It’s Thirsty Thursday and we wanna know what You Think – So Holla Back
We’ve added our voices to the Darfur Chorus from more than a half a decade ago. sadly we’re listening to the echo of no action.
America Elected a President who claims to be Humanitarian; Family Interested and Globally Concerned. We Americans, want to see his actions match his words. campaign promises are one thing, but these words must be remembered to be acted upon – remember this ?
So Whatcha Sayin Mr. President, are ya gonna Do Something to Help, Finally ?
You sent Hillary on an Africa Mission; what about Sudan and Darfur ?
are the Women and Children of Darfur Not Worthy of your Attention ? are you too consumed with trying to fix the wrongs of the previous administration that you’ve forgotten your promises to your villagers ?
aaawwww nawww Brotha Barack, we ain’t that kinda village; and ya betta damn well know it. You asked us to pitch in and help fix this mess and here we stand waiting for you – so what’s it gonna be Mr. President, are you In On Fixing Darfur – Finally ?
It’s Thirsty Thursday and we wanna know what You Think, So Holla Back
Mr President Will You Help Us Fly The Plane ?
Dear Friend,
After six long years of conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan, the crisis continues to worsen. You, like many others, may have taken numerous actions in the past to help those suffering in Darfur, to no avail.
AmeriCares has been delivering vital medical and humanitarian aid to this war-torn region since 2004. In total, we have delivered more than 225 tons of aid valued at over $10.4 million.
We receive much of the lifesaving aid we provide from manufacturers and through our local partnerships, but it is people like you who help us pay for the delivery of this vital aid.
This airlift will be supplemented by a sea container and together they’ll carry more than $800,000 worth of critical supplies to help people suffering from infections, diarrhea and chronic disease. These shipments include $150,000 worth of pre-natal vitamins to help Darfuri refugees have healthier babies.
Due to the expulsion of several humanitarian aid groups in March along with continued violence, more people arrive in Chad daily in search of increasingly scarce medical care. But now you have the chance to really make a difference in the lives of the Darfuri people.
We do not think that this diminishes the quality and intensity of the speech. Contrary to that, it just updates it with the times. the message is clear, we need to finally accept the reality that we now have and do something to make our lives, Finally “The Dream” that Dr. King and so many others envisioned, Cha’mon Now You Know You Wanna Do It..
What is wrong in Sudan when they Sentence these few and let the real murderer who resides in the office of the president, walk free;
2009 January – Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi is arrested after saying President Bashir should hand himself in to The Hague to face war crimes charges for the Darfur war.
2009 March – The International Criminal Court in The Hague issues an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Mr Obama, you acknowledge that The International Court in the Hague has no teeth since it doesn’t execute it’s own arrest warrants, and therefore is of little consequence to anyone, especially murders like Bush, Cheney, and Bashir. You’ve said you plan to deal with the torture in Iraq. we’re waiting..
Cha’mon Mr Obama, show us what YOU Workin Wit..
Mr. Obama we elected you on the promise to Fix This Mess.. well this is on the list, and we’ve heard nothing from you on this extremely important and crucial issue. There are Too Many Lives Being Taken in Darfur for you to ignore it.. so stop this waste of time talking about Afghanistan; and go fix this broken wagon wheel – if you really think you’ve got the power to make a change… CHA’MON NOW !
Show Us What You’re Working WITH, Why Dontcha Mr Obama.. CHA‘MON
This is what they are using for distraction from the real story which is below this one..
Do Not Be Distracted by Lies and Games Mr. Obama – we have seen them before,
The unprecedented rebel attack on Khartoum left more than 200 dead
A Sudanese court has sentenced 11 Darfur rebels to death for an attack on Khartoum in 2008.
The members of the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) were found guilty of involvement in the unprecedented assault on the Sudanese capital.
Some 80 Jem members have already been sentenced to death for the attack, which left more than 200 people dead.
The Jem fighters drove across the desert to reach Khartoum and were only stopped near the presidential palace.
On Sunday, Judge Hafez Ahmed at the court in Khartoum found the 11 rebels guilty of terrorism and illegal possession of weapons, the AFP news agency reported.
“For their actions in terrorising the people, and threatening the foundation of the state… aggressive sentences are required,” the judge told the courtroom.
Eight other men were acquitted.
The attack in May 2008 was the closest the rebels have ever been to Khartoum.
Local residents said the fighting lasted several hours.
Jem is currently the most significant fighting rebel force in Darfur.
In February, Jem signed a “declaration of intent” for a peaceful settlement of the war during talks with Sudan’s government in Doha, Qatar.
