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What about Sudan?

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Messenger: Matthew Sent: 4/16/2012 3:02:53 PM
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Can some one inform I of what the real situation is in Sudan and why nothing is being done. I know for along time their has been civil wars and genocides, and at one point the Emperor was peace maker through meetings held in Ethiopia through the OAU. It seems To I few if any outside of a an elite few in the west know what the real situation is, and it seems not a lot is being done. As far as Im aware the Dictator president Bashir is a Islam Fundamentalist who wants to annihilate any who dont follow his regieme including woman and children who are being hunted down torchered and killed in the thousands they are being forced further and further to the south through terroist tactics. He is dropping bombs from aeroplanes on any villages outside of his control forcing the people further south where their is little food or water people are being firced to live in caves in mountains and this is all part of his plan he said a few years ago he would force the people further south so they would starve and its happening. To I its unbelievable that such things are happening in this day and age. It seems to I as utmost importance as a RasTafarI person that InI play InI part in helping I Majesty's people and InI African brothers and sisters who are being treat in such a way. I majesty spoke against such things and warned InI of the evils of the inactions of those who could of and should of acted.

I was thinking of drafting a letter and petition urging the British government to step in and help but am in two minds as InI know The British will only do so if its of benifit to them.

I am also going to create some sort of flyer or poster which I will hand out and display in I local community hopefully this will raise some awarness of the human attrocity happening in Sudan

Do any ones have any further input, Ideas or anything to offer ?

Blessed Love


Messenger: Matthew Sent: 4/16/2012 3:29:22 PM
Reply

SAAF Update 1-2012
www.SudanAdvocacy.com
January 9, 2012
Dear Sudanese Friends and Friends of the Sudanese people,
It seems that the news about Sudan and South Sudan does not change. The Government of Sudan continues its destruction and forced starvation of the people of Darfur, Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile regions. In South Sudan tribal violence in Jonglei state is escalating in frequency, destruction and deaths. The United States government continues its morally ambiguous leadership role by failing to consider any military option to protect the people of Sudan while supporting regime change in other areas of the Middle East.
Jacob Akol recently wrote in Gurtong Trust, "Not a single year since he came to power over 22 years ago has Bashir been not at war with someone within the Sudan, and he may want a war with South Sudan to survive just a little longer..."
A group from the Nuba Mountains, now living in Texas, regularly checks in with their families in the Nuba Mountains to see if they are surviving. At the same time published reports show that Washington, DC attorney Bart Fisher has accepted a $20,000 per month retainer to get the State Department to remove Sudan from its list of state-sponsors of terrorism and to remove sanctions that have been in place in an effort to get the Sudanese government to stop its crimes against the Sudanese people. Note: This is the same government that is attacking civilians in the Nuba Mountains. How does Fisher sleep at night? Lobbying for such a regime is morally wrong and not the American way!
In the face of all this, the Sudanese people rightly ask, "If Syrians, why not Sudanese? If Libyans, why not Sudanese? If defending Arabs from their despotic rulers is important, is defending black Africans somehow less important?"
Despite its significant problems, the United States of America is still the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Is our government afraid to take the moral high road in Sudan? Are we afraid to stop the Sudanese government's continuing crimes against humanity? If we do the right thing all the time, we will offend evil leaders some of the time...so what! Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers..." Today, we must ask, "Where are the peacemakers?"
In His Service,

Bill Andress
Sudan Advocacy Action Forum
News Summary provided by Dr. Eleanor Wright, Sudan Advocacy Action Forum
In this issue:

• South Sudan eligible to receive US defense assistance
• South Sudan to become IMF member
• East African bloc admits South Sudan as member
• South Sudan declares a disaster where 100,000 fled recent clashes • 1,000 refugees arriving daily in South Sudan from Blue Nile
• Heavy clashes and killing in South Kordofan
• Shelling continues in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states • Air strikes kill 84 in Blue Nile state
• UN mandate of Abyei peacekeepers extended
• Sudan army kills Darfur rebel leader
• Sudan Revolutionary Front meets US representatives • Khartoum conscripts IDPs and university students
• Beshir offers to help Libya disarm former rebels

South Sudan eligible to receive US defense assistance. President Barack Obama issued a memorandum January 6, saying that the ability to provide defense materials and services to the government of South Sudan is in the national interest of the United States and could promote peace in East Africa. The determination does not constitute a decision to give defense support to the African state. The announcement came after an outbreak of violence between two South Sudanese tribes that may have left thousands dead and some 50,000 people needing aid. The United Nations said it has launched a “massive” humanitarian aid operation in South Sudan's Jonglei state, where tribal clashes occurred. Spokeswoman Elizabeth Byrs told VOA the food distribution has already started, and that U.N. agencies are finalizing emergency plans for water, health care, shelter and sanitation. (VOA, 01/06/2012)

South Sudan to become IMF member. Newly independent South Sudan is expected to become a member of the International Monetary Fund in early 2012, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said on December 16 after talks with President Salva Kiir. "South Sudan had applied for membership earlier this year, and I look forward to South Sudan becoming the Fund's 188th member in early 2012," Lagarde said in a statement, saying the country's membership application was in an "advanced stage". Lagarde said South Sudan faced "formidable challenges," including ensuring economic stability, building institutions to support its economy and managing oil revenue wisely. "We are working on a 3-year program of dedicated technical assistance," she added. Kiir told a conference in Washington this week that South Sudan was determined to become an "island of stability" in Africa after emerging to claim independence in July, 2011. (Reuters, 12/18/2011)

