Chadian rebels, former soldiers who have deserted, stand in a small camp on the Sudan-Chad border 10 Feb 2006 (AFP)

The 150 members of the former rebel Movement for Justice and Social Change (MJSC) left Al-Fasher Airport flanked by the Chadian security minister Abderaman Moussa who arrived to escort them the same day.

The rebel group was seen off at the airport by North Darfur governor, Osman Mohamed Youssef Kibir and a number of state government officials.

President Omer Al-Bashir, last July during a visit to Ndjamena, said Chadian rebel groups would not be allowed to operate from inside Sudan. He said that practical steps had been taken to enforce this. Rebel groups were informed that Chadian president Idris Deby welcomed their return to the country.

Before his first trip to Chad, the Sudanese authorities on July 21, expelled Chadian rebel leaders, including Timan Erdimi, Mahamat Nouri and Adouma Hassaballa, to Qatar.

Following a surprise visit by President Idriss Deby to Khartoum in February, the two countries agreed to end their proxy war and to work together for peace and stability in both countries. In May Chad barred Khalil Ibrahim the leader of Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) from returning to Darfur through Chad, where he had been based.

In statements to SUNA, Sudan’s official news agency, Governor Kibir hailed the return of the Chadian rebels saying it reflects the will of the two countries to implement the deals they agreed.

He reiterated the commitment of the Sudanese government to strengthen bilateral relations particularly in the areas of security and stability. He added that a joint committee from the two countries would follow up the issue of the remaining Chadian opposition groups.

On his visit to Khartoum in February President Deby, who refuses to negotiate a political agreement with the Chadian rebels, called on them to participate in legislative elections to be held in November and attempt win power through the ballot box.

(ST)

Bashir who faces an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of genocide and war crimes in Darfur surprised international dignitaries and even members of the Kenyan government by his presence which was not previously announced.

The Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga condemned the invitation to Bashir revealing he was not aware of its existence.

Sudan official news agency (SUNA) quoted Omar Dahab director of crisis management and conflict resolution at the foreign ministry as telling the EU representative that statements made by the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton on Bashir’s visit are unacceptable.

Dahab stressed that Sudan is not an ICC member and that Bashir is exercising his constitutional functions. He also called on the EU to stop its double standards that grants some nationalities immunity from prosecution while targeting African countries alone through international justice.

Under the Rome Statute governing the work of the Hague tribunal, Kenya had an obligation to arrest the Sudanese president. However, the government in Nairobi refused to apprehend Bashir citing African Union (AU) resolutions barring cooperation with the ICC and Article (98) regarding immunities.

But the ICC judges immediately transmitted a finding of non-compliance by Kenya to the Assembly of State Parties and the UN Security Council (UNSC) which referred the Darfur situation to the court in 2005.

The U.S. president Barack Obama, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, UK, France and Canada have all issued statements criticizing Kenya for receiving Bashir despite its legal obligations.

The Kenyan foreign minister Moses Wetangula today answered queries from legislators who were divided over the move to invite Bashir. He said that Bashir’s visit had helped unlock outstanding peace and security issues in Sudan and noted the meeting held between the Sudanese leader and his Vice presidents immediately after he returned to Khartoum.

The top Kenyan diplomat expressed regret that the UN Security Council has never adhered to its request to freeze Bashir’s warrant while condemning Kenya in an attempt to coerce the government to ignore its obligations to the AU.

’The Standard’ newspaper however said that several legislators accused Wetangula and a section of the Kenya coalition government of appeasing a “blood-thirsty tyrant with blood on his hands” in the pursuit of economic interests and in the name of African solidarity.

They demanded to know whether Kenya was truly committed to treaties she had ratified including the Rome Statute, its own Constitution, African Union (AU) resolutions and how these cohere with the country’s national interest.

The deputy defence minister David Musila caused a stir when he demanded an assurance from the minister that Bashir would be arrested if he landed in Kenya. The newspaper said that for over an hour Parliament degenerated into a heated debate over the Bashir’s visit.

Speaking at the 14th COMESA Summit of heads of state and government in Swaziland yesterday Mwai Kibaki spoke on Sudan but avoided reference to the issue of Bashir’s visit.

“It is my wish that the international community would appreciate the delicate situation of Sudan. We should not isolate the people of Sudan,” Kibaki said.

Some observers in Kenya accuse some members of the government of receiving Bashir as a signal indicating their same approach in dealing with suspects who are to be named by the ICC in the course of its investigation into post-election violence that erupted in 2007 and 2008.

However, Kenyan official said that they will cooperate fully with the court in this investigation.

(ST)

SLM-MM leader (AFP)

The former Senior Presidential aide submitted his remarks in a 10-page memorandum to the Presidential Advisor in charge of Darfur file, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani on August 22.

Minnawi in his memorandum, seen by Sudan Tribune, blamed the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) for not associating his movement in the articulation of the new strategy. He also stressed that the plan omitted the Transitional Regional Authority (TRA) established in accordance of the DPA that he signed with Khartoum more than three years ago.

“The Transitional Regional Authority for Darfur, established under the Darfur Peace Agreement is the executive mechanism responsible for the implementation of security and stability in the Darfur region. It is responsible for addressing the situation of refugees and displaced persons and their voluntarily repatriation to their areas of origin.”

Minnawi also criticized the new strategy for ignoring the government responsibility in Darfur conflict underlining that the government presented the conflict as something “between the local components without making the Centre’s role as a basis in the conflict, war and peace,” he said.

The former rebel leader contested the presentation of the elected governors and institutions in Darfur after April elections as sole representatives of Darfur people.

The ruling NCP endorsed a new strategy last July aiming to promote the return of the IDPs to their homeland and to implement recovery and development projects in a bid to end the conflict in the troubled western Sudan region of Darfur.

On August 26, the head of AU panel on Sudan, Thabo Mbeki, Joint Special Representative (JSR) of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Ibrahim Gambari, and US Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration voiced their support to government’s strategy in Darfur after a meeting with Presidential Adviser, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani.

Minnawi further disapproved the focus on IDPs only saying the conflict has been detrimental to all Darfur people. He also stressed that a comprehensive peace in the region cannot be achieved without the participation of all the components Darfur’s society.

Speaking about the security measures included in the new plan, the head of the transitional authority said these unilateral arrangements breach all the security protocols signed between with the rebel groups including the ceasefire agreement of 2004.

“The implementation of the proposed new security strategy by stepping up security measures will push Darfuri parties to the conflict to adopt radical political and negotiating positions, up to claim the exercise of the right to self-determination for Darfur region,” he cautioned.

Due to a delay in the implementation of security arrangements in the DPA, the SLM-MM did not take part in the elections as political party. The group is supposed to integrate the new government formed after the elections; but the non-disarmament of the former rebels seemingly hinders this step despite the extensive talks between the two parties on this issue.