But Jem is now refusing to return to the peace talks, accusing Khartoum of not honouring confidence-building accords.
This is the most important issue that should be addressed in terms of any resolution of the Darfur Genocide – The Removal and Trial of Omar Bashir.
About 300,000 people have died and 2.7m people have been displaced
In late 2007 I was in a large and overcrowded camp for displaced people just outside the western Darfur town of El Fasher.
A young mother, her face wet with tears, told me the story of how she came to be there.
“It was six in the morning when we heard the sounds of airplanes, horses and camels,” she said.
“Then came gunfire. We were very frightened and stayed in our homes. After a while some men with guns arrived in the village and told us it was safe to come out. There were nine people in our house, including my son and my brother.
“The gumen told them to lie down. Then they shot them all. The men took everything. They even took my clothes and left me naked.”
Khadiga Osman says Sudanese government soldiers helped the Janjaweed Arab militia carry out the massacre. “I saw their uniforms clearly,” she told me.
Many others in Darfur said the same.
But given the Sudanese government’s repeated denials that their soldiers backed or helped the Janjaweed carry out atrocities, the allegations have long been hard to prove.
They said they are the ones who help the rebels and you have to kill everybody. Don’t leave anybody, just kill everybody
Yet now a former Sudanese soldier has claimed that his regiment, based near the town of El Fasher, joined Janjaweed fighters in seven attacks on villages from late 2002.
Khalid, which is not his real name, says he was forcibly recruited and then left in no doubt what officers wanted him and his fellow black conscripts to do.
“The orders given to us are to burn the villages completely. We don’t have to leave anything, even the water pots we have to destroy. We even have to poison the water wells.
“We were also given an order to kill all the women and rape the girls under 13 and 14 downwards.”
He confirmed he was ordered to rape and kill adults and children.
Khalid admits to taking part in burning peoples’ homes but insisted that he had no choice because he had seen two other conscripts of black African origin shot dead after refusing to do what they were told.
Simulated rape
But he says he always tried to shoot over people’s heads and merely simulated the rape of a young women that he was ordered to violate.
I asked Khalid what orders he was given about what to do with unarmed civilians who offered no resistance.
“They said they are the ones who help the rebels and you have to kill everybody. Don’t leave anybody, just kill everybody.”
Khalid said he was also told to shoot children that had been left behind by their parents.
Mike Thomson has reported for years on Sudan’s conflict
He estimates that the number of civilian killings he witnessed by Janjaweed and government troops runs into more than 1,000.
Finally, after a year’s service, he deserted from the army and later managed to get out of the country.
Fearful that members of the International Criminal Court might come knocking on his door with an arrest warrant, Khalid asked me not to reveal his name or the place where he now lives.
But he insists that the blame for all that happened lies not with him, but with the President of Sudan, Omar Al-Bashir.
“Omar Bashir is in the chair. All information comes from him. The responsibility is down to him. He is the first person that is responsible for the genocide, of the killing of the children, of everything.
“If you are head of the country then any crimes then you are responsible for any crimes done by your soldiers. It is al-Bashir doing all these things.”
‘We were ordered to kill all the women’
Should judges from the International Criminal Court come to the same decision, which it is widely expected that they will, a warrant will be issued for the arrest of the Sudanese President.
He is currently accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
However, responsibility for the execution of a warrant for some, or all of these charges, will be left to the Sudanese authorities.
So far they have refused repeatedly to hand over two other Sudanese officials also wanted by the ICC.
As a result nobody should expect to see Mr al-Bashir standing trial in the Hague any time soon.
So Forget about Afghanistan Mr Obama - Lets Go to Sudan and Stop This Genocide,Finally. You promised to look at the suffering equally and to do the thing the people want. we want you to do something aboutDARFUR – NOW.
In Sudan this week (03/09), as the International Criminal Court issued a warrant from the arrest of President Bashir, the BBC’s Owen Bennett-Jones found echoes of a 100-year-old conflict.
The sect’s leader or sheikh, a frail, blind man was sitting on his bed with his thin legs crossed.
The Mahdi who led a 19th century rebellion is still revered in Sudan
He asked me why I had come. Well, I had heard that his followers met two evenings a week to sing, dance and pray, I said. I was wondering if I could attend a ceremony.
As he contemplated whether or not I could be a problem, he put me straight on one point. “It’s not dancing,” he said. “That would be against Sharia – it’s a moving of the limbs.” Then, “Come back at nine.”
Religious fervour
The men met in a poor suburb of Khartoum in a roughly built brick courtyard with no roof.
