SPLM-N candidate in the April 2010 General Elections. o Haidar Hassan Abuzater, a SPLM-N candidate in the April 2010 General Elections; o Jafarr, arrested near the SPLM-N office in Kosti; and o Alamin, a SPLM-N member and prominent businessman. All of the detainees were referred to NISS offices in Kosti town. · Rabak, White Nile: Alwada Isikh Aldaw and Michael Gai were arrested. · Kenana, White Nile State: NISS agents arrested Yair El-Fait, Siddig Adam Ahmed, and El-Tayeb Waj (a Southerner). Al Doueim, White Nile State: Malik Alshikh Malik, a lawyer, was arrested by National Security. As of 4 September, Mr. Malik remained in NISS custody. El Damazin, Blue Nile State: On 3 September, the NCP in El Damazin arrested roughly 100 SPLM-N members. 20 were reported to have been subjected to extrajudicial killings. Other SPLM-N members turned themselves into the NCP to avoid potential attacks on areas perceived to have large numbers of SPLM-N supporters. Some of those known to be arrested are: o Eissa Zaid, head of the land commission. Mr. Zaid was arrested at 3 PM. o Mohamed Abdlhafi, senior staff of the Youth Ministry. The NISS also arrested the following members of the SPLM-N at 2 PM: o Aldo Salih o Aldo Abbas o Adam Alfeel o Abdelkeem Ibrahim o Aldaw Dafalla Port Sudan: The NISS in Port Sudan froze the assets of the SPLM-N. On the morning of 4 September, they returned to the office and met with SPLM-N member Abdelatif Mohamed Adroub, who was forced to hand over all of the SPLM-N office cars to the NISS. El Geneina, West Darfur: On 3 September, the NISS in West Darfur arrested the following individuals: o Salwa Adam Benia o Saad Sandal o Sharib Yousef Zakaria o Daoud Fadul o Smraa Suliman · Northern State: The following members of the SPLM-N were arrested on 3 September. They are: o Mohamed Mahmoud o Hashim Musa o Mergant Teiah o Gesim Ibrahim o Makeer Aloung o Shams Aldeen · El Gedarif, Eastern Sudan: the NISS arrested Mohamed Saad Abogbala · El Gezira State: the NISS arrested Tariq Mehice and Mohamed Abaker. · El Obeid, North Kordofan: the NISS arrested SPLM-N members Adam Ahmed and Muhand Rahma. The latest round of arrests of SPLM-N members comes amidst escalating conflict in North Sudan. The decision to withdraw recognition from the SPLM-N violates the Addis Framework Agreement, which explicitly recognized the legitimacy of SPLM-N. The NCP quickly expressed reservations on the agreement (likely the result of an internal rift within the party), declaring that the SPLM-N would not be a legitimate party in the North following secession of the South, and would have to re-register. Though it is unclear if the SPLM-N attempted to register post-secession, statements from senior NCP officials indicate that they believe the SPLM-N’s core constituencies to be 95% “foreigners”, i.e. Southerners. Under the Political Parties Law, registration can only be attained if parties agree to disband militias. While this provision is fairly uncontroversial, the SPLM-N is only required to disband their troops six months after the completion of the CPA-prescribed popular consultations (which are stalled in Blue Nile and have yet to begin in South Kordofan). The African Centre calls for the Government of Sudan to release detainees, or charge them with an internationally recognised offence. In the context of information received about the treatment of SPLM-N detainees and house to house searches that took place in South Kordofan, the African Centre is seriously concerned that detainees may be subjected to torture, incommunicado detention, and extrajudicial killings, as has already reportedly been the case in El Damazein, Blue Nile. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies believes that those subjected to arrest were targeted solely on the basis of their real or perceived membership of a political party. The government of Sudan may contend that the party is no longer legal, but this is no justification for arresting people based on suspected past participation. Freedom of assembly and association are guaranteed under Article 40 of the Interim National Constitution. Further, the right to political participation and to participation in a political party is also enshrined in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, instruments to which Sudan is a party. Posted on ST END2 3. Opposition forces to demonstrate against wars in Sudan September 5, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese opposition forces will organise a demonstration on Friday demanding to stop the war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and to investigate who started the attacks. Clashes erupted last Saturday in Blue Nile state between the Sudanese army and fighters of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The two parties have also been fighting since last June in the neighboring Southern Kordofan. In both cases, every side accuses the other of starting the hostilities. Over 160,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the Southern Kordofan but the government refuses to allow international aid groups to provide humanitarian assistance or to open camps. In the Blue Nile no estimations have yet been done. In a meeting chaired by the leader of the Uma National Party (UNP) Sadiq al-Mahdi, the opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) agreed to address a memorandum to the Sudanese presidency to demand to stop war and