(ST)

The Washington Post quoted intelligence officials with intimate knowledge of the CIA-NISS relationship as indicating that the CIA continues to provide training and equipments to Sudanese security services.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a former intelligence official who served in Sudan said that “the U.S. government is training the Sudanese intelligence services and conducting bilateral operations with them — all in the name of the long war.”

“Certainly,” the former official added, “the CIA is providing training” to the NISS. The source said that he suspects that the training “was begun in the very early days after September 11.”

He went on to explain that in the beginning, the training was highly covert and kept secret even from CIA personnel in the embassy because of “concerns over Sudan’s grievous human rights record.”

The official further said that the training sessions “were probably done outside the country.” He revealed that “there also have been transfers of equipment, including computers, etcetera.”

Sudan’s strong intelligence cooperation with the CIA on counterterrorism has not been reciprocated publically or diplomatically as the US continues to designate the country as “a state sponsor of terrorism” and impose US economic sanctions.

The US’s 2009’s Country Report on Terrorism, which was released on earlier this month retained Sudan on the terrorism blacklist despite acknowledging the continuation of “solid” bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation. The report also noted that Sudanese officials view continued cooperation with the CIA “as important and recognize potential benefits of US training and information sharing”.

Similarly, Sudan has not been discreet about its relationship with the CIA. Former spy chief Salah Gosh told the Los Angele Times: “We have a strong partnership with the CIA. The information we have provided has been very useful to the United States”.

In 2007 Gosh in an apparent bid to silence hard-line Islamist voices within the regime said that the cooperation with the CIA prevented a destructive backlash by the U.S. in the wake of September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York.

He stressed that the work with the CIA is not at the expense of Islamic public opinion in Sudan” and spoke of differences with US spy agency over combating terrorism.

Another former U.S. intelligence official said that the “CIA-NISS partnership began even earlier, in the Clinton administration,” adding that it is “incredibly valuable.”

“We have had a long term relationship with the Sudanese, even when they closed the embassy for a short period in the late 90s,” he added.

“We do not do much training with the Sudanese, except in the field of counterterrorism, and they have been an exceptional partner in helping us against the terrorist target.” He said.

The CIA’s curriculum with the NISS “is pretty much the same as regular humint/CO [human intelligence/case officer] training, with a focus on targeting the terrorist, i.e., setting up meetings in secure places with surveillance and counter-surveillance, knowing what info to look for, keeping all pocket litter, not allowing them to erase cell phones or computers,” the former official said. “It also involves ’take downs’ of terrorists or their organizations.”

The former intelligence officer who served in Sudan said the CIA flew Salah Gosh the former head of the NISS – who he described as “up to his butt in the genocide in Darfur” - to the U.S. in 2005.

News of the visit was leaked forcing the Bush administration at the time to limit meetings with the Sudanese spy chief and even contemplated arresting him.

In July human rights campaigners Amnesty International accused the NISS of, “carrying out a brutal campaign of killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, and mental and physical intimidation against opponents and critics of the government.”

They also alleged that the NISS use a variety of methods to torture people including: “beating detainees while held upside down against a wall, electric shocks, whipping, sleep deprivation, kicking and stamping on detainees and beating them with water pipes.”

According to the report in the Washington Post one US official claimed that working with the NISS, “has been one tool our government has used to try to influence the Sudanese in terms of human rights and the rule of law”.

The US is well aware of Sudan’s human rights record, the official said.

“We’re not blind” to what happens in Sudan, said a senior administration official, adding “everybody understands what’s going on there.” He threatened that “If the Sudanese go outside the box,” he maintained, “we can pull the plug.”

(ST)

Spokesman Muawiya Khaled said an American woman was liberated by police in the Abu Agora area south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province. The aid group Samaritan’s Purse identified her as Flavia Wagner, 35.

Wagner and two Sudanese working for the aid group, which is run by evangelist Franklin Graham and based in North Carolina, were kidnapped by armed men. Samaritan’s Purse says it has provided $83.7 million in aid to Sudan over the last decade.

All indications are that Wagner was treated well during her captivity, said Ken Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations at Samaritan’s Purse. She will be examined by a doctor.

Sudanese government negotiators “used their influence to gain her freedom,” Isaacs said. “We are thrilled.”

The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million forced from their homes since ethnic African rebels rose up in 2003, accusing Sudan’s Arab-dominated central government of neglect and discrimination.

Violence had largely subsided in Darfur over the last year, but a recent spike - including kidnappings - followed April elections. Isaacs said the kidnappers appeared to be criminals.

“There was never any political or ideological motives expressed,” he said.

The aid group said the Cincinnati-born Wagner was living in Bronxville, N.Y., when she applied for a position with Samaritan’s Purse a year ago. Some of her family lives in Southern California.

“The three Russian pilots were freed last night (Monday),” following negotiations with the abductors, army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad said.

The Russians, who worked for private aviation company Badr, were abducted on Sunday by gunmen in Nyala, capital of South Darfur.

The Kremlin special envoy on Sudan, Mikhail Margelov, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as identifying the three as the captain of a Mi-8 helicopter and two crew members.

Dear All,

“Post Elections Government of Sudan: How are they Preparing for a Referendum on

Self-Determination”

This is to let you know that the above conference will now take place on Saturday

13th November at St. Antony’s College.  Full programme will be sent to you in due

course.  In view of the topicality of the conference, it is advisable to book a seat

now as it would be unlikely to accommodate participants in access of the fixed

number at the lecture theatre.

We Look forward to seeing you and if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to

contact me.

Best wishes.

–

Dr Ahmed Al-Shahi

Research Fellow,

Sudan Programme,

St Antony’s College,

Oxford.

OX2 6JF

U.K.

Tel Internat: 0044 1865 284707

Tel UK: 01865 284707

Fax UK: 01865 554465

ahmed.al-shahi@sant.ox.ac.uk

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has criticised the invitation of Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to attend the promulgation of the new Constitution.

Raila said the presence of Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over genocide and war crimes, at the ceremony tainted Kenya

Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang

But on Sunday, the PM said:

Speaking at PCEA Church in Kinoo, Nairobi, Raila said despite the AU resolution for its members not to arrest al-Bashir, Kenya is bound by the Rome Statute that established the ICC and must adhere to the Statute.

He said it was wrong to purport to adhere to AU resolutions yet governments have in the past gone against the body

He cited former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin who committed atrocities in his country against the then Organisation of African Unity (now AU) charter and still chaired the organisation.

Former Kabete MP Paul Muite, who was at the same church service with the PM, said Bashir

But Local Government Assistant Minister and Kikuyu MP Lewis Nguyai differed with the two.