Standing in a circle they started to sing the names of Allah. The half moon shone down, offering a gloomy light.
The houses in the area, with doors and windows open to relieve the heat, were packed tightly together.
As I looked into the men’s faces I thought this here, right now in the late evening, in a small courtyard on the outskirts of Khartoum is why being a foreign correspondent is such a privilege
As the devotional chants floated through the homes, the prayer leader, resplendent in a gold-edged black robe and with a high white turban, made small hand movements to four drummers instructing them to quicken and slow the pace.
For an hour, the surging rhythms allowed pauses for breath and contemplation, but over time became faster and faster as the men, with some young boys squeezed in between, began to roll their heads from side to side.
And with ever more violent jerks – all the while chanting – they worked themselves into a state of near ecstasy.
Their faces filled with the joyous smiles of religious fervour and then some started dancing – or perhaps I should say moving their limbs – in the middle of the circle.
One tall man with a long white tunic and greying hair, his whole body shaking, moved around the circle of worshippers touching each one, while besides him a five-year-old boy mimicked his every move.
It was about as different to a Church of England service as you could ever imagine.
And as I looked into the men’s faces I thought this here, right now in the late evening, in a small courtyard on the outskirts of Khartoum, is why being a foreign correspondent is such a privilege.
‘Martyred Christian’
I had gone to Sudan to make a history programme. I wanted to learn more about the man who fought the British in the 1880s – a boat builder’s son who declared that having received instructions from the Prophet Mohammed he was the Mahdi, or guided one.
He rapidly became the undisputed leader of, depending how you look at it, a religious revival intended to purify Islam or an anti-colonial struggle to expel foreign rulers.
Famously, it all culminated when thousands of the Mahdi’s followers – the Mahdi army, to coin an Iraqi phrase – surged up to the governor’s palace in central Khartoum and beheaded the senior British officer there, General Gordon.
Winston Churchill was critical of the effects Islam had on its believers
It was a humiliating British defeat and the London press was quick to depict Gordon as a Christian knight martyred by Muslim savages.
Gordon’s death was eventually avenged when General Kitchener arrived in Khartoum with some gunboats and an overwhelming force and crushed the Mahdi’s followers.
There is a vivid account of that campaign because a young man who was there wrote a book about it all, it is called The River War and the author was Winston Churchill.
Churchill had some fairly strong views on Islam.
“No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. And were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall.”
That was Churchill. This is George Bush: “There are extreme elements that use religion to achieve objectives. And they want us to leave. And they want to topple government. They want to extend an ideological caliphate that has no concept of liberty inherent in their beliefs.”
Enraged crowds
Try this. Next time you see an article about the war on terror in the Western press replace the words “Muslim radical” or “Muslim extremist” with “Mohammedan fanatic” or “savage dervish” and you rather rapidly find yourself back in the 19th Century.
President Bashir said Sudan would not “kneel” to colonialists
My short stay in Khartoum working on the history programme was soon derailed.
Sudan became the world lead story when the International Criminal Court issued the country’s president with an arrest warrant for war crimes.
His response was defiant – “a new colonialism,” he called it – and, in the streets, as enraged crowds gathered at the site where Gordon had been beheaded, old sensitivities rose to the surface.
Once again, they complained, the West was seeing the Sudanese people as uncivilised savages. The Mahdi took on Gordon. President Bashir is taking on the ICC.
I wonder what General Gordon or Churchill would have thought if, 130 years ago, they had seen that Sufi sect singing and dancing.
Well, we have a pretty good idea about that. One of the phrases Churchill used was “a degraded sensualism, depriving life of its grace and refinement.”
And in his diaries Gordon, a very devout Christian, had no doubt that the Mahdi and his men were overexcited natives hell-bent on destroying the civilised world.
Today the language has changed but, for many, on both sides – the basic ideas are much the same.
1985 - After widespread popular unrest Numayri is deposed by a group of officers and a Transitional Military Council is set up to rule the country.
1986 - Coalition government formed after general elections, with Sadiq al-Mahdi as prime minister.
1988 - Coalition partner the Democratic Unionist Party drafts cease-fire agreement with the SPLM, but it is not implemented.
1989 - National Salvation Revolution takes over in military coup.
1993 - Revolution Command Council dissolved after Omar al-Bashir is appointed president.
US strike
1995 - Egyptian President Mubarak accuses Sudan of being involved in attempt to assassinate him in Addis Ababa.
1998 - US launches missile attack on a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, alleging that it was making materials for chemical weapons.