East African bloc admits South Sudan as member. East African heads of state admitted South Sudan as a member the regional bloc Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on November 25, some four months after the nation proclaimed independence. "The Republic of South Sudan ... has taken a pro-active measure for membership to IGAD, and the membership was approved by the summit," Mahboub Maalim, IGAD executive secretary, told reporters following a meeting of heads of state. South Sudan was admitted to the African Union some two weeks after its independence on July 9. The U.N. General Assembly admitted South Sudan on July 14 as the 193rd member of the United Nations. (Reuters, 11/25/2011)

South Sudan declares a disaster where 100,000 fled recent clashes. This declaration would enable aid agencies to move in urgently, as food, medicine and shelter were badly needed, the information minister, Mariel Benjamin Barnaba, told the BBC. Following days of fighting, he said the areas was now under government control. Some 6,000 ethnic Lou Nuer fighters attacked the area around Pibor town, outnumbering army and UN forces. This is the latest round in a cycle of violence which has lasted several months. In one incident last year some 600 Lou Nuer were killed by attackers from the Murle community, the group which fled from Pibor.
The clashes began as cattle raids but have spiraled out of control. He said he could guarantee the security of any aid workers who went to the area. Barnaba said the humanitarian situation was "pretty grim". "They've been without food, they've been without water, without shelter." She said the "the main body of the Lou Nuer youth" who had been outside Pibor had started move in a north-easterly direction and were now 15km (about 10 miles) from the town. They had a large number of cattle with them AFP news agency reports. (BBC, 01/05/2012)

1,000 refugees arriving daily in South Sudan from Blue Nile. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported to IRIN that at least 1000 refugees are arriving daily in South Sudan's Upper Nile state. They are fleeing conflict in Blue Nile state across the border, according to aid agencies. UNHCR, says more than 23,000 people have been registered at the Doro refugee camp, about 40km from the border with Sudan, and it is planning new sites as thousands more are expected. "We're starting up a second site in Jammam [about 65km west of Doro] as Doro is reaching its maximum capacity [of 25,000] and maybe a third when we assess how many people are coming," said Mireille Girard, UNHCR's South Sudan representative. Only a few aid agencies are in Doro to tend to hundreds of refugees arriving with little or nothing, fleeing aerial bombardment in Blue Nile state, where conflict between Sudan government forces and troops formerly loyal to the south is ongoing. On December 12, UNHCR reported since July 2011, 36,000 had registered in Ethiopia fleeing fighting from Blue Nile State. A further 20,000 arrived from South Kordofan to Beida camp in Unity State. (Radio Dabanga, 12/16/2011)

Heavy clashes and killing in South Kordofan. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) claimed on January 2 that it achieved three victories against Sudan government forces in the areas of Bilingi, Hagar Anaba and Deluka 10 km south of Kadugli. SPLM spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said the SPLM forces had inflicted heavy losses of life of soldiers and destroyed military equipment. He said the government troops fled from those areas to Kadugli. Lodi also said the government forces on January 3 launched four Iranian built Shahab missiles towards Angolo in El Buram locality of South Kordofan. (Radio Dabanga, 01/04/2012)

Shelling continues in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. In South Kordofan, seven people have been killed and eight injured during air strikes in Al Buram locality in South Kordofan on January 2. The source said the Sudanese air force launched air strikes on the market and village, destroying five houses. In Blue Nile state a makeshift clinic reported 30 abortions carried out in one week, due to the trauma suffered by women traveling long distances on foot to escape recent air strikes. A medical assistant said 200 children had also turned up at the clinic suffering from malnutrition and diarrhea, but this was difficult to control with a lack of medicines and proper health service. The recent bombing in Blue Nile has also caused 20,000 people to flee towards Doro refugee camp in Upper Nile state, South Sudan in search of food and shelter, a source has said. However, Saad Allah the Commissioner of the western sector in Blue Nile, said there were actually 50,000 refugees sleeping outside under trees, after three weeks of hunger. (Radio Dabanga, 01/03/2012)

Air strikes kill 84 in Blue Nile state. On December 27, air strikes and heavy artillery were reported in Bao locality, Blue Nile state, killing 84 residents including 24 children, said Hashim Orta, humanitarian relief secretary of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) for Blue Nile. Orta said the aerial bombardment targeted gatherings of innocent civilians resulting in the massacre. He asked for the United Nations Security Council and the international community to put pressure on
the Sudanese government to open safe corridors to enable humanitarian organizations to provide aid and protect those displaced. Hashim Orta accused Khartoum of continuing 'the systematically organized genocide of the people of Blue Nile'. He also accused Khartoum-affiliated militias of continuing to burn down villages and kill civilians in the area. (Radio Dabanga, 12/28/2011)

UN mandate of Abyei peacekeepers extended. The UN Security Council (UNSC) has extended the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Abyei and reiterated demands that Sudan and South Sudan immediately redeploy their remaining forces from the contested region. In a resolution adopted at the UNSC’s meeting on December 22, the 15-member council decided to extend for a period of five months the mandate the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) which was established in June after the signing of an agreement between Sudan and South Sudan on temporary arrangements for Abyei. Sudan says it is committed to the withdrawal of its troops, which occupied Abyei in May in retaliation to an attack reportedly carried out by South Sudanese troops, but stresses that it will only do so if all the provisos of Addis Ababa deal are implemented. South Sudan, which claims it has pulled out troops from Abyei, has been calling on the UNSC to adopt punitive measures against Khartoum for its failure to withdraw forces. (Sudan Tribune, 12/23/2011)