seek peaceful settlement for the conflict in the southern and western parts of the country. Reliable sources told the Sudan Tribune the decision has been taken that demonstrators will gather next Friday outside Al-Mahdi mosque and the house of the late leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Mohamed Ismail al-Azhary in Omdurman. Then the anti-war demonstration will move to the presidential palace in Khartoum to hand the memorandum (called Declaration of the Sudan) to President Omer Hassan al-Bashir. A meeting will be held on Thursday to mobilise the street to take part in the peaceful demonstration. President al-Bashir held yesterday a meeting with the political parties to brief them about the causes of the clashes and accused the SPLM-N of igniting the war. The SPLM–N and its allies from the rebel groups also called on the opposition to join them in the struggle against Khartoum’s government. The political opposition is frustrated by the refusal of the ruling National Congress Party to hold a national conference to resolve armed conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan. They blame Bashir’s party for the rejection of a comprehensive and inclusive process they propose. Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, leading member of the National Consensus Forces, stated in a press conference held on Monday after meeting of the opposition alliance leaders that the memorandum aims to stop war in all the parts of the country. She also called for a popular support to their demand to investigate the reasons of armed conflicts in the Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, stressing that the opposition strongly condemns the bloody clashes. "We must stop the war, and probe the causes of the armed clashes, because the war only bring devastation, destruction and international intervention (in Sudanese affairs)," said Mariam. (ST) END3 4. Sudan: UN calls for immediate end to reported army bombing of civilians UN News Centre 7 September 2011 – Two senior United Nations human rights officials today called for the immediate end to Sudanese Government air attacks on civilian populations that are reportedly continuing in Southern Kordofan state, resulting in further killing and displacement. “We remind the Government of Sudan of its responsibility to protect its populations – irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation – from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,” said Francis Deng, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Edward Luck, Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. They noted that a preliminary report last month by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found that attacks against civilians as a result of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement – North (SPLM – North) may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. Reported violations included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and illegal detention, enforced disappearances, attacks against civilians, looting of civilian homes and destruction of property, as well as massive displacement. The two experts urged the Government to investigate the alleged crimes and hold accountable all those responsible, including for their incitement. “If the Government is unable to do so, it should allow a prompt international investigation into the ongoing attacks against the civilian population in Southern Kordofan,” they said, voicing grave concern. Already last week Mr. Ban already called for an immediate end to the fighting and for access for humanitarian agencies to the affected areas. According to independent sources, the SAF have continued aerial bombardments in Southern Kordofan, particularly in the Nuba mountains region. Latest reports indicate that the violence has spilled over into neighbouring Blue Nile state, resulting in tens of thousands of civilians fleeing to neighbouring states and across the border into Ethiopia. Southern Kordofan borders the newly independent South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan on 9 July. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39482&Cr=kordofan&Cr1= END4 5. U.S. warns Sudan that normalization process jeopardized by Blue Nile fighting September 7, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The United States special envoy to Sudan Princeton Lyman expressed concern today over the recent upsurge in fighting between government forces and Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. Tensions have mounted in these two states and other territories along Sudan’s poorly-defined border with South Sudan since the south declared independence in July. The territories are all still home to tens of thousands of people from ethnic groups that sided with the south during decades of civil war that led up to independence. Last week fighting broke out between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and SPLA units in the Blue Nile state. Both sides traded blame over who provoked the clashes. Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir declared the state of emergency in Blue Nile and removed its governor Malik Agar who is leading SPLA units there. In June of this year SAF and SPLA engaged in heavy fighting in the oil-rich state of South Kordofan that has yet to be quelled. As with Blue Nile, the two sides accused each other of firing the first shot. President Bashir scrapped an African Union framework agreement on South Kordofan despite being signed by his powerful assistant Nafie Ali Nafie. The Sudanese leader instructed SAF to continue military operations until they nab the former deputy governor Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu who is leading SPLA units there. A recent mediation attempt by Ethiopian president Meles Zenawi failed to yield results. The visiting U.S. special envoy on Wednesday said the situation in the border states is “very dangerous”. "The two sides are not still talking to each other. That means the situation remains very dangerous. Fighting is going on," Lyman said after meeting Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Ali Ahmed Karti, and other officials. Lyman also criticized Khartoum’s decision to close down SPLM-N offices. "If there is going to be a discussion and political talks, who are you going to talk to? Of course you are going to talk to the SPLM-North. It’s a major political party in Sudan. Closing down offices does not help," he said. The U.S. official also warned Sudan that the process of normalizing ties is in danger given the humanitarian situation in the two states. "We continue to want to move along that path to normalisation" of relations between the United States and Sudan,” the special envoy said. “But clearly when you have a situation like has happened in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, that throws an obstacle in the way," he said, adding that the violence raised a number of "serious problems," including charges of human rights violations that have to be investigated and addressed. "Certainly we can’t go forward... if we have a major conflict going on, and we have humanitarian and human rights issues that haven’t been addressed". Today the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that “UN agencies and international humanitarian partners... have requested permission from the government to travel to Sennar [the neighbouring state] and to secure parts of northern Blue Nile state to assess the situation and assist in addressing humanitarian needs”. "But they have so far been denied access to do so," it said, adding that, as in nearby South Kordofan, where a similar three-month-old conflict is still raging, the government has insisted that aid be provided through national partners such as the Sudanese Red Crescent. Today the Sudanese army issued a statement revealing fresh fighting south of the Blue Nile state capital of Damazin. "The armed forces clashed with remnants of Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) on Wednesday afternoon near Bau town in Blue Nile state, and inflicted heavy losses on them," Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad was quoted as saying by the Sudan’s official news agency (SUNA). The army spokesperson also said that several SAF soldiers had been killed or injured. Sudan accused its southern neighbor of pushing the SPLM-N to rebel against the central government but Juba dismissed the claims. The U.S. official suggested that Khartoum’s claim may have merits and urged South Sudan to stay out of the conflicts in the two states and instead try to encourage the SPLM-N to find a peaceful solution with Khartoum. (ST) END5 6. Sudan army criticizes Al-Jazeera TV coverage, says assault on reporter ‘isolated’ September 7, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – The spokesperson of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad said today that the assault on Al-Jazeera TV correspondent by Sudanese soldiers in Blue Nile state was an act of an individuals and isolated. Osama Sayed Ahmed recounted his ordeal on Al-Jazeera Arabic TV saying that he was verbally abused and beaten up by SAF soldiers who accused him of circulating false news on Blue Nile state. He was also ordered to leave the state where fighting erupted there last week between SAF and Sudan people Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) military units. SAF spokesperson said that a commission was formed to investigate this so that incidents like these are not repeated stressing that attacking journalists is “unacceptable”. He also urged news outlets to ensure accuracy in their reporting of SAF activities adding that Al-Jazeera’s report yesterday on the heavy gunfire Blue Nile state capital of Damazin dealt a setback to of efforts made to reassure displaced citizens to return home. Colonel Sa’ad said Al-Jazeera omitted mention to the fact that the shooting was accidental thus opening the door wide open for speculations on a possible hostile act. Yesterday witnesses in Damazin reported heavy gunfire and artillery bombardments that lasted for nearly 30 minutes. The electricity also went out in the city. SAF later issued a statement saying that a government soldier had accidentally fired his gun outside Damazin and other soldiers inside the city responded by shooting their weapons. (ST) END6 7. Sudan army says Blue Nile’s gunfire "accidental" September 6, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Sounds of firefight were heard on Tuesday evening in the capital of Sudan’s southern state of Blue Nile, a resident said; prompting the country’s army to downplay the events as accidental. "One hour ago, I heard gunfire and artillery bombardments in different parts of the city. The shooting lasted about 15 or 20 minutes," AFP quoted a Sudanese journalist