1998 - New constitution endorsed by over 96% of voters in referendum.
1999 - President Bashir dissolves the National Assembly and declares a state of emergency following a power struggle with parliamentary speaker, Hassan al-Turabi.
Advent of oil
1999 - Sudan begins to export oil.
2000 President Bashir meets leaders of opposition National Democratic Alliance for first time in Eritrea.
Main opposition parties boycott presidential elections. Incumbent Bashir is re-elected for further five years.
A US missile targeted a Khartoum pharmaceutical plant in 1998
2001 Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi’s party, the Popular National Congress, signs memorandum of understanding with the southern rebel SPLM’s armed wing, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Al-Turabi is arrested the next day, with more arrests of PNC members in the following months.
Government accepts Libyan/Egyptian initiative to end the civil war after failure of peace talks between President Bashir and SPLM leader John Garang in Nairobi.
US extends unilateral sanctions against Sudan for another year, citing its record on terrorism and rights violations.
Peace deal
2002 – Government and SPLA sign landmark ceasefire agreement providing for six-month renewable ceasefire in central Nuba Mountains – a key rebel stronghold.
Eight-year peace process ended with deal to end conflict in south
Talks in Kenya lead to a breakthrough agreement between the government and southern rebels on ending the 19-year civil war. The Machakos Protocol provides for the south to seek self-determination after six years.
2003 February – Rebels in western region of Darfur rise up against government, claiming the region is being neglected by Khartoum.
2003 October – PNC leader Turabi released after nearly three years in detention and ban on his party is lifted.
Uprising in west
2004 January – Army moves to quell rebel uprising in western region of Darfur; hundreds of thousands of refugees flee to neighbouring Chad.
Darfur: Conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions
2004 March – UN official says pro-government Arab “Janjaweed” militias are carrying out systematic killings of African villagers in Darfur.
Army officers and opposition politicians, including Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi, are detained over an alleged coup plot.
2004 May – Government and southern rebels agree on power-sharing protocols as part of a peace deal to end their long-running conflict. The deal follows earlier breakthroughs on the division of oil and non-oil wealth.
2004 September – UN says Sudan has not met targets for disarming pro-government Darfur militias and must accept outside help to protect civilians. US Secretary of State Colin Powell describes Darfur killings as genocide.
Peace agreement
2005 January – Government and southern rebels sign a peace deal. The agreement includes a permanent ceasefire and accords on wealth and power sharing.
Ex-rebel John Garang’s time in government was cut short
UN report accuses the government and militias of systematic abuses in Darfur, but stops short of calling the violence genocide.
2005 March – UN Security Council authorises sanctions against those who violate ceasefire in Darfur. Council also votes to refer those accused of war crimes in Darfur to International Criminal Court.
2005 June – Government and exiled opposition grouping – National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – sign reconciliation deal allowing NDA into power-sharing administration.
President Bashir frees Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi, detained since March 2004 over alleged coup plot.
Southern autonomy
2005 9 July – Former southern rebel leader John Garang is sworn in as first vice president. A constitution which gives a large degree of autonomy to the south is signed.
2005 1 August – Vice president and former rebel leader John Garang is killed in a plane crash. He is succeeded by Salva Kiir. Garang’s death sparks deadly clashes in the capital between southern Sudanese and northern Arabs.
2005 September – Power-sharing government is formed in Khartoum.
2005 October – Autonomous government is formed in the south, in line with January 2005 peace deal. The administration is dominated by former rebels.
Darfur conflict
2006 May – Khartoum government and the main rebel faction in Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement, sign a peace accord. Two smaller rebel groups reject the deal. Fighting continues.
2006 August – Sudan rejects a UN resolution calling for a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur, saying it would compromise sovereignty.
African Union has struggled to contain Darfur violence
2006 October – Jan Pronk, the UN’s top official in Sudan, is expelled.
2006 November – African Union extends mandate of its peacekeeping force in Darfur for six months.
Hundreds are thought to have died in the heaviest fighting between northern Sudanese forces and their former southern rebel foes since they signed a peace deal last year. Fighting is centred on the southern town of Malakal.
2007 April – Sudan says it will accept a partial UN troop deployment to reinforce African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, but not a full 20,000-strong force.
War crimes charges
2007 May – International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for a minister and a janjaweed militia leader suspected of Darfur war crimes.
US President George W Bush announces fresh sanctions against Sudan.
2007 July – UN Security Council approves a resolution authorising a 26,000-strong force for Darfur. Sudan says it will co-operate with the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid).
