|
|
 |
|
UN set to vote on Darfur force
|
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on plans to send a peacekeeping force to Sudan's western region of Darfur. Sudan and China, Sudan's ally and veto-holding permanent member of the security council, have agreed to the wording of the much-anticipated resolution.
The resolution, co-sponsored by the United Kingdom and France, establishes 26,000 troops for Darfur. The resolution also includes articles under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which would allow the peacekeeping force to defend civilians and aid workers from any attack and the use of "necessary action" by UN-mandated troops in an effort to ensure stability. The resolution also calls for a series of peace talks, which are already scheduled to begin in Tanzania later this week.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown describes the Darfur situation as one of the greatest humanitarian disaster in the world today and says, "If any party blocks progress and the killings continue, I and others will redouble our efforts to impose further sanctions."
Sudan, who had opposed elements of the resolution, has stated that they are happy with the current version. China, Sudan's key investor, has also agreed on the drafted resolution. The Chinese ambassador in the UN, Wang Guangya, conceded that the inclusion of the Chapter 7 reference was now needed, but said "we have to be precise and very careful" about when and how it would be used.
The terms of the resolution include the following:
- Existing African Union troops will stay in Darfur and join the new UN troops
- Most of the new troops are to come from African states
- The new troops have the right only to "monitor" the spread and use of illegal weapons in Darfur
- The peacekeeping force cannot exceed 19,555 military personnel and 6,432 civilian police
The peacekeeping mission, known as Unamid (the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur) is expected to cost up to $2 billion a year. If approved, it will come together over the final months of 2007, with the aim of being in charge of operations by the end of the year. However, although Sudan has agreed to the UN's request for troops to enter its territory, officials say the full force will not be in place until 2008. |
|
|
|
Efforts to Help Darfur are Increasing
|
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told President Bush on Tuesday that the United Nations is speeding up efforts to find a political solution to the four-year conflict in Darfur.
''We have made considerable progress, and we are going to step up the political process,'' Ban said while seated with Bush in the Oval Office. Ban cited the peace talks U.N. and African Union envoys had this ween in Libya. The next meeting will be held in early August in Arusha, Tanzania.
''We are also going to facilitate humanitarian assistance. I'm going to step up efforts to deploy hybrid operations as soon as possible in Darfur to resolve this issue as soon as possible. In that regard, I appreciate U.S. government strong support in this matter,'' Ban said. |
|
|
|
Red for Darfur
|
Geneva's landmark Jet d'Eau (Water Fountain) had been lit up for several hours on Tuesday July 17 to draw international attention to the bloodshed in Darfur. The decision was made following the proposal from an international lawyers' group TRIAL, which campaigns for political leaders accused of genocide and other crimes against humanity to be brought to justice. "We believe this action will prick some consciences and help break the silence around the drama in Darfur," Geneva Mayor Patrice Mugny said. "We hope that other major European cities will do something similar."
 |
|
|
|
Al-Bashir Agrees to U.N.-A.U. Hybrid Force
|
New French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that in an hour-long meeting in Khartoum with Sudanese President al-Bashir on Monday, the president fully agreed to a "hybrid" U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force of 23,000 in an effort to stop the bloodshed in Darfur. However, President al-Bashir is adamant that all members of the force must come from Africa. The purpose of the meeting had been to press the president into committing to the force which the U.N. and western nations have been advocating for months.
Kouchner also said that during the meeting, al-Bashir brought up Sudan's embattled relations with the U.S. which recently had beefed up sanctions against the regime. Kouchner stated that he was not convinced the sanctions were useful, but clearly the Sudanese were affected by this issue.
The hybrid force is the third and final phase of a U.N. plan to help the underfunded force of 7,000 A.U. peacekeepers end the four years of destruction in Darfur. Al-Bashir had agreed to the plan in November but had stalled acceptance of the first two phases and had backtracked on his approval.