in the capital al-Damazin as saying. The source added that the city’s power supply had been cut. The Blue Nile state on 1 September joined the list of Sudan’s flashpoints along with the state of South Kordofan and the western region of Darfur, when fighting erupted there between Sudan’s army (SAF) and forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) led by the state’s governor Malik Agar. Both sides accused each other of starting the fighting. Sudan’s President Omer Al-Bashir later declared a state of emergency in the state and sacked Agar, appointing an interim military ruler in his place. According to SAF’s spokesperson, Alsoarmi Khaled Saad, the gunfire heard in Al-Damazin occurred when one SAF member "accidentally" opened fire which caused panic among the citizens. The army spokesman added that no casualties resulted from the shooting. "These kinds of incidents tend to occur in military areas. There is no cause of concern.” Blue Nile State and its nearby South Kordofan State lie on the borders with the newly established state of South Sudan. Their population largely sided with the south during the years of Sudan’s second civil wars which ended in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Under the security arrangement protocol of the CPA, which concluded with South Sudan’s secession in July this year, the SPLM-N - which is the former northern branch of the ruling party in South Sudan - was supposed to disarm its forces and integrate them into the Sudanese army. However that process stalled along with the CPA-mandated popular consultation vote to gauge local views on the implementation of the agreement, setting the stage for what has now become a full-scale war in the rump of the country between the government in Khartoum and SPLM-N. Sudan security services banned the SPLM-N and shuttered its offices in the north. President al-Bashir vowed this week to crush any rebel military attack in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. (ST) END7 8. Aid groups launch emergency assistance to fleeing Sudanese in Ethiopia By Tesfa-Alem Tekle September 6, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – International aid agencies have began providing emergency assistance to fleeing Sudanese in Ethiopia as the refugee population that escaped recent conflict from Sudan’s Blue Nile state swells to around 20,000. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said it has deployed staff in western Ethiopia to provide emergency relocation assistance to a growing number of arrivals. Since clashes broke out Thursday between government forces and armed members of the recently outlawed northern sector of the SPLM in Blue Nile state, the number of Sudanese to neighboring Ethiopia is on the rise. Since SPLM-led South Sudan declared independence in July, Sudan’s military stepped up its attempts to disarm northern members of the group. Fighting has also been ongoing in South Kordofan, which also borders South Sudan since June. The SPLM-N say that its officers are being closed and members arrested across the country. Khartoum has reneged on a previous deal which recognised the SPLM-N as a legal party. Fighting began in the Blue Nile state capital Damazine last week. The elected SPLM-N was deposed and a temporary military installed triggering a mass exodus of people across international borders into South Sudan and Ethiopia. Aid groups said that refugees are stranded on the Ethiopian border with little food, water and other basics. However, a considerable number of them are reluctant for relocation and prefer to stay near the border hoping that the fighting will end soon and they could return home. The Geneva-based International Organization for Migration said: “The IOM team, consisting of medical and operational staff, has arrived in the Ethiopian towns Kirmuk and Gizane to organize the immediate relocation of the newly arrived to an established refugee camp in Sherkole, some 50 km inland from the border”. On Tuesday the IOM began assessing road conditions, identifying local service providers and setting up embarkation sites and medical screening facilities with a view to start the relocation of the refuges away from the border within the next 24 hours. IOM and the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) have released $250,000 from their joint Rapid Response Transportation Fund (RRTF) to cover some of the immediate transportation costs. “With reports of on-going fighting and bombing in Blue Nile State, we expect more people to cross into Ethiopia in the coming days,” says Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Director of Operations. “More funding will be needed to move people away from congested border areas to camps where the refugees will receive the assistance and protection they need.” He added. UNHCR has dispatched emergency relief items to Assosa and more supplies are on the way from Addis to assist those at Sherkole and in villages along the border. UNICEF is providing water bladders and medical supplies while WFP is sending food urgently to the area. UNHCR called on the two warring parties to immediately cease fire to avoid further humanitarian crises. “UNHCR reiterates its call to both the Sudan government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North to end the fighting and allow access for humanitarian staff to address any urgent life-saving needs”. “We are also calling on