He argued Kenya played a crucial role in signing of the 2005 Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and that it should not be seen to destabilise its neighbour.

The Hague wants Bashir over genocide and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of Sudan. The UN estimates that 300,000 people died in the genocide.

* Says Sudanese authorities should arrest Bashir

By Adrian Croft

LONDON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor has accused Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of abusing African hospitality and threatening the West as he seeks to avoid arrest on genocide charges.

Kenya chose not to arrest Bashir on the ICC charges when he visited the country on Friday for a ceremony marking the East African nation’s new constitution. [ID:nMCD730308]

The ICC, to which Kenya is signed up, accuses Bashir of war crimes and genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region, where the United Nations estimates 300,000 people have died in a humanitarian crisis resulting from a counter-insurgency campaign.

Bashir denies the charges, saying they are part of a Western conspiracy.

“President Bashir is fighting for his freedom using different tactcs,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Reuters in an interview on Saturday during a visit to London.

Those tactics included “abusing African hospitality” by going to neighbouring countries, “threatening Western countries with affecting the south (Sudan) and offering carrots to foreign business, to French, American and English companies,” he said.

U.N. Security Council members should implement a strategy to counter Bashir’s tactics, Moreno-Ocampo said.

South Sudan is widely expected to choose to split from the north in a January referendum after a 2005 peace accord ended a two-decade-long civil war — separate from the Darfur violence.

ICC judges reported Kenya to the U.N. Security Council for allowing Bashir’s visit. The Hague-based ICC has no police force and relies on member states to enforce its arrest warrants.

But last month, the African Union criticised the ICC’s warrant for Bashir and called for its suspension.

CALL FOR SUDAN TO ACT

Moreno-Ocampo said he hoped Bashir would travel further afield so the arrest warrant against him could be implemented “in the air” — presumably meaning a diversion of his plane.

Sudan’s U.N. ambassador called Moreno-Ocampo a “terrorist” in 2008 after an ICC spokeswoman said the court had planned to arrest a wanted Sudanese minister by diverting a plane he was travelling on to Saudi Arabia. The minister called off the trip.

But Moreno-Ocampo said the best solution would be for Sudanese authorities to arrest Bashir. That would be a clear sign Sudan was changing its behaviour, the Argentine said.

He said Bashir had kept his plan to visit Kenya secret.

“As soon as the judges informed the Security Council, he left Kenya. So he is a fugitive president …,” he said.

Moreno-Ocampo said he stood by his promise to seek arrest warrants by the end of the year for up to six Kenyans from both sides of the election violence that killed 1,300 people in 2008.

“I promised to present two cases this year and I will do it,” he said. Each case would involve two or three people.

Moreno-Ocampo declined to confirm reports in the Kenyan media that several key witnesses in the Kenyan cases had been flown out of the country to ensure their safety. “I have a duty to protect the witnesses and we are doing that,” he said.

Moreno-Ocampo also said prosecutors would be ready, probably next week, to disclose the identity of an intermediary used by the prosecutor’s office to help find witnesses in a war crimes case against Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga.

Lubanga’s trial was suspended last month after prosecutors refused to turn over the intermediary’s identity to the defence. (Additional reporting by Aaron Gray-Block in Amsterdam) (Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Sudanese President Omar al Bashir curiously flew in through Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, and not the traditional Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, The Standard On Sunday can report. And Kenya closed its airspace to facilitate President Bashir’s arrival and departure in a well co-ordinated and guarded operation known only to a few, sources said.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga was kept in the dark over the surprise visit, which has kicked off an international storm in view of President Bashir’s status as a wanted man at The Hague.

Security sources indicated that Bashir had negotiated his security and received guarantees before honouring Kenya’s invitation.

The Sudanese leader, whose arrival at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park in the company of Tourism Minister Najib Balala took Kenyans by surprise, has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly perpetrating genocide and crimes against humanity in the country’s Darfur region.

He attended the national ceremony to promulgate the new Constitution but skipped the luncheon hosted at State House, Nairobi, by the President.

And on Saturday, Kenya continued to be the butt of international consternation and anger, following United States President Barack Obama’s Friday statement on his disappointment and the International Criminal Court’s report to the United Nations Security Council.

“I am disappointed that Kenya hosted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in defiance of International Criminal Court arrest warrants for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” said Obama.

Obama reminded Kenya that it had committed itself to full cooperation with the ICC and added: “In Kenya and beyond, justice is a critical ingredient for lasting peace.”

But the Government remained defiant, declaring that Kenya would not allow “anyone to make friends and enemies” for it.

On Friday, Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula had defended the presence of the indicted war crimes suspect and disclosed that President Kibaki had invited him for the ceremony.

Investigations by The Standard On Sunday showed that Bashir was sneaked into Kenya through Wilson Airport, easily the region’s busiest airport, which had been ordered closed for the whole day on security grounds by authorities.

The country’s airspace was also closed for four hours to secure Bashir’s safe entry and departure at Wilson Airport, sources said.

Top civil servants, Mr Francis Muthaura (Head of Public Service), Mr Thuita Mwangi (Foreign Affairs) and Mr Francis Kimemia (Internal Security), co-ordinated Bashir’s visit and ensured all other Government officials were kept in the dark, we learnt.

Initially, Muthaura had indicated at a Wednesday press briefing that Wilson Airport would be closed for two hours for security reasons.

Regional leaders

At the briefing, PS Mwangi had whispered to Muthaura that there were three regional government leaders who would be coming but that they did not want to be named.

Journalists’ efforts to prod him to disclose the high-level State guests came to no avail as he refused to divulge their identity, saying they had requested not to be named for security reasons.

There were conflicting reports about the time his plane touched down but sources indicated that his plane took off at 2.30pm.

On Saturday, the ODM wing of government called a press conference to announce that Prime Minister Raila Odinga was not consulted over the visit. The controversy surrounding Bashir’s visit stole the limelight from the historic celebrations, which ushered in the new Constitution with pomp and fanfare.

Last night, it was feared that the thorny issue could jolt the working relationship that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have enjoyed since they started campaigning for the Proposed Constitution ahead of the referendum.

The Orange Democratic Movement protested against Bashir’s presence at Friday’s promulgation of the Constitution and demanded an explanation over the circumstances of his invitation.

Cabinet ministers Anyang’ Nyong’o, James Orengo and Amason Kingi said Friday’s function was to present to the world a major achievement, but had been rained on by Bashir.

“Many party members and supporters have called us to raise concern about this unexpected presence of President Bashir on a day when we were promulgating the most democratic constitution in Africa, with a Bill of Rights that has very far-reaching human rights provisions,” added Nyong’o.