Sudan army kills Darfur rebel leader. Sudan's army has killed Khalil Ibrahim, key rebel leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) from the western Darfur region along with 30 of his troops, officials said. "The Sudanese army announced that they killed Khalil Ibrahim in fighting west of Wad Banda in North Kordofan," the official Sudan News Agency reported. JEM, however, said its leader died in an air strike and not a "clash" with government forces. A UK-based rebel spokesman said Ibrahim was killed by a fighter plane directed by "a spy," and denied there was a battle between rebel forces and government troops. "When Khalil was attacked he was in his camp," the spokesman said. Colonel Sawarmi Khalid Saad, an army spokesman, was quoted on Sudan's military website as saying the attacks targeted areas where security forces were not present, targeting local leaders and looting their property in the Umm-Gozain, Goz Abyadh and Aramal areas. The armed forces spokesman said Ibrahim and other leaders had been trying to enter South Sudan. (Al Jazeera, 12/25/2011)
Sudan Revolutionary Front meets US representatives. A delegation of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) met with members of the United States Congress and Senate on November 22, in Washington. The delegation included members of the opposition groups Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLA-MM). The SRF was formed on November 10, 2011 by the JEM, SLA-MM, Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). Ahmed Hussein Adam, a member of the SRF and advisor to the president of the JEM, told Radio Dabanga in an interview, "The members of Congress drafted a letter to President Obama requesting the administration to change its policies towards Sudan and the delivery of aid and protection of civilians in Darfur, South Kordofan, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile," Adam said. He said, "The Obama administration needs to adopt a comprehensive approach towards issues of Sudan. The issues are all interconnected, and we need a comprehensive solution that addresses the root of the problem. There needs to be a change in the structure of governance." (Radio Dabanga, 11/23/2011)

Khartoum conscripts IDPs and university students. The Citizen has learned
from its correspondent in Khartoum that the authorities there, despite protests from the South Sudan government and the leadership of South Sudanese University Students Union in Juba against such gross abuse of human rights, continue searching for IDPs and university students for compulsory recruitment in militia armies. Some students who were abducted from university gates and taken to collection centers before being transported in large military trucks by Sudan armed forces (SAF) and were followed by their relatives who are still in Khartoum and who bailed them out by paying 2000 SSP per head before they were released. The correspondent said paying ransom money was not a guarantee for not being captured again for recruitment because the same student could still be abducted and when the relative no longer can afford to bail him out by paying another 2000 SSP then he would be forcibly taken to any of the training camps notably Karasana, Abujebia, Magnis and other camps in the states bordering South Sudan. (The Citizen [Juba], 12/18/2011)

Bashir offers to help Libya disarm former rebels. President Omar Hassan Al Beshir, for years an adversary of Muammar Qadhafi, has offered his country’s help
in disarming Libya’s former rebel fighters and integrating them into the army and police forces - one of the trickiest problem’s facing Libya’s new leaders. The proposal from Beshir, who has been charged with crimes against humanity for atrocities committed in Darfur, triggered outrage from Amnesty International. The rights group said Beshir has a long history of arming militias to fight internal enemies in Sudan and would be the wrong person to help a country striving for democracy and respect for human rights. Libya’s new leaders have struggled to form an effective government and disarm the mostly civilian militias that took up arms against Qadhafi during the eight-month civil war. Deadly clashes between former rebels have broken out since the war’s end, sparking fears that the persistence of armed groups outside of government control could further destabilize the country. (Agence France-Presse, 01/09/2012)


Messenger: Matthew Sent: 4/16/2012 4:20:07 PM
Reply

In this issue:

US accuses Sudan's Bashir of working to undermine peace deal with south.
US condemns oil well bombings in South Sudan.
US congressman to discuss recent visit to Yida refugee camp.
ICC arrest warrant issued for Sudan's Defense Minister.
Bashir and minister dance after ICC warrant.
UN foreign staff return to Sudan war zone amid concern over food shortage.
Women raped while fleeing South Kordofan conflict.
Sudanese police storm Khartoum University's compounds, over 300 students arrested.
IDPs repatriation deadline extended to April 8, 2012.
SPLA deploys 10,000 troops in Jonglei for civil disarmament.
South Sudan's inflation drops to 48%.
Jonglei women association boasts of a new center.
53 children demobilized from military and militia activities.
Kenya to build port to serve South Sudan and Ethiopia.
US accuses Sudan's Bashir of working to undermine peace deal with south. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched an unusual attack on Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir accusing him of working to undermine the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). South Sudan became an independent state officially in July 2011 but there are several contentious post referendum issues that have yet to be sorted out between Khartoum and Juba including oil, borders, citizenship, national debt, Abyei, water and international agreements. The African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki has been mediating between the two sides for more than two years but has achieved little success. "We support the process that the African Union is running in Addis Ababa but it doesn’t seem to be making a lot of progress yet," Clinton said. Clinton pointed a finger at Bashir and suggested that he is becoming an obstacle in the quest for an agreement. "The people of South Sudan voted for independence and ever since, despite Bashir going to [South Sudan president] Salva Kiir’s inauguration, there has been a steady effort to undermine this new state," she told US lawmakers. "I think that what we’ve got with Bashir is a very determined effort to try to undo the results of the CPA," Clinton added. She suggested that the US is prepared to take measures against Bashir personally but did not elaborate. "We will certainly look at trying to up the pressure on Khartoum and on Bashir personally," Clinton said. (Sudan Tribune, 02/27/2012)