2007 October – SPLM temporarily suspends participation in national unity government, accusing Khartoum of failing to honour the 2005 peace deal.
2007 December – SPLM resumes participation in national unity government.
2008 January – UN takes over Darfur peace force.
Within days Sudan apologises after its troops fire on a convoy of Unamid, the UN-African Union hybrid mission.
Government planes bomb rebel positions in West Darfur, turning some areas into no-go zones for aid workers.
2008 February – Commander of the UN-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, Balla Keita, says more troops needed urgently in west Darfur.
Abyei clashes
2008 March – Russia says it’s prepared to provide some of the helicopters urgently needed by UN-African Union peacekeepers.
Tensions rise over clashes between an Arab militia and SPLM in Abyei area on north-south divide – a key sticking point in 2005 peace accord.
Presidents of Sudan and Chad sign accord aimed at halting five years of hostilities between their countries.
CONTROVERSIAL CENSUS
The 2008 count could have an big impact on Sudan’s political future
2008 April – Counting begins in national census which is seen as a vital step towards holding democratic elections after the landmark 2005 north-south peace deal.
UN humanitarian chief John Holmes says 300,000 people may have died in the five-year Darfur conflict.
2008 May – Southern defence minister Dominic Dim Deng is killed in a plane crash in the south.
Tension increases between Sudan and Chad after Darfur rebel group mounts raid on Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city across the Nile. Sudan accuses Chad of involvement and breaks off diplomatic relations.
Intense fighting breaks out between northern and southern forces in disputed oil-rich town of Abyei.
2008 June – President Bashir and southern leader Salva Kiir agree to seek international arbitration to resolve dispute over Abyei.
Bashir accused
2008 July – The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor calls for the arrest of President Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur; the appeal is the first ever request to the ICC for the arrest of a sitting head of state. Sudan rejects the indictment.
2008 September – Darfur rebels accuse government forces backed by militias of launching air and ground attacks on two towns in the region.
2008 October – Allegations that Ukrainian tanks hijacked off the coast of Somalia were bound for southern Sudan spark fears of an arms race between the North and former rebels in the South.
2008 November – President Bashir announces an immediate ceasefire in Darfur, but the region’s two main rebel groups reject the move, saying they will fight on until the government agrees to share power and wealth in the region.
2008 December – The Sudanese army says it has sent more troops to the sensitive oil-rich South Kordofan state, claiming that a Darfur rebel group plans to attack the area.
2009 January – Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi is arrested after saying President Bashir should hand himself in to The Hague to face war crimes charges for the Darfur war.
2009 March – The International Criminal Court in The Hague issues an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
When You Watched the News Today Did You See Any of This ?
The Lord’s Resistance Army, once a Ugandan group, has driven tens of thousands from their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan since it launched a campaign of terror at Christmas.
Also did you see any mention of The Nineteen Moroccans who Drowned off the coast of Spains’ Canary Islands Sunday ?
What about the More than 30,000 children that were taken as soldiers during the war, By the LRA. Our Friend Christina works in Uganda with a relief organization, that helps some of these same refugees. it’s absolutely ridiculous that we are ignoring them, for Octopussy..
What about an Update on Sudan and Darfur or the International Tribunals on the Genocide ?
Was There ANY news on those situations ?
NO – because the World is Fixated on one thing, The US and European Economies. I am sick to death of all this Elephant Poo everywhere.. Get Over It Already. We Had to deal with it for eight years and now it’s time to refocus on the Reality of whats’ really happening on the planet, everywhere.
Did We All Forget that there are others among us who are being Slaughtered like fowl on a daily basis ? yet our dues are paid into an organization chartered with protecting all the citizens of every nation on the planet – and they ignore these catastrophic humanitarian situations ? OHFN..
Why do We Accept It – Demand Your Full News, instead of Soundbytes that dumb down the reality of what’s really happening around us.
Call Your Local News Station and Tell Them You Want to SEE IT All
Not Just the Arguments going on in DC over the already passed stimulus bill; that fight is over. scrape up the cash, and get on with the get on..
Do Not Be Afraid To Remind the Local Media that they provide News for YOU – Not Just Advertising. if they refuse to comply, let them know in no uncertain terms that You Have A Choice, to Not Watch, or Purchase Their Papers. if their advertisers see a marked drop in profits, they’ll listen.
Responsible Media Begins With the Readers and Watchers. Thats’ All Of Us.
Here’s a few bits of important news you may well have missed, from the BBC, of course.
The Canary Islands has long been a magnet for African migrants
Nineteen people, including an eight-year-old girl, drowned when a migrant boat capsized 20m (65ft) from shore in the Canary Islands, rescuers say.
