Sudan: Sorry Tale of Darfur’s Helicopters

More than a year after the deployment of the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID), the UN is still begging the international community for the helicopters the peacekeepers need to do their jobs.In an interview ahead of UNAMID’s deployment, its commander, General Martin L. Agwai of Nigeria, said he needed a minimum of 18 utility helicopters to carry out his mission successfully.

Sudan: Africa Urges Suspension of Bashir Arrest Warrant

African and Arab governments are expected to press the United Nations Security Council to defer the indictment of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes charges on the grounds that it could disrupt peace processes in the country.The current president of the council, Japanese ambassador Yukio Takasu, confirmed to UN correspondents in New York on Wednesday that a meeting was being arranged between the council and a delegation from the African Union and the Arab League for Thursday.

Sudan: UN Chief Warns Govt Over Indictment

United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon has warned the Sudanese government against harming UN peacekeepers if the International Criminal Court (ICC) decides to indict President Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide and war crimes arising out of the war in Darfur.Amid speculation that the ICC’s decision is imminent, Ban told a news conference in New York on Tuesday that it was “very important” for Bashir and his government “to react very responsibly and ensure the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeepers, and protect the human rights of all the population…”According to a transcript of the news conference released by the UN, Ban said he had discussed the implications of the ICC’s action with Bashir at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa. Ban stressed that he had no control over the ICC, but added that Bashir “should fully cooperate with whatever decisions that the ICC makes. This is a very important fundamental principle…”

Sudan: Darfur – UN Helicopter Draws Fire in North, Displacement Continues in South

The United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said that unknown assailants fired today on one of its helicopters near its headquarters in El Fasher, which late last month experienced several days of renewed clashed between Government and rebel forces.The Mi-8 helicopter, which was fired upon while on a food supply mission approximately 70 kilometres southwest of El Fasher, located in the northern part of the strife-torn region of Sudan, returned safely to base, according to UNAMID.

Sudan: Rebel Group Withdraws From South Darfur, Says UN

The leader of an armed group involved in recent combat in the South Darfur region of Sudan has pulled his militia out of the conflict zone as a result of the decision made by the hybrid African Union (AU) and United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to stay and protect civilians in the area.There have been renewed clashes since last month in Muhajeria involving the Government of Sudan and the rebel groups known as the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Army/Mini Minawi (SLA/MM).The fighting in Muhajeria has exposed about 30,000 people to previously unseen levels of violence, destroyed an aid agency’s office and forced the UN to relocate its staff.

Sudan: Senior UN Official Appeals to All Militia in Darfur to End Fighting and Begin Talks

The chief of the joint United Nations-African Union effort to bring peace to Darfur today urged all armed forces in the region to put down their weapons and engage in peace negotiations.Djibril Yipènè Bassolé, the Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur, called on rival factions on the western flank of the Sudan “to consult each other and to work together to create the conditions for peace negotiations, to help resolve the crisis and alleviate the suffering of Darfurians.”Over the past five years in Darfur around 300,000 people are estimated to have been killed, either through direct combat or a result of disease, malnutrition or reduced life expectancy, while 2.7 million others have had to flee their homes.

Africa: New Nile Pact Stalled

Kampala — Ten years of negotiations over a new protocol governing shared use of the Nile River are hanging in the balance, with Egypt and Sudan refusing to give up their present power over how much water is used by countries further upstream.The current agreement prohibits countries downstream from using Nile waters beyond an agreed curve, and gives Egypt powers to monitor the flow at key points.”The technocrats had worked out all the paper work for a good protocol but the politicians have thrown a clean piece of cloth in the mud,” says Professor Afuna Aduula, chair of the Nile Basin Discourse Forum, a consortium of civil society organisations looking at issues along the world’s longest river.

Sudan: Country in Danger of Splitting, Warns Report

Southern Sudan might break away from the north if the “troubled relationship” between Sudan’s dominant centre and regions on its periphery are not resolved, a new report has warned.The report, written by Edward Thomas for the British policy think-tank, Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs), assesses the implementation of Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended 20 years of war between the central government in Khartoum and forces in Southern Sudan.

Shortlist for Africa’s best player out

The Confederation of Africa Football has unveiled the shortlists for the Glo-CAF Awards 2008. CAF Director of Communications, Sulemana Habuba also announced innovations in the event with the aim of making it prestigious. The Media and Technical Committees nominated the shortlists for the two awards.The innovation Habuba said had led to the creation of the Glo-CAF Best Player on the Continent and the Glo-CAF Best Player across the World, according to cafonline.

Museveni: Africa can solve food crisis

Africa has sufficient agricultural potential to become a food basket for the whole world, President Museveni of Uganda said. He said the continent could solve the current food crisis if the relevant production interventions are undertaken during the launch of the P4P at the United Nations.Purchase 4 Progress (P4P) is an initiative of the World Food Programme (WFP) which aims at transforming the way WFP purchases food in developing countries by giving priority to small scale farmers to sell their surplus produce to WFP at competitive prices while giving the food to those who have little or no food at all.According to a press release from the state house in Uganda, the programme which will initially target 21 countries, Uganda inclusive, aims at helping farmers to earn reasonable income and predictable market for their produce. It will initially target 350,000 households over a period of 5 years.The WFP is supported by the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation and the Howard G. Buffet Foundation.President Museveni launched the programme jointly with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Rwandese President Paul Kagame and the WFP Executive Director Mrs. Josette Sheeran.President Museveni said that 67% of the farmers in Sub-Sahara Africa have been practicing subsistence agriculture and not fully utilizing the region’s agricultural potential. He said that with the current food shortage in the world, it was time for African farmers to engage in commercialized agriculture and produce food beyond their subsistence needs. He, however, noted that interventions in terms of irrigation, the use of fertilizers and other forms of modern agricultural practices need to be emphasized to enable the region produce optimally.Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete welcomed the programme saying that it would help unlock the potential of farmers in rural Africa since they will be assured of the market for their produce. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda lauded WFP for its support to his country. He said that the organization has responded to the feeding needs of over 54,000 people in Rwanda. He also hailed their support through the School Feeding Programme and welcomed the Purchase 4 Progress Programme saying it was an appropriate intervention.Ms. Josette Sheeran, the Executive Director of WFP, said that in addition to purchasing their produce, WFP would facilitate farmers with modern farm inputs, equip them with modern agricultural skills to boost the quality and quantity of their output.Mr. Bill Gates and Mr. Howard Buffet said they were committed to helping farmers in the developing world to better their incomes because they constitute a large part of the poorest of the poor in the world. They said that they committed their organizations to supporting Purchase 4 Progress Programme because its objectives are in line with the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.