In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon, dated June 4, al-Bashir said his government "are currently busy studying" the proposal for a hybrid force. On Monday and Tuesday, the U.N., A.U., and Sudan held talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the revised plan for the hybrid force. Also in the letter, al-Bashir said that Sudan had previously agreed to the cease-fire, but rebels who did not sign the May 2005 Darfur Peace Agreement initiated the attacks.
"We are ready to commit ourselves to an immediate cease-fire within a comprehensive package to be coordinated by the United Nations and the African Union along the lines of reinvigorating the political process," the letter said.
Al-Bashir insisted that only African soldiers contribute to the new force, with the U.N. serving as a logistical backer. The U.N. and A.U. pledged to find African troops first but have stated they will use non-African troops if necessary. |
|
|
|
You Are Not Helpless
|
With the genocide in Darfur starting to gain much-needed attention, Operation Sudan would like to take a minute to explore some ways in which visitors can contribute to this critical cause so that the focus does not dwindle.
We have always maintained that politicians do not lead, they follow. They follow the public voice and follow the path voters lay out for them. As such, writing your representative is the single most helpful action one can take to help end this spiraling tragedy. Click here to look up your Congressperson/Senator, and make sure your voice is heard.
Presently, you could also participate in lobbying Congress to make the genocide a higher priority. Tell them the Genocide Accountability Act needs immediate passing so that the responsible parties are brought to justice and the crisis can start to mend.
If you're a high school or college student, organizing your campus and gearing it toward involvement in the cause is a brilliant way to alert others and bolster our community. Remember, every voice counts, and by making your school active in the cause, you could bring the crisis one step closer to ending. That one step could make the difference.
Visitors can also contribute to Save Darfur's Divest for Darfur campaign, or do something as simple as sign the Coalition's petition to pressure U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to take more immediate action.
Lastly, never forget that knowledge is the catalyst by which any situation can be solved. Inform others so that they can get involved and vote for officials that will make the genocide in Sudan a top priority. This could mean doing something as easy as posting a few fliers around your workplace.
You are not helpless. You have the power to save millions of innocent lives, and in most instances, all it takes is a flier or a letter or a signature on a petition. Simple acts spark huge movements. So help us, help the truly helpless in Darfur, and eradicate apathy, once and for all. |
|
|
|
Challenging China
|
The following editorial appeared in today's Los Angeles Times.
President Bush tightened the screws on the Sudanese government Tuesday, stiffening U.S. financial sanctions aimed at ending the ongoing genocide and displacement in Darfur. It was a long-overdue move, though Bush's tough talk may be aimed at the wrong country. The Darfur crisis probably won't be resolved until more pressure is brought to bear on China, and the real impetus for that pressure isn't coming from Washington but from Hollywood.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir clearly doesn't lose much sleep over threats of international sanctions. For four years, he has presided over a campaign of murder and rape against the people of Darfur to punish rebel factions seeking a share of the nation's oil wealth. Despite continual attempts to negotiate a peace treaty or send in a 22,000-member-strong United Nations force to protect civilians, there has been no letup to the killing and only one small breakthrough on peacekeeping: In April, Bashir agreed to allow 3,000 U.N. personnel to join the 7,000 overstretched African Union troops in the region.
On Tuesday, Bush targeted several Sudanese companies and individuals for U.S. financial sanctions and vowed to seek tougher U.N. sanctions against the country. This was probably met with a yawn in Khartoum.
China, the biggest buyer of Sudan's oil and a prime source of development aid, is the only country whose opinion really matters to Bashir. China has blocked sanctions against Sudan in the U.N. Security Council and will doubtless do so again unless the rest of the world imposes a price for its support of the genocidal regime...
Click 'Read More' below for the rest of this article. |
|
|
|
Action in the Form of Sanctions
|
The following editorial appeared in today's Philadelphia Inquirer.
President Bush yesterday tightened the screws on the government of Sudan to end the genocide playing out in its western region of Darfur.
Give Bush credit for doing more than any world leader to end four years of violence. As many as 450,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced to camps in Sudan and neighboring Chad. Many were raped, mutilated and left homeless after their villages were set on fire.