Three people are still said to be missing after the boat, carrying mainly North African migrants, overturned off the eastern coast of Lanzarote. Local residents rescued six people from the vessel after Sunday’s accident. Emergency services recovered 14 more bodies from the sea, a day after five others were pulled out of the water.
Rescue helicopters have been scouring for any other survivors, but police say hopes are fading fast. ‘Screaming’ Anibal Betancourt, who took part in the rescue operation, told local radio they found survivors “clinging to the sinking boat and screaming”, reported the AFP news agency. Most of the migrants involved are said to be from Morocco. The Spanish Canary Islands off the north-western coast of Africa have in recent years attracted thousands of African migrants seeking a better life in Europe. But increased surveillance has meant the number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands has dropped from almost 32,000 in 2006 to about 9,000 in 2008.
Sudan and Darfur’s most active rebel group have reached a tentative deal, amid hopes it could lead to talks on a peace deal in the war-torn region.
Khartoum and the Justice and Equality Movement agreed to sign a declaration of good intentions on Tuesday. The deal – reached in Qatar – includes an end to attacks on more than two million people in refugee camps and an exchange of prisoners, diplomats say. However, other rebel groups are refusing to talk to the government.
The BBC’s Africa editor, Martin Plaut, says that much more needs to be done to achieve peace in the region. And hanging over any agreement is a proposed indictment from the International Criminal Court of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir for alleged crimes. ‘Intense pressure’ The agreement between the Sudanese government and the Jem rebels was announced by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, whose country has been mediating talks under way since last Tuesday.
The Jem is the most heavily armed rebel group in Darfur
“There has been great progress,” Sheikh Hamad told reporters in Doha. “The content of the agreement, which will be signed tomorrow [Tuesday], has the agreement of all parties,” he added. Once the agreement is signed, small teams of negotiators will continue talks, the BBC’s Africa editor says. He says that by reaching this deal now, the government in Khartoum is signalling that it is moving on peace – under intense pressure from the international community. A Jem spokesperson in London, Haroun Abdul Hami, told the BBC’s World Today programme that “we all endorse the peace process”. “Qatar will be the base of the negotiations and also we are going to endorse the role of… the neighbouring countries of Sudan,” Mr Hami continued. “But the most important point is to stop the harassment of our people in the IDP [Internally Displaced People's] camps in addition to [urging] the government not to impede the humanitarian aid to our people.” Speaking to the BBC in New York, the Sudanese envoy to the UN described the agreement as “a very remarkable progress”. “It touches also on issues like security and safety of the IDPs and civilians, about which detailed discussions will be resumed in two weeks time,” Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad said. He rejected any suggestion that Sudan was trying to deflect attention away from the proposed ICC indictment of President Omar al-Bashir. Key town
Last week Sudan’s army said it had captured the strategic Darfur town of Muhajiriya after three weeks of clashes with rebels. Thirty people were reported dead in that fighting, and a Jem rebel commander said his forces had withdrawn voluntarily to spare civilians from government air attacks. The United Nations says at least 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have been displaced since the conflict began six years ago. Fighting started after African groups complaining of discrimination at the hands of Sudan’s Arab-dominated government launched a rebellion. The government admits mobilising “self-defence militias” in response, though it denies links to the Janjaweed, which has been accused of trying to “cleanse” black Africans from large swathes of territory. The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force, Unamid, remains at only about half its planned strength of 26,000, a year after the UN took joint control of the mission.
Mr Kony is said to relish recognition – and free food and cash at peace talks
The Lord’s Resistance Army, once a Ugandan group, has driven tens of thousands from their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan since it launched a campaign of terror at Christmas. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that by the end of January 130,000 Congolese and at least 10,000 Sudanese had been forced to flee. In addition, the UNHCR reports that an LRA attack on the Congolese town of Aba, population 100,000, resulted in almost the entire population evacuating the town. It believes that 5,000 have already crossed into Sudan at the town of Lasu.
This pattern of attacks, all along a 300km (186-mile) stretch of the Sudan-Congo border, follows a co-ordinated offensive against the LRA late in 2008. On 14 December the forces of three countries - Uganda, Sudan and Congo - attacked LRA bases in Congo.
The LRA had guns, but they did not use them – they used machetes and swords
Isador Bashima Survivor
It was an attempt to kill as many of the LRA as possible and shatter the movement’s command structure. But the operation was hampered by poor co-ordination and the dense forests in this region - ideal cover for guerrilla forces. Renewed brutality According to Capt Deo Akiiki of the Ugandan Army, these operations resulted in almost 50 fighters being captured and more than 150 killed.