By inviting the Sudanese President, Nyong’o said, the world shifted its attention to Kenya for violating its new constitution as well as international law and treaties, particularly the International Crimes Act.

“We would like to point out to Kenyans, and the international community as a whole, that this was indeed a very unfortunate visit that could put into question the commitment of the Government to implement the Constitution of the Second Republic in letter and spirit,” said Nyong’o.

Orengo termed Bashir’s visit as a stain on the historic celebrations as well as an act of impunity on the part of Government.

“This is not a good beginning for us because we have compounded an act of impunity on a very important day,” said Orengo.

Kenyan suspects

He, however, disputed suggestions being peddled that ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo would have difficulty laying his hands on the Kenyan suspects linked to the 2008 post-election violence.

The Lands Minister said the Government had contacted Ocampo to slow down the Kenyan case to give room for a friendly environment to usher in the new Constitution and that he had agreed to it.

“Our deeds must indicate that we will protect the Constitution to match the oath that we took, including the international laws,” said Kingi.

On Friday, the ICC expressed its displeasure that the Kenyan Government did not arrest Bashir, and has reported the country to the UN Security Council.

Kenyan Members of Parliament reacted swiftly and angrily to the presence, accusing the Government of chipping away at the country’s resurgent international credibility.

As the angry MPs demanded answers from the Government, Wetangula declared that Kenya was unwilling to enforce international arrest warrants against Bashir as it would “destabilise Sudan” and its Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Also, he said that any such action would be in conflict with two African Union resolutions urging African nations not to arrest the Sudanese despot.

“All heads of state are invited by their peer and their peer is His Excellency the President,” said Wetangula as he disclosed that Kibaki had personally invited Bashir and added that “we invited our neighbours and Sudan is our neighbour.”

—Additional reporting by Cyrus Ombati

“This historic approval and signing of the constitution is an important step forward, and demonstrates the commitment of Kenya’s leaders and people to a future of unity, democracy and equal justice for all — even the powerful,” Obama said in a statement.

“With this constitution, the people of Kenya have set a positive example for all of Africa and the world,” he added, before turning his attention to the presence of Bashir, which threatened to overshadow the ceremony.

“I am disappointed that Kenya hosted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in defiance of International Criminal Court arrest warrants for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”

Obama reminded Kenya that it had committed itself to full cooperation with the ICC and added: “In Kenya and beyond, justice is a critical ingredient for lasting peace.”

Watched by tens of thousands of his countrymen, Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki signed the constitution into law at a colorful ceremony Friday in Nairobi’s main park.

The document, overwhelmingly approved in a national referendum earlier this month, is a pillar of reforms aimed at averting a repeat of the violence that killed more than 1,000 people following the disputed 2007 election.

But reaction abroad was one of consternation over the attendance of Bashir, one of a handful of heads of state present for the ceremony, including Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

Bashir was indicted in March 2009 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, and in July 2010 on charges of genocide, relating to atrocities committed by Khartoum’s forces in Sudan’s western province of Darfur.

Last month, the ICC issued a second arrest warrant for Mr. Bashir, adding genocide to the list of charges for crimes he allegedly committed in the war-ravaged Darfur region of western Sudan. In March 2009 the Sudanese leader became the first sitting head of State to be indicted by the Court, which charged him with two counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity.

Today, Mr. Bashir travelled to Nairobi at the invitation of the Kenyan Government to attend a public function to promulgate the country’s new constitution. The ceremony was attended by several other African heads of State and other dignitaries.

The Security Council will “take any measure they may deem appropriate” regarding Mr. Bashir’s presence in Kenya, the ICC said in a press release.

The ICC noted that the warrants of arrest against Mr. Bashir are yet to be executed.

“The Republic of Kenya has a clear obligation to cooperate with the Court in relation to the enforcement of such warrants of arrest, which stems both from the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593, whereby the United Nations Security Council ‘urge[d] all States and concerned regional and other international organizations to cooperate fully’ with the Court, and from article 87 of the Statute of the Court, to which the Republic of Kenya is a State Party,” the ICC said.

Amnesty International has criticised the Kenyan government for its failure to arrest Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country to join celebrations ushering in Kenya’s new constitution today, viewing the refusal to arrest President al-Bashir as an obstruction of justice for victims in Darfur.

The President of Sudan is the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Amnesty International’s Africa Deputy Programme Director Michelle Kagari said:

“Kenya has regrettably followed the example of Chad, which violated its obligations under international law by providing safe haven to President Bashir during his visit to the country last month.”

As Kenya has ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the national authorities are obliged to cooperate with the Court, including arresting anyone charged by the Court.

Amnesty International regrets that African states – which led efforts to create the International Criminal Court – last month undermined their commitment to international justice by renewing an African Union decision not to arrest President al-Bashir.

Michelle Kagari continued:

“We are calling on those 31 African states that have ratified the Rome Statute to support international justice and uphold efforts to deliver justice, in particular in countries like Sudan where victims have no prospect of justice before national courts.

“Kenya’s failure to arrest President Bashir is a worrying indication of its unwillingness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s new investigations and future prosecution of crimes committed in Kenya during the post-election violence in 2007-2008.

“It is disturbing that the Kenyan government is celebrating a new constitution – the national centrepiece of the rule of law – while obstructing justice for victims of such serious human rights violations in a neighbouring country.”

Heavy rainfalls, which continued for four hours in Aweil town of Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State, have destroyed 10 residential areas. However, there are no casualties reported.

Speaking to Radio Miraya, the State Minister of Information and Communications, Bona Mauein Makwach, said that victims are being transferred to an open area allocated for constructing the State’s airport. He said this is a temporary solution until the water is drained from the residential areas.

In a related context, a convoy from Dewan Al Zakat has meanwhile arrived in Al Obied town of North Kordofan State to deliver aid assistance to victims of rains and floods. Aid assistance included tents, sorghum, and other food items. The areas of Umrwaba, Rahad, Shiekan, Suduri, and Banda were badly hit by heavy rains and floods this week.

The ICC, which wants to put Mr Bashir on trial for alleged war crimes, asked Security Council members “to take any measure they may deem appropriate”.

Kenya chose not to arrest Mr Bashir despite pleas from the ICC and the EU for it to do so.

The Sudanese president was in Kenya as the country adopted a new constitution.

Continue reading the main story

Related stories

Profile: Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir

Q&A: Sudan’s Darfur conflict

In Washington, US President Barack Obama expressed disappointment that Kenya had hosted Mr Bashir.

The ICC’s chief prosecutor has charged Mr Bashir with crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide over alleged atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region.

‘Clear obligation’

Kenya has ratified the statute requiring it to co-operate with the ICC, giving it a “clear obligation” to co-operate with the court over the enforcement of arrest warrants, judges from the court said.