US condemns oil well bombings in South Sudan.The United States has strongly condemned an air strike against South Sudan's oil wells blamed on neighboring Sudan. 
;
;In a statement March 1, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said such attacks on civilian targets are "deplorable." She said the US "demands" the Sudanese government end its aerial bombardments, which it says violate international law. South Sudan officials, including government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin, say Sudanese warplanes dropped bombs February 29 in an area of Unity State, about 75 kilometers from the two countries' contested border.
;
;The officials say the bombardment destroyed two oil wells.
;
;Marial said the attack violated a non-aggression pact Sudan and South Sudan signed in Ethiopia last month.
;
;"...this is actually a violation of the non-aggression treaty that we signed two weeks ago and with the nature of Sudan's government, they don't always respect what they signed with anybody. We are not surprised," said Marial. In her statement, Nuland also stressed South Sudan must cease any military support for rebels active in the north. She said both countries are "inflaming conflict," and "fueling mistrust."
;
;Marial said March 1 that South Sudan will file a complaint about Sudan with the United Nations Security Council. Sudan filed a complaint about the South with the Security Council on March 6. (VOA, 03/02/2012)


US congressman to discuss recent visit to Yida refugee camp. Frank Wolf (R-VA), a longtime advocate for Sudan and co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, just returned from a trip to the world's newest country, South Sudan, where he visited a refugee camp in Yida filled with men, woman and children who have fled the fighting in the nearby Nuba Mountains. More than 25,000 refugees are living in the camp, which is about 20 miles south of the Sudan border. Wolf heard dramatic stories of ethnic cleansing, mass murder and rape, all carried out by uniformed soldiers of the Khartoum government. Refugees recounted how they lived in fear of the Antonov planes that flew over their villages, dropping crude bombs out of their cargo bays - a trademark of the Khartoum government. The planes now fly over the refugee camp, continuing their reign of terror. "You just prepare yourself for death" when you hear a Antonov fly overhead, a refugee told Wolf. Others asked if they were being attacked because of the color of their skin. The refugees want the world to hear of their plight and desperately want Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to be arrested. Wolf is the first member of Congress to visit the camp in Yida. While in South Sudan, Wolf also met with South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit and members of his cabinet. (AllAfrica, 02/24/2012)

ICC arrest warrant issued for Sudan's Defense Minister.The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued on March 1st an international arrest warrant for Sudanese Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein for a total 41 counts of crimes against humanity and crimes of war allegedly committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004. The accused was at the time Interior Minister and the Darfur Special Representative of President Omar al-Beshir. According to the judges, there are reasonable grounds to believe that he is criminally responsible for persecution, murders, rape, inhumane acts and attacks against civilian population, among others. "The plan of the counter-insurgency was allegedly formulated at the highest levels of the government", the judges stated. Hussein is accused of having supervising a state policy organizing and coordinating attacks against civilians. According to Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, "Mr. Hussein played a central role in recruiting, mobilizing, funding, arming, training and the deployment of the militia/Janjaweed as part of the Government of Sudan forces, with the knowledge that these forces would commit the crimes". This case is the ICC's fourth case in Darfur. ICC judges have issued arrest warrants against Sudanese President al-Bashir, former Interior Minister Ahmed Harun and Militia leader Ali Kusheyb. None of them has been arrested yet. (AllAfrica.com, 03/02/2012)

Bashir and minister dance after ICC warrant. President Omar al-Bashir danced on March 3 with his defence minister at a rally for paramilitary troops two days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the latter's arrest. "We will start a major campaign to face the enemies of God and the state," Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein told more than 1,000 members of the People's Defence Force (PDF), formed during the country's 22-year civil war. The rally, designed to showcase the PDF's fighting readiness, was the first of its kind since the 2005 peace deal that ended the civil war and led to South Sudan's independence last July after an overwhelming vote to separate. Bashir and Hussein, both in military uniform, danced together to a PDF rallying song after the president announced an expansion of the PDF forces. "We will call these troops a 'deterrence force'," Bashir said at a Khartoum football stadium. He said he was ordering all state governors to open training camps for fresh PDF recruits. Each state is to form one brigade, with an additional seven coming from the capital Khartoum, the president said after rifle-toting male and female members of the militia staged a march-past. Hussein, 60, is the sixth person sought by the ICC or before the court for crimes committed in Darfur. Among those being sought is Bashir himself. (AFP, 03/03/2012)

