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------Original message------ From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> To: "Group" <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, October 1, 2011 10:31:54 AM GMT+0300 Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Bishop calls for Peace The bishop's call for peace (article 1, below) needs to be heeded primarily by the NCP, which appears to be the aggressor in these two civil wars; SPLM-N has shown itself willing to negotiate in good faith. For Khartoum to insist on a cease-fire is disingenuous (article 3, below). It was President Bashir himself who repudiated the only realistic cease-fire agreement negotiated between his own government and SPLM-N in the early days of the conflict in Southern Kordofan within days of it being signed. Khartoum then broke its own self-declared unilateral truce by continuing its aerial bombing. The government's refusal to allow international involvement in negotiations also casts doubt on its sincerity. It is good to hear that life in Damazin town is returning to normal (article 2, below). It is interesting to see the difference between the way the conflict has played out around Damazin (where there were few SPLM-N supporters and which has apparently been spared from looting and destruction) and Kadugli (which was perceived as a hotbed of SPLM-N activity and suffered the consequences). Conflict in Blue Nile is moving southwards towards SPLM-N core areas such as Kurmuk. Access issues need to be set in context. Access to government-controlled areas of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan is being denied by Khartoum. Access to SPLM-N controlled areas is also being denied by Khartoum. However SPLM-N itself welcomes international aid, media and observers to areas it controls, and there have been many independent reports from those areas, particularly in the Nuba Mountains; the only problem is that it is extremely difficult and dangerous to get there due to government military action. Despite the tendency of the international community to constantly call on "both sides" to allow access in a misplaced attempt to portray neutrality or moral equivalence, it should be remembered that only one side is denying humanitarian access. The same dynamic played out during the southern civil war. During Operation Lifeline Sudan at any one time Khartoum was banning humanitarian access to dozens of airstrips in the south (as well as the whole of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, which were not covered by OLS), while SPLM virtually never did so. John BEGIN 1. SUDAN: Bishop calls for Peace in war-torn Blue Nile BLUE NILE, September 30, 2011 (CISA) – Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok of Khartoum is calling for urgent peace in Sudan following reports that 25,000 people have fled to Ethiopia to escape fighting in the last one month. Bishop Adwok described how in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, entire villages and towns lay virtually deserted after people fled the aerial bombardments. Bishop Adwok told Aid to the Church in Need, “People have to walk a long way to find safety. The only things they have are what they can carry. We need to pray for peace. We need to appeal for peace.” Bishop Adwok’s comments come after the UN estimated that in September alone 25,000 Sudanese crossed the border into Ethiopia. A number of refugees arriving in Ethiopia are from Sudan’s South Kordofan State, on the border with South Sudan, where hundreds have been displaced as a result of violence dating back to June. With hostilities still continuing in both Blue Nile State and South Kordofan, the UN expects refugee numbers to rise. Bishop Adwok is coordinating emergency aid for people fleeing Blue Nile State capital, Damazin. Working with priests and catechists in the region, Aid to the Church in Need is providing food, blankets, medicine and mosquito nets. Meanwhile, the UN is masterminding a massive emergency relief operation in Ethiopia. Bishop Adwok stressed the problems involved in stepping up the relief work. He said: “Reaching the displaced people is problematic because of the terrain and the difficulty of crossing the Blue Nile River. The whole area is occupied by armed forces.” The conflict in Blue Nile State and South Kordofan follows a breakdown in relations between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement, which held local political control. END1 2. From a source on the ground in Damazin, 30th September 2011: "at moment there is security improvement in the town,the schools are functioning,shops are reopening,people are resuming their daily works,for your information they did not loot Church's properties,every thing was under control,contrary to what did in Southern Kurdofan,they gave the people a way to evacuate the town.Hence now Damazin town seems to be quiet,no shooting guns any how,but things are extremely expensive in the markets,people need food security and means of transport to go to Renk or Khartoum,there is a great fears in people,they thought SPLA, would come again and besiege the town.There is at moment heavy fighting between SAF and SPLA,along a way to Kurmuk the capital based of SPLA/M,both many soldiers are dying or wounded,pray for us." END2 3. Only ceasefire can allow return of aid groups to Blue Nile and Kordofan – Sudan’s FM September 29, 2011 (PARIS) — Foreign minister Ali Karti said yesterday that Sudan can allow aid groups to work in Blue Nile and southern Kordofan only when the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) stops the fighting in the two troubled provinces. The fight broke out between Sudanese army and rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the two states bordering the Republic of South Sudan, since June for South