both parties to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers and their assets, including warehouses where vital aid has been stored” Since the Sudanese government in Khartoum and the South Sudan rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005; the number of Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia has seen an increasing decline as many also return home. Excluding the latest arrivals, currently the horn of Africa country hosts more than 26,000 Sudanese refugees in two camps. (ST) END8 9. Eritrea’s FM and President Bashir discuss Sudan’s flashpoints September 6, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir received a message from the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki about the Blue Nile conflict among rumors of a proposal to mediate a negotiated settlement. Eritrean foreign minister Osman Saleh told reporters following the meeting he delivered a message from President Afewerki related to the Blue Nile conflict. He also said they discussed bilateral relations and joint economic projects. The meeting was attended by Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti and the director of the National intelligence and security services Mohamed Atta. Reliable sources stated that Eritrea proposed to broker talks between the Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) on the disputed issues like Abyei and border demarcation, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile conflicts. "Eritrea’s position is that the Sudanese are more knowledgeable and better able to resolve their problems, and we push for a Sudanese solution. Any role of the neighbouring countries should have a supporting and secondary character," said Eritrean presidential adviser Yemane Ghebreab. Ghebreab was speaking to the press about the relations between the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan following a separate meeting between the visiting delegation and presidential assistant Nafei Ali Nafei. He also regretted the fighting in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan adding that war does not solve the issues of Sudan reaffirming Eritrea’s willingness to support the Sudanese efforts to end the disputes. In Khartoum, the Sudanese government Tuesday renewed its demand to Juba to stop supporting the SPLM-N. Khartoum lodged last week a complaint to the UN Security Council accusing the South Sudan ruling party of supporting the rebels groups from Blue Nile, Darfur and Southern Kordofan. Sudan’s president rejected a framework agreement brokered by the former South African president and head of AU panel on Sudan last June. Bashir said he wants talks between Sudanese without an external mediation. But SPLM-N rebels refuse direct talks without a third party. (ST) END9 10. Unworthy of liberation By Magdi El Gizouli September 5, 2011 — In his 3 September declaration of war the Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in North Sudan (SPLM-N), Yasir Arman, declared that the only path left open to the remnant Movement was the “establishment of a ‘national democratic front’ committed to the comprehensive restructuring of the centre of power in Khartoum”. To that end, Arman stated, the SPLM-N will work to promote its recently sealed alliance with the forces of the Darfur rebellion and thus consolidate a “political-military nucleus” that forwards “serious opposition efforts” against the Khartoum regime. Arman went on to call upon the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to enforce a no-fly zone over Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile, the new South in (North) Sudan in the political jargon of the SPLM-N. Arman’s notion of restructuring the centre of power through an alliance of the ‘marginalized’, as it were, copies the ‘New Sudan’ thesis of the late John Garang. In an interview with Africa Report in 1989 Garang detailed his notion of the ‘New Sudan’ in the following terms: “We are talking here of a socio-political mutation - a new entity coming out of what we have now. As a socio-political mutation, you cannot really delineate it by saying one, two three. But we are talking about a new reality in which the localisms and the parochialisms - Sudan is composed of more than 150 different nationalities speaking different languages with various religions - are transcended by a commonality to which we all pay our allegiance and our patriotism. That commonality has never been achieved in our situation”. The SPLM-N, like the mother SPLM before it, proposes to takeover Khartoum through an armed insurrection of the hinterlands. War between Garang’s SPLM and the central government lasted for 22 years. Khartoum, however, remained what it has been since its establishment under the Turkiya (Turco-Egyptian colonial rule, 1821-1885), the centre of an autocratic, overtly ambitious, chronically weak, and thus demonstratively aggressive state. Instead of restructuring power at the centre the SPLM eventually opted for deliverance by break-off, a choice that the overwhelming majority of the South Sudanese favoured over Garang’s ‘New Sudan’ agenda. In Sudan’s modern history only al-Mahdi (the Messiah), Mohamed Ahmed bin Abdalla, and his Ansar had succeeded in crafting together the necessary revolutionary thrust to overrun Khartoum from without. The Ansar besieged Khartoum for an approximate ten months before they victoriously claimed the colonial