UN foreign staff return to Sudan war zone amid concern over food shortage.United Nations international staff have returned to Sudan’s South Kordofan for the first time in months, the UN said February 25, as global concern mounts over food shortages in the war-torn state.
;
;“Today, FAO and OCHA flew back there by helicopter and they landed safely” in the state capital of Kadugli, Damian Rance, a public information officer at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP.
;
;FAO is the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
;
;Sudan severely restricts the work of foreign relief agencies in the state where fighting broke out last June. For months, expatriate aid workers had not been allowed into South Kordofan or Blue Nile, where a similar conflict began in September. The first expatriate staff to return arrived in Kadugli February 24 by road, Rance said.
;
;“This follows a decision made earlier by the government of Sudan to authorize their return,” Mark Cutts, who heads OCHA’s office in the country, said in a statement.
;
;The international staff who went back are office heads, so their arrival “essentially boosts the skill sets” available to assess people’s needs and coordinate aid distribution if foreign relief workers are granted wider access to the region, Rance said.
;
;UN officials have repeatedly said they need full access -- including to rebel-held areas -- to properly assess the needs of the people.
;
;”We believe that unless we’re able to mount a humanitarian operation that has the consent of all sides, the situation there is going to deteriorate very rapidly,” Cutts told AFP earlier.
;
;He said aid agencies “are waiting for a positive response from the government” on a joint proposal by the U.N., African Union and Arab League to assess the needs and deliver aid throughout the conflict area. The US special envoy for Sudan, Princeton Lyman, said last month that the food situation is so dire that Washington warned Khartoum it would consider ways for aid to be sent in without Sudanese government approval.
;(AFP, 02/25/2012)

Women raped while fleeing South Kordofan conflict. Alarming levels of sexual violence are being reported by women and girls who have fled conflict in Sudan's South Kordofan area, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said. Fighting has raged for months between the Sudanese army and SPLM-North rebels who want to topple the Khartoum government in South Kordofan and Blue Nile – two states which border newly independent South Sudan. Citing refugee accounts, IRC said significant numbers of women and girls were raped while fleeing South Kordofan's Nuba Mountains and crossing into South Sudan. "Violence against us was happening all the time. Raping was happening frequently," one refugee told IRC staff. Some referred to the perpetrators as simply "men with guns" and "military", IRC,a non-governmental organisation, said. "Women and girls described attacks in front of family members, by multiple perpetrators and for prolonged periods of time," Bob Kitchen, the director of IRC's emergency preparedness and response team, said in statement. Fighting in recent months has forced about 417,000 people to flee their homes, more than 80,000 of them to South Sudan, according to the United Nations. IRC said some 20,000 had settled in South Sudan's Yida refugee camp where many women and girls continue to suffer rape. (TrustLaw, 03/01/2012)

Sudanese police storm Khartoum University's compounds, over 300 students arrested. Sudanese police in the early morning of February 17 raided dormitories of the University of Khartoum and arrested over three hundred students in anticipation of a new protest they planned to stage this weekend. Since December students organized different protests in Khartoum asking to remove the Director of the University who asked the police to enter in the campus to disperse a student protest. The students demonstrated in support of the al-Manasir ethnic group’s demand for compensation, as they have been affected by the construction of Merowe Dam north of Khartoum. Since, the University was closed in order to avoid any escalation of the protests, students were asked to return to their homes in the different provinces. However, many remained on the campus and called for a new sit- in outside the Director’s office on Sunday 19 February. At dawn on Friday - the first day of the Sudanese weekend - the anti-riot police cordoned off the student housing block and started to evict the students, an eyewitness told Sudan Tribune. The source added that hundreds of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) members dressed in plain clothes participated in the preventive arrest of 317 students. (Sudan Tribune, 02/17/2012)

IDPs repatriation deadline extended to April 8, 2012. Juba and Khartoum have signed a Memorandum of Understanding extending the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) repatriation deadline of South Sudanese residing in Sudan to April 8, 2012 from the initial April 1, said the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Joseph Lual Acuil at a press conference in the Ministry of Information on February 14. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to extend the repatriation deadline for one week. Over 700,000 South Sudanese currently residing in Sudan are expected to be in South Sudan before the end of the set deadline. The Minister has called on the International Community to help in the process given the time limit.Khartoum has also asked Juba to repatriate its 10,000 IDPs who are in Kosti. The Minister said the time is running out and South Sudan might not meet the deadline given thousands stranded in Khartoum and Kosti. Acuil said Sudan only approved three routes of Bentiu, Renk, Wau—and Air—for the repatriation of the IDPs. (Gurtong, 02/16/2012)

SPLA deploys 10,000 troops in Jonglei for civil disarmament. The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) has completed the deployment of 10,000 of it's forces in Jonglei State to carry out civil disarmament. In the recent weeks, the Governor of Jonglei State, Hon. Kuol Manyang Juuk has been urging the civil population to cooperate with the army during the massive disarmament exercise which was scheduled for this week. Speaking to Gurtong at the SPLA headquarters in Juba, the SPLA spokesperson, Philip Aguer Panyang disclosed that, disarming the large civil population in Jonglei State will bring peace among the local communities since possession of small arms is a major threat to the population. “We have deployed this number of SPLA forces in Jonglei State to make sure that all civilians are free from illegal firearms used to fuel intertribal conflicts based on cattle raids,” Aguer said. “The forces will carry out thorough disarmament for two weeks in all Counties across Jonglei State in order to restore peace to the people,” he said. Jonglei State is one of the leading States in South Sudan in inter communal fights since the country gained her independent on 9th July 2011 with poor road infrastructure for the police force to quell the conflicts. Thousands of people mostly innocent women, children and old people have been killed while more than 100,000 have been displaced.Maintaining security in South Sudan is one of the major challenges facing the new fledgling nation while the government attempts to prevent more deaths through the disarmament exercise. (Gurtong, 02/22/2012)