Continue reading the main story

“

Start Quote

We consider it important that Kenya honour its commitments to the ICC and to international justice”

Barack Obama

However, in July the African Union instructed its members - which include Kenya - not to apprehend Mr Bashir.

“The message we’re giving to the world by having heads of state from the region… is that Kenya is at peace with its neighbours,” Kenya’s Foreign Minister Moses Wetengula told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.

He also argued that arresting Mr Bashir could further jeopardise the quest for peace in Darfur.

Mr Obama, who welcomed Kenya’s adoption of its new constitution, said he was “disappointed” that the country had hosted Mr Bashir.

“We consider it important that Kenya honour its commitments to the ICC and to international justice,” the US president said in a statement.

Earlier, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had urged Kenya to arrest Mr Bashir and hand him over to the ICC.

“She urges Kenya to respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC,” a spokesman for Ms Ashton said.

She also called for Kenya to co-operate with the court in its investigation into post-election violence in Kenya in 2007-2008, he said.

Kenya’s new constitution is aimed at dealing with some of the problems deemed to have contributed to that violence.

Kenya is not the first ICC signatory to choose not to arrest Mr Bashir. Earlier this year he travelled to Sudan’s neighbour Chad, which took no action and said the visit had helped to improve bilateral ties.

Human rights groups on Friday critisised the Kenyan government for allowing Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al Bashir to take part in the celebration of the country’s new constitution.

The Human Rights Watch, the global organisation champions civil rights of people, sent a statement urging Kenya to arrest Al-Bashir on Friday if he enters Kenya but call went unheeded.

The International Center For Conflict and Policy (ICPC) also called for immediate arrest of Bashir who is wanted by the†International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged human rights violations in Darfur.

“Inviting President Bashir to Kenya is an act of impunity and†a clear indication that Kenya is not ready to cooperate with the ICC. His presence here is an insult to the people of Kenya and the victims of the post-election violence,” said ICPC executive director Ndung’u Wainaina.

Foreign Affair minister, Moses Wetangula was later reported saying, Kenya could not arrest Bashir since he was a state guest hence it could be improper for Kenya to embarrass him.

The promulgation ceremony went on as planned with the crowds often ululating as dignitaries streamed in.

President Kibaki displays a copy of the signed and sealed Constitution he promulgated on Friday. Several head of states, including Sudann’s president Omar el bashir, joined Kenyans during the Friday’s historic day. Photo: PPS

Basir’s unexpected arrival however caused a stir.

Bashir, an ICC indictee of crimes against humanity, was in Kenya attending Kenya’s rebirth to the amazement of many Kenyans and human rights activists.

Despite being a wanted man, Bashir jetted to Kenya to attend the country’s rebirth on Friday without fear of being arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court, which has already issued two warrants of arrest against him.

The Kenya military was there, heads of states and other dignitaries saw him but could not touch him and so Bashir, just like any other dignitary witnessing Kenya’s rebirth through promulgation of a new constitution, joyously sat there unmoved.

Kenya is party to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s treaty that requires states to cooperate with the court in executing warrants of arrest against fugitives.

President Bashir arrived at Uhuru Park at 9.15am escorted by Tourism Minister Najib Balala.

But his arrival did not go down well with a section of the dignitaries already seated at the historic site. Even some people in the crowd could be heard exchanging concerns about the man’s presence at the momentous event.

Kenyans were exchanging messages on facebook and via SMS about their displeasure to have Bashir attend the historic fete.

“I am seated in a dais metres away from the main dais. The mood is, sorry, was great and palpable until the indictee Bashir walked in. How embarrassing for us! Am ashamed to have this man among us on this day,’ said human rights lawyer Haroun Ndubi.

‘Where is Ocampo? Omar Al-Bashir is within reach…he is spoiling our day…today there is no room for impunity,” said Semaj Itosno via twitter.

US ambassador Michael Ranneberger left his seat walked to where Sudan ambassador in Kenya, Majok Guandong was and engaged him in a short conversation.

Already, the Human Rights Watch, the global organisation which works to protect civil rights of people, sent a statement urging Kenya to arrest Bashir if he enters Kenya.

“Kenya should bar Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from entering Kenya or arrest him for trial at the International Criminal Court if he enters Kenyan territory,” reads the statement in part.

“Kenya will forever tarnish the celebration of its long-awaited constitution if it welcomes an international fugitive to the festivities,” said Elise Keppler, senior counsel in the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch.

“Even worse, hosting al Bashir would throw into question Kenya’s commitment to cooperate with the ICC in its Kenyan investigation.”

“Whether Kenya allows a suspected war criminal into Kenya is a test of the government’s commitment to a new chapter in ensuring justice for atrocities…the Kenyan government should stand with victims, not those accused of horrible crimes, by barring Bashir from Kenya or arresting him,” said Keppler.

Bashir even exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues after the ceremony was over. Definitely he was not scared as Kenya had no intention at all to disturb his peace.

The latest warrant of arrest against Bashir was issued in July 2010 on charges of genocide. The first one was issued in March 2009 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Bashir’s visit is in itself interesting as Kenya is also undergoing ICC investigation into crimes committed following the country’s General Elections of December 2007.

Bashir is the first serving head of state to be indicted by The Hague-based court.

Kenya is signatory to the ICC treaty known as the Rome Statute making it legally obligated to arrest Bashir and surrender him to the court.

However, the African Union instructed its members in two decisions over the last year not to apprehend the Sudanese president but fell short of threatening to punish any country in the continent, which would cooperate with ICC.

Kenya becomes Bashir’s second visit to an ICC state party after Chad, where he visited in July. Before that he avoided visiting any members of the court for fear of arrest. He had shunned an invitation to the Inter-government Authority on Development summit early this year in Nairobi.

ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in May that he would pursue six Kenyans over the 2007 post-election violence which claimed 1,200 lives and present a case before close of 2010.

The Kenyan government has pledged full cooperation with the ICC in its investigation in Kenya. As recently as June 2010, the government reaffirmed this commitment at the ICC’s review conference,

which took place in Kampala, Uganda from May 31 to June 11.

A few local businessmen have set up big refrigerators as ‘cool-down facility’ for the Sudanese people who seeking shelter from the heat. They charge five Sudanese (about $2) pounds per hour for people who want to sit inside it, media reports said.

Medical officials in Port Sudan said at least 13 people have suffered from heatstroke during the week. August is the hottest month of the year in Sudan.

Al-Bashir’s presence overshadowed a ceremony in Nairobi marking the signing into law of the new constitution, which many hope will signal a bright new future for Kenya.

Human rights bodies, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), instantly protested, saying al-Bashir’s presence could tarnish Kenya’s reputation.