Bush already had shown his concern for suffering Darfur civilians by giving more than $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance and aid to the 7,000-member peacekeeping force that the African Union has deployed. Too few and under-equipped, the peacekeepers have not been able to protect civilians there.
Yesterday, he said the United States would aggressively enforce tougher sanctions, including blocking two Sudanese officials and one rebel leader from the U.S. financial system. He froze the assets of 30 companies owned or controlled by the Sudanese government and a transport company for violating an arms embargo. The United States earlier got the U.N. Security Council to pass a mild rebuke, but it was difficult to pass.
Now, Bush is directing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to talk with allies about drafting a new Security Council resolution to impose tougher sanctions on the Sudanese government and a few individuals who have blood on their hands...
Click 'Read More' below for the rest of the article.
|
|
|
|
U.N. Peacekeeper in Darfur Killed
|
The Associated Press is reporting that a United Nations peacekeeper who was among a small group of reinforcements sent to Darfur was shot to death at his residence-- the world body's first casualty since its long-negotiated arrival in the troubled region, officials said yesterday. Gunmen looted the home of the U.N. peacekeeper-- an Egyptian lieutenant colonel-- in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, and fatally shot him late Friday, the African Union and U.N. said.
"The senseless killing of an innocent man in the confines of his residence is beyond comprehension," said Hassan Gibril, the deputy head of the AU mission, at a memorial for Lt. Col. Ehab Nazir. The gunmen who killed him were thought to be burglars, but an official close to the investigation said authorities would not exclude other motives. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The AU has faced increased hostility from warring factions in Darfur, and has lost 19 of its own peacekeepers since it first deployed in June 2004. "Not a month goes by without a new killing, it's very difficult," said Mezni. The U.N. began deploying some 180 staff to Darfur in December to bolster the overwhelmed 7,000-strong AU mission.
|
|
|
|
The UN and AU Speak Up
|
"The United Nations and African Union said on Thursday the focus of their new strategy for troubled Darfur is to unite the disparate rebel groups in readiness for peace talks with the Khartoum government. The African Union's special envoy for Darfur and the U.N. Special Envoy for Sudan said they hoped to build on efforts by Chad, Libya, Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan to encourage the different Darfur rebel groups to find common ground. They warned of an unspecified price for the lack of cooperation.
The AU's Salim Ahmed Salim also said Sudan must take responsibility for disarming Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed. 'Unless this issue is tackled and tackled seriously and effectively, the prospects of peace in Darfur become more remote. It is the government's responsibility,' he said. Salim and Eliasson said they have endorsed the latest initiative to unite the rebels, taken by the semi-autonomous government of southern Sudan, which has said that unity talks could take place in the south by July. The Khartoum government has welcomed the initiative and several rebel commanders have agreed in principle to attend. Eliasson said: 'We are between hope and desperation practically. Hope that we will not miss this chance to go for the political solution but also great fear that we will have uncontrollable developments.' "
Read the rest of this news story here. |
|
|
|
UN Urges Sudan to Stop Bombings in Darfur
|
The Washington Post: "U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Sudan on Wednesday to stop aerial bombardments he said had caused death and destruction in the troubled Darfur region in the past three weeks. Sudan's U.N. ambassador said he had visited Ban to deny the attacks. In a statement issued by his office, Ban said reported bombings in North Darfur had also driven more civilians from their homes. In one case, he said, a school in the village of Um Rai was hit by rockets fired from a government helicopter. Ban gave no other details of places or times of incidents.
'The Secretary-General strongly urges the Government of Sudan to cease all attacks and to comply fully with the Darfur Peace Agreement, Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law,' the statement said. 'He further calls on both the Government and all movements to immediately stop military hostilities and cooperate fully with the African Union and United Nations team which is leading efforts to mediate an end to this devastating conflict.' Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem told Reuters he had informed Ban the reports were untrue and had been spread by people out to torpedo peace talks. He had chided the U.N. chief for not checking with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir."