South Sudan's inflation drops to 48%. South Sudan’s inflation, which in December 2011 stood at a whopping 65.6% dropped to 47.8% in January, the country’s national bureau of statistics said in its latest report. The report, unveiled earlier this month, also cites a decline in annual inflation for Juba, the South Sudanese capital, when compared to the rest of the country, from August 2011 to January this year. In an interview with Sudan Tribune, David Chan Thiang, the director of economic statistics at the national bureau attributed the decrease in inflation to the government’s recent move to remove illegal check points erected across the country as well as the notable improvements in road networks. In the past year, the report added, prices of food & non-alcoholic beverages reportedly increased by 40.6%, while those of alcoholic beverages and tobacco as well as furnishing and household equipment are said to have surged by 205.1% and 111.0% respectively between January 2011 and January 2012. The price of transportation, it says, also decreased by 9.4% from January 2011 to January 2012. (Sudan Tribune, 02/13/2012)

Jonglei women association boasts of a new center. Jonglei State Governor launched the newly built women centre with funding from the Norwegian Peopl's Aid (NPA) last Saturday after the NPA country director Mr. Jan Ledang handed over the building to the chairperson of Jonglei women association in Bor. Mr. Jan said that, when peace prevailed in South Sudan after the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), his home country offered to rebuild South Sudan and women were firstly brought on board. “This building is a base for the women in South Sudan because they are very strong and I will start by giving credit to them because they suffered a lot during the struggle to liberate their country. Without the women this country wouldn’t have achieved independence,” Jan said. He elaborated that in 2005, the Southern Sudan Ministry of Gender recommended the first women centre to be built in Jonglei State. NPA took the initiative to construct the women’s centre where women would discuss issues affecting them like gender violence, income generating activities and also to use it for conferences and also as a centre for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Governor Manyang urged all the State women to maintain peace not to divide themselves along tribal lines in their associations, "there will more centres similar to this constructed in the Counties only if you all have good collaboration skills." “The ideology of being a Nuer, Dinka Murle, Anyuak, and Jie woman need to be eliminated from now and your centre will start expanding to the County level,” he assured them. “There are many investors who are ready to help South Sudanese but they can only help people who always share one dream. Unity among yourselves should be the first priority and you will achieve a lot in your State,” the Governor said. (Gurtong, 02/13/2012)

53 children demobilized from military and militia activities.The Republic of South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RSSDDRC) and UNICEF welcome the recent release of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Groups (CAAFGs) on January 30, 2012 in South Sudan. The latest demobilization of 53 children from Renegade Militia Group (RMG) in Western Bahr-El-Ghazal State is one of the biggest single releases since South Sudan’s independence on 9th July 2011. The children were first put into an Interim Care Centre before sent to their families. Of the 53 children, 20 are originally from Northern Bahra le Ghazal and 33 are from Western Bahra le Ghazal States respectively. The Chairperson of RSSDDRC Mr. William Deng Deng called upon all armed groups to assist in demobilizing children. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all children still associated with armed forces and militia groups in the country are released and returned to their communities,” Deng said. “We urge all armed groups including the renegade militia groups to cooperate and integrate their forces into the national army and facilitate immediate release of all children,” he said.‘‘The government of the Republic of South Sudan is committed to support the Demobilisation process and uphold international legal standards that protect children in situations of armed conflict,’’ Deng added. UNICEF provided support to the Commission last year to facilitate the release and reintegration of 208 children from military and militia groups operating mainly in the Greater Upper Nile and Bahr-el-Ghazal States of South Sudan. (Gurtong, 02/09/2012)

Kenya to build port to serve South Sudan and Ethiopia. East African heads of state, including South Sudan president Salva Kiir, attended a ceremony March 2 to mark the beginning of construction for a controversial new port in Kenya’s eastern coastal region of Lamu. Villagers fear the port may ruin idyllic beaches that draw Hollywood stars to the nearby island of Lamu year after year. But Kenya hopes the port will make the country a regional telecommunications and transportation hub. Kiir said the port will be a terminal for an alternative oil pipeline through Kenya, freeing South Sudan from its dependence on the infrastructure of Sudan. Kiir said the port is strategically and economically important for the region. Construction will be done in phases and will cost Kenya about $24.5 billion, according to Kenyan government estimates. The port is part of a wider project to improve infrastructure in the region. It is designed to include a highway, a railway line and a petroleum pipeline crossing over three countries. Kiir said the improved transport links and pipeline could create a backbone for South Sudan’s infrastructure and allow his country to end its reliance on oil. “The port of Lamu project will create economic opportunities and employment. It will make goods and services more abundant and affordable in our markets,” Kiir said. Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said the government is aware of the concerns raised by the people of Lamu, especially with regard to land, environment, cultural heritage and fishing grounds. “The rights of the people of Lamu, like the rights of all other Kenyans, are enshrined in the Constitution and are, therefore, inalienable. I have instructed the relevant government ministries and agencies to move with speed and ensure that these concerns are addressed as soon as possible,” Kibaki said. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi also attended the launch. (Washington Post, 03/02/2012)


Messenger: Matthew Sent: 4/16/2012 6:38:16 PM
Reply

Reply to Chief Sudanese Negotiators
Tuesday, February 29, 1972
 
The Lion of Judah has prevailed
Haile Selassie I, Elect of God
King of Kings of Ethiopia

We all know the difficulties which the Sudan faced. The government of the Republic of the Sudan is to be congratulated for its efforts in finding a peaceful solution to the South Sudan problem. We are extremely happy that both sides of the nation, the north and the south, were able to conduct the talks in a spirit of the noble mission of national interest and not just for short-run interests.