Kenya is a party to the Rome Statute, which set up the court and requires the East African nation to arrest him. The court has no police force and relies on its member states to arrest suspects.

The president took his place alongside other African leaders in the city centre Uhuru Park to celebrate the promulgation of the constitution - part of a reform process aimed at preventing a repeat of the violence that followed disputed presidential elections in December 2007.

Attempts to contact government officials to comment on al-Bashir’s presence were unsuccessful, but Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula told the Daily Nation he would not be arrested.

‘He is here in response to our invitation to all our neighbours and the sub-region to attend this historic moment for Kenya,’ he said. ‘He is a state guest. You do not harm or embarrass your guest. That is not African.’

New York-based Human Rights Watch had earlier called on Kenya to fulfill its obligations and arrest the leader.

‘Kenya will forever tarnish the celebration of its long-awaited constitution if it welcomes an international fugitive to the festivities,’ said Elise Keppler, senior counsel in the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch.

‘Even worse, hosting al-Bashir would throw into question Kenya’s commitment to cooperate with the ICC in its Kenyan investigation.’

The ICC is probing the post-election violence in Kenya, which claimed at least 1,300 lives, and is expected to issue arrest warrants against two or three senior figures.

Alison Smith, Legal Counsel with NPWJ, said it was ‘ill-advised’ for Kenya to associate itself with al-Bashir - currently the only sitting head of state indicted for war crimes.

‘While it is certainly in the interest of President al-Bashir to expand the range of countries where he is seen to travel with impunity, it is not in Kenya’s interest, nor in the interest of its leaders,’ she said.

It was the second time al-Bashir has visited an ICC member state since the court issued an arrest warrant against him for crimes in Sudan’s western Darfur province in March 2009.

He travelled to Chad in July after the court added three counts of genocide to the warrant relating to the long Darfur conflict, which the United Nations says has claimed 300,000 lives. Sudan says only 10,000 people died.

At the ceremony, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki signed into law the long-awaited new constitution, weeks after it was passed in a national referendum.

A massive crowd gathered to watch the president sign the document at a ceremony in the city centre Uhuru Park.

The assembled masses cheered as Kibaki waved the document in the air triumphantly, before a 21-gun salute and the hoisting a giant national flag heralded the dawn of what politicians are referring to as ‘the second Kenyan republic’.

‘This moment marks the decisive conclusion of the 20-year journey in search of a new constitutional order,’ Kibaki said. ‘This new constitution is an embodiment of our best hopes, aspirations, ideals and values for a peaceful and more prosperous nation.’

The constitution, which replaces the document created after Kenya gained independence from Britain in 1963, aims to peg back the power of the president through establishing a two-tier parliament and decentralizing power.

Many believe that transferring some control from the executive branch would reduce the stakes in future presidential elections. In the past, whichever tribe has gained control of the presidency has seen great benefit, leading to clashes such as those at the presidential elections.

More than 1,300 people died in the tribal clashes that followed opposition accusations the elections were rigged in favour of Kibaki.

Analysts say the new constitution should boost East Africa’s largest economy, which has struggled over the last few years due to the post-election violence and the global recession.

The U.S. State department said in a statement that Ambassador Princeton Lyman “will augment and complement the efforts of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum and U.S. Consulate General in Juba as our diplomatic mission to Sudan”.

In less than five months time, people from Sudan’s oil-producing south are due to vote in a referendum on whether they should secede and form Africa’s newest nation — a plebiscite promised under a 2005 accord that ended decades of north-south civil war.

It is widely expected that the Southerners will opt for secession after decades of bitter war that claimed millions of lives and feelings of marginalization by the Arab-Muslim dominated North.

However, the preparations for referendum are well behind schedule leading many observers to believe that the key vote will not materialize by January 9, 2011. Furthermore, the post-referendum arrangements are yet to be agreed on between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM).

The most contentious issue is the North-South border demarcation which the NCP says unless completed no referendum can be held. The SPLM warns that it will not accept any delay to the referendum under any circumstances.

“Ambassador Lyman will provide a senior-level presence in Sudan dedicated specifically to working with the CPA parties to reach consensus on outstanding CPA implementation issues, such as citizenship, border demarcation and resource sharing,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

The State Department said that Lyman will join a “robust” team that will support Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, Chargé d’Affaires Robert Whitehead in Khartoum and Consul General Barrie Walkley in Juba.

“Ambassador Lyman departed for Sudan yesterday evening, where he will join Special Envoy Gration in Sudan for meetings this week with the Sudanese National Congress Party (NCP), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sudan Haile Menkerios, Chairman of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel Thabo Mbeki and representatives of the Sudan Troika (United Kingdom and Norway),”.

The appointment was welcomed by Darfur activist groups in Washington

“This is a welcome sign for us from the administration that it needs to bring in folks with that kind of résumé,” the Enough project’s David Sullivan told Politico news portal.

“It’s a good step. We now seem to be acknowledging the successful model that helped result in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 that was negotiated by a team of senior diplomats on the ground in support of an Africa-led process.”

Sudan activists in Washington have been unhappy with Gration describing his approach as soft in dealing with the dominant NCP and lacking sufficient pressure to bring any change on the ground.

(ST)

The first motion filed on July 30th by Sudan Workers Trade Unions Federation (SWTUF) and the Sudan International Defense Group (SIDG) asked the Pre-Trial Chamber I to review Ocampo’s statements in the article “and decide on an appropriate course of action”.

“It is evident from the article of 15 July 20 I0 that the Prosecutor may be seeking to gain support from the international community for his case or to be building public momentum and backing for his allegations that might render dispassionate adjudication by the Trial Chamber more difficult,” said attorney Geoffrey Nice who made the submission on behalf of the two pro-Sudan groups.

Nice asserted that Ocampo has went to give the impression that Bashir has already been convicted of genocide which was not the case at this stage of the proceedings.

The Rome Statute which forms the basis of the ICC, states that a warrant is to be issued if there is “reasonable evidence” to believe that the individual has committed the crime alleged by the prosecutor.

At the subsequent stages of confirmation hearings and the trial, a higher threshold of evidence is required to indict the suspect.

Nice also referred in his filing to a ruling by the Trial Chamber in the separate case of Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga, where the judges reprimanded one of Ocampo’s aides over the content of an interview she made which was deemed to compromise the integrity and fairness of the judicial process.

However, on August 6 the ICC judge decided that the submission was inadmissible because SWTUF and SIDG failed to identify the issue requiring determination by the chamber and also because they did not request a leave to submit an observation on the matter.

Furthermore, the judge determined that the submission fell “outside the scope and purpose of rule 103″ which allows third parties to file motions on a specific case.