citadel on 26 January 1885. The lessons learnt from the Mahdist episode constitute by and large the guiding principles of the Sudanese state in its relations with its peripheries as it developed under British colonialism (1898-1956) and further under successive national governments. The Mahdi, who started his military campaign against the Turco-Egyptian Khartoum from the insulation of the Nuba Mountains, propagated an egalitarian ethic that transcended the parochialisms to which Garang referred to under the banner of Islamic revival. In that manner he was able, albeit temporarily, to overcome the schism between the riverain heartland and the wider periphery of Kordofan and Darfur to the advantage of the latter. The alliance between the bahar (river) and the gharb (West) broke down with the Mahdi’s early death. His Khalifa (successor) Abdullahi al-Taaishi, a Baggara from Darfur, completed the transformation of the Mahdist revolution into a state structure, an exercise that demanded the centralisation of power in his own hands. In that context, the Khalifa faced considerable resistance from the riverain elite of the time, the Ashraf, a term denoting the superiority of the Mahdi’s kin over the rabble majority of the Ansar. The confrontation between the Khalifa and the Ashraf resulted in the latter’s defeat and eventual purge from the upper echelons of Mahdist state power. When the riverain elite re-emerged victorious it did so in alliance with the invading army of Herbert Kitchener as the fifth column of the Anglo-Egyptian re-conquest. To subdue Khartoum the SPLM-N needs to consider the place of the riverain Sudan in the equation. By defining its constituency in terms of a marginalized African majority versus a dominant Arab minority the SPLM-N mirrors the divisive ideology of the centre it seeks to reconstruct. In so doing the SPLM-N delivers the heartland of the country it wishes to transform to the siege mentality long nourished by Khartoum’s rulers. On both sides of the frontline, it is Sudan’s dispossessed who are sacrificed at the altar of Khartoum. The author is a fellow of the Rift Valley Institute. He publishes regular opinion articles and analyses at his blog Still Sudan. He can be reached at [email protected] Posted on ST END10 11. Ethnic Cleansing in North Sudan’s Nuba Mountains September 7th, 2011 at 4:03 pm By Ismail Adam, Shams Alsonasi & Dr. Norman L. Epstein The Epoch Times "There is a pretense that Bashir and his regime are part of the solution, but in fact they are the source of the problem." Smoke billowing out of charred huts, corpses with slit throats strewn on the ground, and satellite photos clearly illustrating mass graves. Is this a re-enactment of the heinous crimes in Darfur? Sadly, no. Notwithstanding the continued violence in Darfur, this disturbing vignette is the recent vicious onslaught by the government of Sudan against the Nubian people, an African tribe in South Kordofan (also known as Nuba Mountains), a region bordering North Sudan and the new sovereign state of South Sudan. This is not the first time the Nubian people have had to withstand the malicious wrath of the Khartoum regime. In the early 1990s, the government of Sudan systematically attacked and killed close to 200,000 Nubians, arguably called genocide by many. In the current episode, no one knows the actual numbers murdered, as unfettered access together with humanitarian aid has been denied. However, numerous witnesses have consistently verified that mass atrocities are taking place. As well, a leaked U.N. report also corroborates these accounts. President Omar Al Bashir of northern Sudan has called for South Kordofan to be “ethnically cleansed” of African people. President Al Bashir and his ruthless regime have repeatedly perpetrated crimes against marginalized Africans—the Dingka and Nuer in the south, the Nubians and the Fur, Masseleit and Zaghawa in Darfur. He has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for orchestrating the well-documented genocide in Darfur. Yet when the South officially seceded and became a sovereign country July 9, 2011, he stood among dignitaries in Juba as though he were a credible man of peace and reconciliation. However, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the North and South tenuously hangs by a thread. The disputed region of Abeyei, which contains significant oil resources, was supposed to have had a referendum to determine whether this region would be incorporated in North or South Sudan. The area is populated mostly by Dingka African tribes, loyal to the South, and the North has postponed the referendum over the dubious contention that a nomadic Arab tribe loyal to the regime, the Misseriya, should be permitted to vote. The government of Sudan has violently secured the area despite the promise of Ethiopian peacekeepers moving in. Hair-trigger tensions have precipitated episodic violence between the North and South that could once more explode into a full-scale conflagration. There is a pretense that Bashir and his regime are part of the solution, but in fact they are the source of the problem. The regime’s duplicity is well-known to long-time observers. It has signed peace treaties while demonstrating little desire to implement them completely and participates in peace talks that it has tried to sabotage. The Doha peace process in Qatar to end the conflict in Darfur has been an abysmal