Click here to read more of this article. |
|
|
|
The Post Reports: Potential PR Disaster for China
|
Recently, the Washington Post reported on lawmakers' claims that Sudan poses a potential "PR disaster" for China:
"More than 100 U.S. lawmakers sent China's President Hu Jintao a letter on Wednesday warning of 'disaster' for the 2008 Olympic Games if Beijing fails to do more to stop carnage in Chinese ally Sudan's Darfur region. California Democratic Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, was backed by 106 legislators including House Majority leader Steny Hoyer, in the strongly worded missive, his office said.
'It would be a disaster for China if the games were to be marred by protests, from concerned individuals and groups, who will undoubtedly link your government to the continued atrocities in Darfur, if there is no significant improvement in the conditions,' said the letter. Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the U.S. Congress and a staunch critic of authoritarian states, noted there were calls in some quarters to boycott what some activists have been calling the 'Genocide Olympics.'
'As Sudan's single largest trading partner, and the main beneficiary of their significant crude oil exports and construction contracts, we urge you to protect your country's image from being irredeemably tarnished, through association with a genocidal regime, for the purposes of economic gains,' his letter said."
Click here to read more.
|
|
|
|
Green Day and Amnesty International team up to save Darfur
|
| Punk group Green Day has recently released a cover of John Lennon's Working Class Hero as part of the campaign to save Sudan's war-stricken Darfur region. You can download it through iTunes. |
|
|
|
Thousands Protest Crisis in Sudan
|
Save Darfur reports that thousands of people protested outside Prime Minister Tony Blair's residence this past Sunday to demand decisive action against the violence in Darfur, holding up a 7-foot hourglass filled with artificial blood.
Protests were also held in the U.S., Israel, and other countries on what campaigners designated a global day of action. Protesters in London handed a letter to Gareth Thomas, a government minister with responsibility for international development, calling for the quick deployment of a strong peacekeeping force in Sudan's western region where a four-year war has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced more than 2.5 million. The letter, addressed to Blair, urged the prime minister ''to use your influence to push the international community to call for action.''
''Time is running out for the people of Darfur, and we urge you to keep the pressure on the government of Sudan until there is an effective peacekeeping force on the ground protecting civilians,'' the letter said. In Tel Aviv, Israelis lit candles during a demonstration. In Washington, actress Mia Farrow spoke to protesters in front of the White House, with a large sign reading ''Peace and Protection Now'' in the background. Activists from across New England protested on Boston Common, a historic city park. Among the speakers were Darfur scholars and Massachusetts lawmakers pushing a bill that would require the state to divest from companies doing business in Sudan.
|
|
|
|
Rape in Darfur
|
The following column by Kathryn Cameron Porter, president of the Leadership Council for Human Rights, appeared in Monday's Washington Times.
In every conflict zone in the world, women bear the brunt of the burden. The situation in Sudan is no exception.
During a recent fact-finding mission to Darfur, I saw firsthand the scars of war, evidenced by refugee women's painful stories as they shared with me the harsh realities of their day-to-day lives. No one I met said that she herself had been raped, but they talked about many they knew who had been; it was clear that discussing sexual attacks on others was a way for them to talk about their own ordeals without becoming doubly victimized by the intense stigma and lost honor associated with rape in this part of the world. Despite the taboo of discussing it, rape is a matter of course in Darfur.
Women in the camps I visited asked for better security so that they could search for firewood and gather food for their families without fear of being brutalized or killed. If you can't give us that, they said, at least give us an alternative source of fuel so that we can avoid being attacked out in the fields. As they know all too well, in Darfur, hunting women has become a sport.
Click "read more" for the rest of this article. |
|
|
View News Archives
|
|
|
Operation Sudan is a nonprofit, charitable organization aimed at raising awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. 100% of all proceeds go directly to the Save Darfur Coalition and are used to aid the refugees and coalition programs. Please direct any further questions, comments to the webmasters Go here for web hosting Special thanks to Handcrafted for getting the website back for us. And lastly Netcraft for getting it all done.
|
|
|