Today the judge rejected a similar motion by Michelyne C. St-Laurent, the court’s ad-hoc defence lawyer for Bashir, regarding Ocampo’s article saying that this fell outside her mandate which is to protect the interests of the defence “only within the context and for the purposes of the proceedings related to victims’ applications for participation”.

(ST)

Juba (Borglobe)…the Sudan People’s Liberation Army is in a hot pursuit of the rebel leader George Athor, who is cowardly in hiding, the army spokesperson Kuol Deim Kuol said, in a bid to bring security under control as the independence vote nears.

In a press conference yesterday at the Minister of Information’s regular press forum, Kuol disclosed that the army attacked the infamous rebel hideouts at Payakyak in Jonglei’s Khorfulus County mid this month, killing 39 rebel soldiers. The rebels, however, managed to kill 2 army soldiers in the shoot-out.

“I can tell you, we want to arrest him alive or kill [George Athor]”, he stressed, as he described the military’s might as enough to deter off aggression against the January, 2011 vote. “We are pursuing them and the problem is that the area is becoming swampy”.

George Athor rebelled against the Government of Southern Sudan after losing Jonglei state gubernatorial seat in the last April’s general elections, unlawfully claiming that the vote was rigged.

The Undersecretary, Bior Ajang of the Ministry of SPLA Affairs, which is charged with designing the SPLA policies and handling administrative issues, said Athor will be tackled militarily in protecting the referendum.

“Fighting him to either get hold of him or kill him is what can help the people of southern Sudan ”, Bior said during the briefing. “I am opposing the idea of not fighting him to allow people go for the referendum”, he added.

Recently, a white plane was arrested in Falouj in Khorfulus County in Jonglei state, where George Athor is twisting his life in the thick bushes. Athor’s third in command, the former commissioner of Pigi County , was captured in the plane. The plane belonged to the Sudan Armed Forces. The SPLA said it was the evidence that some circles in the north were arming criminals in the south to disrupt regional peace.

In a related development, Kuol said the army attacked the hideout of Kul Chaar, another leader of rebelling armed men in Unity, killing five of his soldiers and capturing some guns. He is now running towards Heglig north of the state, where they are always accommodated by the SAF, he said.

Gatluak Deng, according to the official military statement, is under treatment in Khartoum , after running from the SPLA for his life on foot, which caused his feet to swell. Duop Gatluak, also leading armed gangs, was wounded by the SPLA and he is now in hiding, according to the army spokesperson. “With unity of the SPLA and security organs, we are tracking down these criminals”, Kuol said.

IDPs who fled the conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur region carry belongings home at dusk at Djabal camp near Gos Beida in eastern Chad, June 12, 2008 (Reuters)

South Darfur deputy governor Abdel Karim Mousa Abdel Karim, said on Saturday his government is working to relocate the residents of Kalma in two camps with a capacity of 25 to 30 thousand people, equipped with all basic services.

The decision to move Kalma IDPs intervenes following bloody clashes between two groups in the largest camps in South Darfur which is the home for around 100,000 persons displaced by the seven year conflict in the region.

“It is also vital that displaced populations are not threatened with violence or otherwise forcibly moved,” said Holmes in a briefing to the UN Security Council mostly dedicated to Kalma camp.

UN top humanitarian official said any movement “must be voluntary, and based on free and informed decisions”. He further said that “conditions in areas of resettlement or return (must be) appropriate and viable in terms of security and access to basic services”.

“Any resettlement or return should only take place following joint verification that these conditions have been met.”

Following the meeting, the UN Security Council condemned “the instigation of violence in Kalma camp,” and hailed UNAMID’s efforts to restore calm in the area.

The Council stressed the need demilitarize Kalma and other IDP camps in Darfur, says a statement read by Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the President of the 15 members council this month.

The statement also condemned violence against aid workers and UN personnel. Further it said concerned by the ongoing restrictions on aid workers.

The members of the Council “recall the obligation of the Sudanese authorities and all other parties to ensure timely and unhindered humanitarian access,” as well as reiterating the importance of ensuring “an effective and inclusive process of political settlement in Darfur,” the statement continued.

In his speech before the Council, Holmes warned that the resumption of violence between government and rebels forces besides the tribal fighting led to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

“The level of restrictions imposed on humanitarian operations, and of harassment, threats and violence directed at humanitarian personnel, is once again becoming unacceptable,” Holmes said.

(ST)

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the Sudanese government was seeking to find a country to receive the rebel chief after leaving Libya where he currently resides.

Ibrahim, who was denied entry to Chad last May following a thaw in relations between Ndjamena and Khartoum, has been forced to accept a Libyan offer to host him. The rebel movement at the time slammed the Darfur mediation team accusing them of conspiring with the Sudanese government to prevent Ibrahim’s return to Darfur.

Sudan has been pressing hard over the last few months to have the JEM chief expelled but the Libyan side brushed the requests aside saying they are maintaining “an equal distance” from all parties to the Darfur conflict. However, they promised to reign Ibrahim and prevent him from making political statements or issuing orders to his troops.

The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir said earlier this month that he received assurances from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi that JEM leader will be expelled “within days” but did not elaborate. A similar assertion was made by the director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Mohamed Atta Al-Moula last June.

The diplomatic source told Sudan Tribune that Al-Moula made a trip recently to Burkina Faso where he discussed with officials there the possibility of hosting Ibrahim. However, the source could not confirm whether the JEM chief would actually take the offer.

He suggested that Libya, Chad, Qatar and Sudan are on agreement over the choice of Burkina Faso adding that other options were floated during discussions including Uganda and Senegal.

Khartoum wants to keep JEM leader away from any countries bordering Sudan for fear that he may attempt to sneak into Darfur, the source added.

The JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein denied any intention on the part of the Libyans to expel Ibrahim describing it as “government propaganda”.

“If Dr. Khalil is to leave Libya it will be to the field [in Darfur] and not anywhere else,” he told Sudan Tribune.

“The Sudanese government is scrambling to do a damage control after what [president] Bashir said on having Dr. Khalil expelled within days. This put them in a corner and they now want to save face” Hussein added.

The JEM official stressed that the Libyan government is dealing with Ibrahim as a “leader of a movement with a just cause” adding that authorities there are in regular contact with him.

“There is a new Libyan initiative on Darfur and it makes no sense for them to expel Dr. Khalil as he is a crucial part of any solution,” he said.

JEM signed a tentative agreement and ceasefire with Khartoum in February which unravelled amid renewed clashes. The rebel group suspended its participation in the Doha peace talks saying that the Sudanese government violated the accord.

(ST)

The Misseriya tribal leader, Izz-Al-Din Issa Mandil, appealed over Radio Dabanga for the belligerent parties to stop hostilities and convene a peace conference. He also called on the state government to do its duty to stop the violence.