Kordofan and Blue Nile in September. The clashes displaced about 25 thousands in the Blue Nile and over 73,000 people who fled the Southern Kordofan. However, Sudanese government refused to allow international aid agencies and INGOs from working in the two regions saying this will be a repeat of Darfur camps. Speaking in a press conference held at the Sudanese embassy in Paris on Thursday Karti said the ban of aid groups will be implemented until a ceasefire is reached with the SPLM-N. But he did not elaborate on how to reach it. "If the other party (SPLM-N rebels) agree to a cease-fire and stop all military operations, then we be willing to allow United Nations organizations to work for the delivery of food assistance to these areas," Karti said. But "We will not accept that the rebels benefit from the humanitarian assistance to the civilians." He said further stressed. The pointed out that the SPLM-N decided to not observe the unilateral ceasefire announced on 23 August, and to keep carrying its attacks. "So we will not allow it to receive such assistance and to continue its military operations". Sudanese Government imposed movement restrictions for UN aid workers in the Blue Nile following the start of hostilities between the two parties on 1 September. Aid groups and international NGOs can only deliver humanitarian assistance through local aid groups particularly the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS). Today, the SPLM-N in the Blue Nile released a call to the international community urging more pressure on the Sudanese government to lift the humanitarian ban and allow it to work in the state, particularly in the rebel controlled areas where no information is available about the situation there. President, Omer al-Bashir said on Wednesday the army would soon attack Kurmuk to dislodge the SPLM-N forces out of their last stronghold town near the border with Ethiopia. Also Bashir repeated his refusal to any internationally mediated talks with the SPLM-N but said the movement can negotiate on the implementation of a protocol related the two provinces particularly the Popular Consultation. Karti said the government will not accept the return of Malik Agar as governor. The French foreign ministry said Thursday that foreign minister Alain Juppé and cooperation minister Henri de Raincourt discussed the situation in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and Darfur with Karti. "This meeting was also an opportunity to discuss major regional issues of common interest, including the future of Libya and coordination of international assistance to the (Libya’s National Transitional Council) CNT, and good relations with this country." Karti told reporters he discussed ways to relief Sudan’s debit with the French ministers as debt servicing incurs more than $1 billion annually. He said they asked France to discuss this relief with the 19 World’s biggest economies members of the Paris Club for the $38-billion debt that Sudan and South Sudan are still discussing among the outstanding issues in the implementation of the 2005 peace agreement. (ST) END3 4. SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN: Southern Kordofan refugees still vulnerable NAIROBI, 30 September 2011 (IRIN) - Thousands of people who fled insecurity in Sudan's Southern Kordofan State [ http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=93660 ] to neighbouring South Sudan's Unity State remain vulnerable, amid humanitarian access and security concerns, says the UN. "People entering the area are reported to be highly vulnerable, some having walked with children for two weeks," said Siddartha Shrestha, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) South Sudan chief of communication. "Increased levels of malnutrition are noted among new arrivals which require enhanced nutrition interventions." UNICEF has supplied about 3,000kg of emergency nutrition supplies such as Plumpy'Nut, a paste used in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. At present, about 9,200 people have been registered, states a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) [ http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_2442.pdf ]. While a majority of the arrivals are refugees, there are also a number of returnees. The affected began arriving in Unity in July following heavy fighting and air strikes in South Kordofan [ http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=93052 ] and are the first refugees to reach post-independence South Sudan, according to the UN Refugee Agency [ http://www.unhcr.org/4e732dde9.html ]. Unity State, which borders Sudan's regions of Abyei and Southern Kordofan, is already grappling with the largest number of returnees - 83,851 - between 30 October 2010 and 13 September 2011, according to OCHA. Amid safety and access concerns, discussions are ongoing about the possible relocation of the new arrivals. "The big challenge remains access to the area. Current access is by flight to an air strip north of Bentiu Town and then by quad bike for some distance," said UNICEF's Shrestha. However, the bikes can only carry a limited number of staff and goods. Shrestha said UNICEF was also assisting the vulnerable populations still in South Kordofan and had so far provided humanitarian assistance in 13 out of 19 localities in coordination with the government, and international and national NGOs. "There are still large humanitarian needs in both government and non-government controlled areas," he noted, adding that UNICEF-Sudan continued negotiating for access to non-governmental areas with partial success. This report online: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportID=93857 END4 ______________________ 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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