failure. Regardless, the international community sends a constant parade of envoys carrying carrots to engage the Khartoum regime. When will enough be enough? When will the world finally stand up to this cabal of serial genocidaires? When will the world wield the proverbial stick to rein in this regime’s egregious behavior? There is much that can be done. Certainly a limited no-fly zone should be considered in South Kordofan if mass atrocities continue. Are not African lives just as worthy as Libyan lives? The U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) peacekeeping force should have its mandate strengthened to Chapter VII to intervene proactively to save lives—instead of serving as mere observers and reacting afterward. Most importantly and urgently, economic measures should be tried first. The government of Sudan has a foreign debt reportedly in excess of 30 billion dollars with a promise by the IMF to forgive it. The IMF could threaten to rescind this if there is not a cessation of hostilities. A blockade of the Port of Sudan could prevent the shipping of Sudan’s oil exports, a major source of revenue. Intense pressure must be exerted on China, which has been the main benefactor of Sudan’s oil and a commercial lifeline to the regime. Thousands of African lives hang in the balance. Is it not the time to act with resolve to end the interminable suffering of the people of Sudan? Or in the words of Canadian icon Gen. Dallaire, “Are some humans more human than others?” Ismail Adam is president of the Darfur Association of Canada. Shams Alsonasi is co-coordinator of the Nubian Mountains International Assoc. of Canada. Dr. Norman L. Epstein founded Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in Canada (CASTS). http://www.borglobe.com/25.html?m7:post=ethnic-cleansing-in-north-sudans-nuba-mountains END11 12. The Carter Center Calls for a Peaceful Resolution of the Stalemate in the Blue Nile Popular Consultations FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 26, 2011 CONTACTS: Khartoum, Niklas Kabel +249 909 631 620; Atlanta, Deborah Hakes +1 404 420 5124 The Carter Center Calls for a Peaceful Resolution of the Stalemate in the Blue Nile Popular Consultations The Carter Center calls on stakeholders in Blue Nile to use dialogue and inclusive negotiations to solve the current standstill around the popular consultations and to recommit to the spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) by reaching a peaceful settlement. Citizens of Blue Nile have sought to promote peaceful dialogue across party differences through co-organized events for peace and by establishing a joint committee comprising the majority of parties in the state, including both CPA signatories. On July 27, 2011, the joint political committee signed a Declaration of Principles saying "no to war" and calling for efforts to sustain peace in Blue Nile. The Carter Center commends these local reconciliation efforts and urges the political parties at the national level to follow this lead. The popular consultation process in Blue Nile has stalled following the formal extension of the timeline by the National Assembly on July 20, 2011. Due to differences over the modalities for extending the process, Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) members of the Blue Nile Parliamentary Commission for Popular Consultations have stopped participating in the work of the commission. The implementation of any additional substantive hearings and the report writing has ceased, with important parts of the data analysis yet to be completed. The main differences revolve around future security arrangements for the state and the modalities for mediation between the Blue Nile state legislative assembly and the Government of Sudan in the event that changes to the CPA are deemed necessary. According to the Popular Consultation Act, the Council of States is to be the formal mediation mechanism. However, the secession of the 10 states in Southern Sudan has significantly changed the composition of the council. The Carter Center encourages the parties to the popular consultations to deal with these issues in an inclusive manner, taking into account the diversity and will of the people of Blue Nile as communicated through the citizen hearings and the different political parties in the state. The main objective should be to avoid a relapse into war and its potential deadly consequences for civilians. The Government of Sudan’s (GoS) declaration of a truce in Southern Kordofan is a positive step, but to be successful a ceasefire will need to be fully implemented and respected by both parties to the conflict in order to promote peaceful negotiations and a permanent cessation of hostilities. Although similar steps to the Blue Nile popular consultations process are mandated in Southern Kordofan, the main immediate focus of the adversaries should be to allow for humanitarian assistance. Popular consultations should commence when conditions allow in order for the people of the state to be heard and taken into account in negotiations with the GoS about the future status of Southern Kordofan in Sudan. The crisis in Southern Kordofan should serve as a lesson of the potentially devastating consequences if dialogue is abandoned and military means utilized. Posted on ST END12 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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