This is why the attention of Africa was focused on the delicate and happily successful negotiations which were conducted in our Capital city.

We and Our government are extremely happy that a peaceful solution has been found to the southern problem. The understanding which prevailed during the talks showed that both sides of the nation were able to concentrate on the larger interest of a united Sudan. They were not misled by short-term and by purely personal gain, but by the vision of a peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of the Sudan. This is what prevailed during your talks that have just successfully concluded here.

This is as it should be, for when brothers quarrel, as it happens from time to time, they come together and discuss the issues concerned in a very open manner and attempt to arrive at mutually agreed solutions. We are most delighted that the Sudan achieved this today.

We have expressed to Your Excellency that the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan is a matter of supreme national interest to Ethiopia. We say this because the stronger a nation is, it would be in a better position to consolidate its national interests, establish brotherly relations with its neighbours and contribute, in a significant way, to the maintenance of peace and security. We have often said that more closer co-operation between our two nations is a matter of national interest to our two peoples: thus Ethiopia has an interest in the national unity and political independence of the brotherly people of the Sudan.

Division — Colonial Legacy

In the past, one could say the divisions that existed in the ranks of Africans were due in some measures to the legacy of colonial administration. The manner in which they administered their former territories, the manner in which they attempted to indicate divisions among African peoples along tribal lines, sometimes along lines of special interest, were designed to perpetuate their colonial system. Africa has now awakened to this evil legacy of colonialism.

All of us realize that if nations are to be divided along tribal lines and then along village lines — for in each tribe there are again sub-divisions — then we have autonomous villages which cannot defend themselves and which cannot work as a nation. These weak units in turn weaken Africa, and the continent will be vulnerable to colonial-type exploitation.

The strengthening of a nation and, indeed, that of amalgamating the various sub-groups in African nations contribute to make that nation viable and strong. When a nation is strong, the interests of the ethnic groups within it are protected. This is a lesson that we must learn in Africa, for there are those forces of evil which wish greater dissension in the African ranks. But we know our interest lie in consolidating the national interest of each African country and in consolidating the interests of African countries on a continental basis.

We have often said that African Unity cannot be realized if there is division and dissension within its component parts — nations. The agreement that has been reached by the government of the Sudan and the South Sudan in Our capital city is of more than momentary importance. It augurs well for all the peoples in this part of the world and for all the peoples of Africa at large.

The tangible results achieved in the talks held here in the last two weeks show that man is basically rational when faced with grave issues which affect the unity, the prosperity of his homeland. This our friends have been able to achieve today. We look with admiration at the policies pursued by H.E. President El-Ni-meiri. We can say it is a rational policy of reconciliation and a policy for the pursuit of peace. We pay tribute to his efforts in this regard and We are happy that he is succeeding in his policies of creating greater understanding within his country as well as with the neighbouring nations.

We feel that the fragmentation of a nation along tribal and ethnic lines is contrary to the will of survival and to the force of logic, because even for the tribes to survive they must stand together. Hence fragmentation along tribal lines is contrary to the nation's survival, for there is no tribe strong enough by itself to defend its interests. Fragmentation is indeed contrary to the laws of nature itself.

In this connection, We would like to express Our gratitude and the gratitude of Our nation to the distinguished members of the World Council of Churches, who have contributed so much to bring the parties together and who were instrumental in reaching the happy results we witness today. We salute them on this auspicious occasion. They represent the best tradition of the Church — the pursuit of peace and the promotion of brotherly relations among their fellow men. All the sacrifices that they have made and the manner in Which they discharged their duties deserve them sincere congratulations.

We would also wish to thank Your Excellency for the very kind words that you have said. We will do everything within Our power to help execute the understanding that has been reached between the two sides in Our capital city. May God help you in consolidating the interests of your nation.

Goodwill Prevailed

Without goodwill on both sides, today's agreement would not have been possible. What has been achieved shows the magnanimity of the people of Southern Sudan and the government and people of the country. The agreement towards accommodating the interests of all concerned in such vital questions calls for greater understanding and goodwill. Understanding between two groups within a nation is not an easy task. We are delighted that you have been successful in reaching such an understanding.

Although We were not present in all of your deliberations, nevertheless, We were there with you in spirit. The occasion that brought you here today is a triumph to the government of the Sudan, the people of Southern Sudan and to Ethiopia. It has been said that no one can put asunder what God has joined together. And this has been manifested today by the understanding and good spirit which prevailed during the successful talks between brotherly peoples.

In reply to a speech by Canon Burgess Carr, who presented a copy of the Addis Ababa agreement on Southern Sudan to the Emperor on behalf of the World Council of Churches, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I said:

As We have said earlier, We are very grateful for the part the World Council of Churches and the All-Africa Conference of Churches have played in bringing the two brothers together. As instruments of God, you have carried out His Will for peace and justice. You were able to bring two brothers together again. What joy is there more than this? What you have done is of a lasting value.

This, you managed to do in accordance with the dictates of our Creator, Who said to you, the leaders of His church: "Go and teach men to live in peace, in justice and in brotherhood". And you have carried out the Will of the Lord.

You would not have succeeded in your deliberations if the blessing and goodwill of God did not prevail in the meeting.