Another source said that the fighting has caused the flight of more than 4.000 people into Kass town. The humanitarian situation is difficult. Clashes between Misseriya and Rizeigat were reported on Friday for the fifth consecutive day, including in the areas Durso, Karandee, Gubo, and Gemiza Lagaro. Thousands fled to Kass from areas of the clashes including Damardolo, Martolo and Borunga, which are located along the Wadi Milla. A sheikh of one of the refugee camps near Kass said that gunfire was heard all day Friday. He stressed that the newly displaced people set up camp in Kass and in general the humanitarian conditions are bad, given that it is the rainy season.

A tribal leader speaking from Kass, the omda of Gemeza, confirmed attacks in certain areas south of Kass. Omda Adam Saleh Mohamed Ateem said that several villages had been looted along Wadi Milla, extending from Milla up to Borunga.

Nangayi Guyson, AfricaNews reporter in Kampala, Uganda

The Sudanese government is planning to build a nuclear reactor which is first of its kind purposely for peaceful electricity by 2020, according to the state news agency, SUNA. It has also built dams along the Blue and White Niles, which merge in Sudan, to generate power. But large swathes of the country remain without regular electricity.

SUNA quoted Mohamed Ahmed Hassan el-Tayeb, director-general of the Sudanese Atomic Energy Agency, as saying the government had begun to plan in early 2010 to develop nuclear energy.

“The Ministry of Electricity and Dams has already started preparing for the project to produce power from nuclear energy in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and is expected to build the first nuclear power plant in the year 2020,” Hassan el-Tayeb said on Saturday.

Tayeb said an IAEA delegation would visit Sudan to discuss the project this week. Sudan has been an IAEA member since 1958 and can develop nuclear energy with IAEA assistance.

Sudan’s economy has suffered under U.S. sanctions since 1997 and from decades of warfare, but it has managed to hike oil production to 470,000 barrels per day, boosting growth.

Sudan has close economic and political ties with Iran, which is locked in a dispute with the United States and some of its allies over its nuclear programme.

The station was created by a group allied to the youth wing of the ruling SPLM.

Calling themselves the South Sudan Youth For Separation, members of the group say they are in search of a separate homeland for the South Sudanese.

But as Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow reports from Juba, southern Sudan, the group is still struggling to make their voices heard.

Date: 23 Aug 2010

NZARA, 23 August 2010 (IRIN) - Armed attacks blamed on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Southern Sudan’s Western Equatoria State have displaced thousands of civilians and undermined food security, say local and UN officials.

Fear of the LRA, a Ugandan-based militia, has led 25,000 people in the state to flee their homes in recent months, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Almost 10 times that number has been displaced by LRA attacks there since late 2008 and the group is blamed for some 200 deaths in the state in 2009.

Two of the state’s administrative districts or payams - Sangua and Basukangbi - had no inhabitants at all when UN agencies conducted an assessment mission in early August.

Consequently, many fields, where crops such as sorghum and groundnut are now ready for harvest, have been abandoned.

“Western Equatoria used to be food sufficient but because of the insecurity, IDPs rely on handouts,” said Western Equatoria State deputy governor Sapana Abuyi.

Many of the displaced - more than 3,000 from Sangua and Basukangbi alone - have gathered in towns such as Nzara and survive on wild food sources such as leaves and fruit, according to the findings of a multi-agency assessment mission, which also found that the displaced lacked adequate sanitation, drinking water and health services.

Fear of fresh attacks means many of the IDPs have no intention of returning home soon, so it will be necessary to provide long-term services in their current locations.

“It’s not that safe anywhere in the state,” said Richard Tambua, a leader of a self-defence group known as the Arrow Boys.

Western Equatoria saw relatively little conflict during the civil war that raged between North and South Sudan from 1983 until a peace accord was signed in 2005. Now, Southern Sudan’s military and the UN’s peacekeeping mission are unable to neutralize the threat posed by the small, highly mobile and ruthless units of the LRA, which is also present in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).

According to Human Rights Watch [http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/08/11/cardr-congo-lra-conducts-massive-abduction-campaign], the LRA has abducted some 700 people in DRC and CAR over the past 18 months.

“During the abduction campaign, the LRA has brutally killed adults and children who tried to escape, walked too slowly, or were unable to bear the heavy loads they were forced to carry,” the New York-based group said in a report released on 11 August.

Around the same time, the Enough Project [http://bit.ly/bPMoAg], an advocacy organization based in Washington DC, also issued a report about the LRA’s increasing threat to civilians because of the lack of any “meaningful military force” to challenge the group.

The report’s author, Ledio Cakaj, told IRIN: “There is a real fear that unlike in the past two years where LRA violence was sporadic, this time they are in Sudan to stay.”

The regions President - and Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) - Salva Kiir Mayardit announced his new advisors in August 18.

Lagu was the leader of the southern movement which rebelled against the central government before signing the 1972 Addis Ababa agreement. He became President of the High Executive Council of the Southern Sudanese Autonomous Regional Assembly in 1978.

Aleu Deng Jok, a member of the SPLM - Northern Sector (SPLM-NS) told Sudan Tribune that appoint Ladu as a special Advisor to the President, was one of the wise decisions President Kiir has ever taken.

“The appointment of General Lagu means a lot to us and our enemies. It is one of the best and wise decisions our president has ever taken”, said Jok.

As a long serving southern leader Jok said that there is a lot to be learned from Ladu’s experience of the 1972 peace agreement and dealing with the central government.

“I am happy about his appointment because I believe he has details of what led to the abrogation of Addis Ababa agreement which can help SPLM and the government of southern Sudan in dealing with current holdups,” in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLM and the ruling National Congress Party, he said.

(ST)

Following a bloody attack last month against Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) supporting the Doha peace process in the camp by armed group, the Sudanese authorities accused supporters of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur of being behind the violence.

Then, the Governor of South Darfur Abdel Hamid Musa Kasha described the camp as “a den of criminals fleeing from justice” he further announced the removal of the camp adding it lies near the railway station and Nyala Airport. This proximity to the airport increases the “security threat for UNAMID planes,” he stressed.

Abdel Karim Mousa Abdel Karim, Deputy Wali of South Darfur, told the government funded (smc) that the residents of Kalma would be relocated in two camps with a capacity of 25 to 30 thousand people, equipped with all basic services.

The space per house will be between 150 to 200 meters, he added.

The new camps will be located in southern Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in an area called Bileel.

He also said machineries for construction and wells drilling were dispatched to the sites to start works. He added the relocation will be implemented after completion of the construction of new camps.

Kalma, home of around 100,000 people, witnessed in August 2009 one of the most dramatic clashes between the residents and the Sudanese security forces where some 30 people had been killed and many others wounded.

(ST)