LRA rebels often mutilate their victims, cutting off lips, ears and noses
The LRA responded as it had done in March 2002, when the Ugandan army launched a massive military offensive, named Operation Iron Fist, against the LRA bases in South Sudan, with the agreement of the government in Khartoum. In 2002 LRA leader Joseph Kony split up his forces, before bringing them together again and crossing back into Uganda to carry out attacks on civilians on a scale and a brutality not seen since 1995 to 1996. In December 2008 the LRA repeated this tactic, dividing into small units, some as few as five or six men. These units launched a series of attacks on an unprecedented scale in towns and villages across northern Congo and South Sudan. The UN and humanitarian agencies estimate the rebels have slaughtered some 900 civilians since Christmas. Villages along the border are now empty as people have fled before the LRA atrocities, which have included tying groups of women together before smashing their skulls and killing babies with heated machetes. ‘Strategic slaughter’ One man who witnessed a Christmas Day massacre by the LRA at a Catholic church in Doroma, a town on the border of DR Congo, recalls how the rebels pounced as worshippers gathered for a festive dinner. “The LRA had guns, but they did not use them,” Isador Bashima said. “They used machetes and swords.
The LRA are believed to be scattered across a much greater area now
“I went with my aunt and uncle. Both of them were killed. “When I saw the enemies surround us I automatically ran and escaped. I was really very sorry, but I could not stand any longer.” The LRA attacks on ordinary civilians are not simply random acts of brutality, but form part of a concerted strategy. Firstly, the LRA is too weak to directly stand up to the armies now confronting it. Reports suggest the rebels may have as few as 1,000 trained soldiers, with the rest made up of children who have been forced into the movement. Attacking villages proves the LRA is still a viable organisation and puts pressure on Sudan and Congo to return to the negotiating table. But there is a second – possibly more important – reason for the killings. It ties up soldiers in attempting to defend the civilians, reducing the number pursuing Kony and his men across the vast area in which they are operating. ‘Clandestine support’ According to UN humanitarian envoy John Holmes, the LRA has scattered across 15,000 square miles (40,000 sq km) of dense forests and plains, five times the area they operated in before the offensive.
Tens of thousands have been displaced by the bloodshed
This includes parts of the Central African Republic. The border area is now heavily militarised - Congolese on one side and the Sudanese on the other. They are supported by two brigades of Ugandan troops, around 6,000 strong, which have helicopters at their disposal. But the government of this region believes the LRA is only able to continue its offensive with outside support. The deputy governor of the South Sudanese state of Western Equatoria, Col Joseph Ngere, told the BBC that in his view elements in the Sudanese government in Khartoum were supporting the LRA, as they had in the past. “He had Khartoum’s government support in the 1980s,” said Col Ngere. “And I think that continues.”
Kony changes the course of any discussion very rapidly, he is suspicious of everyone
Col Joseph Ngere
“There are elements that still, clandestinely support the Kony movement. I don’t have evidence, but this is my belief.” What sort of man is Joseph Kony? Col Ngere was on the South Sudanese team negotiating with the LRA over nearly two years, and is one of only a handful of people who know the elusive rebel leader. “Kony is a cool person and looks like a normal human being,” Col Ngere said. “When you meet him there is nothing about him that makes you think he is a murderer.
South Sudan signed a peace deal with the North in 2005 after 22 years of war
“But his mind is destabilised. He is not consistent, and changes the course of any discussion very rapidly. He is suspicious of everyone. “Kony thinks that the strategy of killing civilians will put pressure on the government of South Sudan reopen peace talks. “He has much to gain from this strategy. During the talks Kony gets free food and money. His wives and children are transported from Uganda to come and see him. He gets recognition. That is what he wants.” The view that Khartoum’s hand is behind the LRA attacks is shared by many South Sudanese troops – an indication of the deep mistrust between North and South Sudan. The one force in the area that is not involved in this conflict is the United Nations Mission in Sudan (Unmis). Its mission is to support the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the North-South war. But the head of Southern Sudanese forces in Western Equatoria, Brig Gen Deng Rok Dit, is critical of the Unmis role. “Kony is a regional problem and an international problem. He is a terrorist,” says the brigadier. “Unmis is not helping us at all. They are not even giving us intelligence. Nothing.”
LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY ATTACKS DECEMBER 2007 – JANUARY 2009
Number of villages attacked: 74
Attacked once: 47 Attacked twice: 9
Attacked three times: 5 Attacked eight times: 1 (Duru)
More than 30,000 children were taken as soldiers during the war
By Karen Allen BBC East Africa correspondent
Amid the tall grass where boys are playing football, the remains of destroyed brick houses still stand. These are the relics of a local five-year civil war in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that saw some 60,000 people lose their lives.
It was us that chose to fight along side him. We did so willingly, we were scared of him so we joined him
Bahati
We are in the outskirts of Bunia, in Ituri district, and the hunting ground of former warlord Thomas Lubanga, the first person to stand trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague (ICC). The boys playing football were all child combatants, operating under Mr Lubanga’s command. As head of the UPC – a militia made up of the Hema ethnic group – his ragtag army fought ethnic battles over gold and mining rights with the “rival” Lendu community. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts DR Congo has ever seen and more than 30,000 child soldiers were fighters during the war, taken on by all sides. Bahati, one of the boys kicking the ball, was just 11 when he was recruited by the rebels. He was given an Uzi machine gun and taught to fight. He rose through the ranks to become Mr Lubanga’s personal bodyguard. And he earned more then than he does now. It has kept him loyal.
“It wasn’t all bad. I could get money from vehicle checkpoints and free food, and I could get as many girls as I wanted,” he smiled. “But on the battlefield I saw friends die. I still have nightmares.” Like many other ex-combatants, Bahati has mixed views about whether his former master should stand trial. Five years on from when he was forced to fight, his priority is getting a job and something to eat. “He was very good to his militia, very disciplined,” Bahati says of Thomas Lubanga. “But it was us that chose to fight alongside him. We did so willingly, we were scared of him so we joined him.” Signal sent It is a logic that is a strong currency here, where survival often overshadows issues of justice.
Mongbwalu’s gold mines have attracted numerous armed groups
Yet in a country cursed by its mineral wealth, human rights groups warn that impunity will continue unless those who committed war crimes are held to account. That is why the proceedings of the ICC trial are being carried on national TV and relayed to people across Ituri, and why radio stations will be devoting their day’s coverage to the event. There are huge banners right across Bunia advertising the trial. But in the town of Mongbwalu, a key battleground for Mr Lubanga’s men, they will be digging for gold instead. The place is packed with gold mines – men armed with buckets and shovels dig in search of wealth. But unlike in wartime, when slave labour was rife, now they keep what they find. Few had any idea the former warlord was standing trial. Many seem not to care. But there is a strong sense that the ICC is only seeing one side of the coin. Certainly that is the view in the village of Saio, another flashpoint during the war. Many are angry here that DR Congo’s neighbours are not in the dock. Bakamba, one of the residents, feels Mr Lubanga should face up to his alleged crimes. “But what about Uganda and Rwanda, which at different times backed Congo’s various rebel groups, in exchange for a share of the wealth? No-one seems to be going after them,” he says.
So long as government rewards warlords and doesn’t punish them then impunity will continue
Anneke Van Woudenberg Human Rights Watch
The ICC may face enormous constraints, but Anneke Van Woudenberg from Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Lubanga trial is crucial. She backs the views of children’s charities who warn that the trial could have far-reaching implications for the use of child soldiers worldwide. “The work of the ICC is important because it sends the signal that this is coming to an end. “It will only try a handful of cases – it’s up to the Congolese justice system to try the rest – but it’s a start.” But she admits a lack of political will has hampered the judicial process. “So long as government rewards warlords and doesn’t punish them then impunity will continue.” Sipping coffee That point strikes a chord with many people in eastern DR Congo.
Bosco Ntaganda may have bought himself time by switching sides
Not least because another former warlord, indicted by the ICC, has reinvented himself as a peacemaker and is still at large. Despite arrest warrants being issued, he is sipping coffee at a hotel in the city of Goma. It is an extraordinary state of affairs. Bosco Ntaganda has been charged by the ICC with war crimes. He worked under Mr Lubanga – the man who is in the dock at the ICC – in Ituri. Now, he has switched sides and become the chief of staff of the Tutsi CNDP rebel group, active in a separate conflict further south which is still continuing. By agreeing in recent weeks to lend his troops to a huge military operation to bring peace to the troubled region, he seems to have bought himself more time. It is hard to dismiss the notion of a political deal. Peace will always come first, confessed a senior figure in the Congolese administration. That is why bringing alleged war criminals to trial, will demand time and political commitment.
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They said they are the ones who help the rebels and you have to kill everybody. Don’t leave anybody, just kill everybody 
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