May God bless this agreement and its execution for the interest of all the people of the Sudan. And so once again, We extend our gratitude to the World Council of Churches, to the All-Africa Conference of Churches and to all church groups who were involved in this noble undertaking.



Messenger: Eleazar Sent: 4/16/2012 10:21:28 PM
Reply

Selassie I helped the Sudanese achieve peace and unity, and Selassie I spoke of the nefarious legacy of the colonialists.

The conflict between the northern Arab Sudanese and the African Southern Sudanese has re-ignited in more recent days due to racial, religous, economic, and political reasons.

The Southern Sudanese have a Right to defend themselves against genocide from the Arabs and should receive international assistance to do so.

The Southern Sudanese also have a Right to export their oil, which is one of the only natural resources that South Sudan has, and the northern Sudanese have been denying the Southern Sudanese that right.


Messenger: Ark I Sent: 4/17/2012 12:56:00 AM
Reply

When you see babylon not interfering with a country at war, it is either because their friend has the upper hand, or the country has nuclear weapons, or they want the people of that country to kill each other and weaken each other. This way they can take advantage of them at their weakest. Sometimes babylon starts those wars by sending people or funding people to start it, and sometimes the country or countries get into the fight on their own.


Babylon Charity



Messenger: Matthew Sent: 4/17/2012 4:35:04 AM
Reply

Give Thanks for the Info Eleazar

Im curious How did northern Sudan become a Arab Country? Its pretty obvious that Sudan is Native black African. Did this happen through Arab invasion? Is northern sudan populated by Actual Arabs or is it a case of mixed race Arab-Afro or Afro-Arab through inter race relations? If this is the case do the population see themslves as African, Arab or mixed? What about the native Africans, do tribes of 100% native Africans still exist in northern Sudan?

Yes I Ark I
Bablyon does nothing that isnt of benefit to Babylon

Blessed love



Messenger: Eleazar Sent: 4/19/2012 12:29:52 PM
Reply

Sudan and South Sudan are now at war.


Messenger: Matthew Sent: 4/23/2012 10:54:31 AM
Reply

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has ruled out talks with South Sudan on the simmering border conflict that has prompted fears of all-out war.

He was speaking during a visit to the major oilfield and border town of Heglig, which was occupied by South Sudanese troops nearly two weeks ago.

South Sudan says it has withdrawn from Heglig, but Sudan says its army forced them out.

Earlier, Sudanese jets bombed a border area in South Sudan, witnesses said.

"We will not negotiate with the South's government, because they don't understand anything but the language of the gun and ammunition," Reuters news agency quoted Mr Bashir as telling troops on his arrival in Heglig.

The past few months have seen sporadic fighting in the oil-rich areas along the two countries' undemarcated border, prompting concern the violence could escalate into a full-blown war.

On Friday, US President Barack Obama said both countries "must have the courage" to return to the negotiating table and resolve their differences peacefully.

'Provocation'

Bentiu residents ran for their lives during the air raid
On Monday, Sudanese warplanes dropped bombs near the South Sudanese border town of Bentiu, killing at least one person, according to witnesses.

Taban Deng, governor of Unity State, said the bombs fell on a key bridge and a market between the state capital Bentiu and the nearby town of Rubkona, AFP news agency reported.

The witnesses described seeing a huge plume of smoke rising from a market and the body of a dead boy.

South Sudan's deputy head of intelligence, Mac Paul, described the bombing as a "declaration of war", according to the Associated Press.

The attack was condemned by the United States, which called for an immediate end to violence.

A foreign ministry official in Khartoum denied that Sudan had carried out the raid, according to AFP.

Following months of border skirmishes, South Sudan sent its forces into Heglig earlier in April, saying the area was being used as a base for Sudanese attacks on its territory.

Continue reading the main story
Main disputes between the two Sudans

Transit fees the South should pay Sudan to use its oil pipelines
Demarcating the border
Both sides claim Abyei
The rights of each other's citizens now in a foreign country - there are estimated to be 500,000 southerners in Sudan and 80,000 Sudanese in the South
Each accuses the other of supporting rebel groups on its territory
Heglig, which used to provide more than half of Sudan's oil, is internationally accepted to be part of Sudanese territory, but the border area is yet to be demarcated.

South Sudan says the area should belong to it, and that the issue should be resolved by international mediation.

Mr Bashir responded by saying that his main goal was now to "liberate" the people of South Sudan from its rulers, describing the former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) government in Juba as "insects" that needed to be eliminated.

The UN Security Council demanded that Juba withdraw its forces from Heglig and the neighbouring Abyei regions, as well as a "complete, immediate, unconditional" end to all fighting.

It also called on Sudan to stop aerial bombing raids on South Sudanese territory.

On Sunday, South Sudan's army said its withdrawal from the area was complete.

Satellite pictures of the Heglig area released on Sunday suggest key oil installations were badly damaged in the fighting and are no longer operating.

The former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has governed South Sudan since it seceded from Sudan after an overwhelming vote in favour of independence in a July 2011 referendum.

The vote was the outcome of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which put an end to the 22-year civil war between the former north and south of Sudan. About 1.5 million people are though to have lost their lives in the conflict.

The new state took most of the former united Sudan's oil reserves with it, but relies on pipelines to seaports in Sudan to export it.

In January, South Sudan decided to shut down oil production, which provides 98% of the government's revenue, after Khartoum impounded South Sudanese oil shipments amid a dispute over transit fees.


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Haile Selassie I