Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Africa Horn

Darfur joint force denies plans to evict Sudanese army from El Fasher

2024-01-10

[SUDANTRIBUNE] A senior commander within the joint force in Darfur, comprising gangs signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement, has refuted media reports alleging that the force was preparing to remove the Sudan
Sudan

...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
ese army from the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, and hand over control of the city to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

General Abboud Adam Khater, a member of the joint force’s command and control centre and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF), told Sudan Tribune: "The claims that we intend to remove the army from El Fasher, either through peaceful means or through force, are untrue. These are merely dense rumours spread by some parties."

He further elaborated: "While there are indeed individuals within the armed movements who hope for the RSF to take control of El Fasher, this matter has not been directly discussed, and those calling for the army’s withdrawal from the city do not have the authority to dictate the joint force’s actions."

Khater emphasized the joint force’s commitment to safeguarding El Fasher, a city filled with internally displaced persons. "We have directly informed the RSF and warned them against taking any action within El Fasher," he asserted.

Earlier reports had suggested that the joint force intended to expel the Sudanese army from El Fasher, either peacefully or through military means and that it had tasked Sudan Liberation Army- Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) Commander Juma Haqqar with communicating with the army and securing a peaceful withdrawal.

Link

Africa Horn

Darfur governor urges civilians to take up arms amidst escalating violence

2023-05-30

[SUDANTRIBUNE] The governor of Darfur, leader of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), has called on citizens to defend their property against looting and theft following the outbreak of armed conflict between the government army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

In a tweet from El-Fasher, Governor Minnawi highlighted the increasing attacks on civilians and the sabotage of national institutions since the start of the fighting in Darfur.

He urged the people of Darfur to take up arms to protect their property, emphasizing that the struggle movements would support them in legitimate acts of self-defence.

Responding to the varied reactions to his call, Minnawi issued a statement clarifying that it was a response to the deteriorating security situation and widespread looting and theft, including from homes, shops, government institutions, and humanitarian organizations.

He expressed his commitment to neutrality and called for an immediate cessation of the war, urging direct dialogue for a comprehensive political solution.

Darfur gangs formed a joint force to protect civilians earlier this month.

Link

Africa Horn

Multiple Armies in Khartoum Raise Security Concerns

2021-03-22

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] The presence of several armies in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has raised security concerns among the people over what they believe may be a struggle for power between them, which will undermine the country’s democratic transition.

Khartoum hosts the regular army, the Rapid Support Forces, led by First Vice President of the Sovereign Council, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Minni Minawi’s Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and other forces that have defected from these groups.

All of these gangs freely roam Khartoum. Tensions came to a head after a clash last week between members of an gang. The police moved in to contain the unrest. Another gang, from Darfur, also seized control of the Olympic committee building, almost causing an international crisis.

No one knows the accurate number of button men and weapons in Sudan. Estimates put the figure at more than 4 million arms, which are possessed by civilians and button men. Weapons continue to pour in from neighboring countries, especially chaos-wracked Libya.

Head of the United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
Integrated Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes warned in a briefing before the Security Council that peace cannot be achieved with the presence of so many armies.

For over half a decade, the Sudanese military has always had to contend with rebellions from within its ranks. Rebel officers would then go on to form their own militias, leading to various conflicts over the years.

Sudan’s power-sharing government signed a peace agreement with key rebel groups last years, a step towards resolving deep-rooted conflicts from the long rule of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir

...Former President-for-Life of Sudan He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself head cheese. He fell out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Hee was overthrown by popular consent in 2019. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it...
.

Three major groups signed the Juba peace agreement, including factions from Darfur. But two factions with the biggest presence on the ground in Darfur and the south did not sign.

Along with the JEM, it was signed by the SLA, from Darfur, and by Malik Agar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), from the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

One major SPLM-N faction, and an SLA faction led by Abdel Wahed el-Nur, did not.

Security expert Mohammed al-Amin Ismail al-Majzoub noted a flaw in the peace agreement, saying its security arrangements cover all forces and militias that were inherited by the transitional government from the former regime. It did not, however, specify the number of forces included in the merger of groups.

"The devil lies in the details," he added, noting that the agreement was vague in how it should be implemented.

He denied that the ruling authorities were concerned about the deployment of these forces in Khartoum, warning, however, that they cannot rule out the possibility of festivities erupting between.

"We have seen security shortcomings in Khartoum, which used to be among the safest capitals in the world," he remarked. "The authorities are not concerned that these armies would seek to seize power, but rather they fear that they would become embroiled in festivities with the regular forces."

He therefore urged the need for the security and defense council to meet to determine the numbers of these forces and kick off security arrangements, even if the financial means for them are not yet available.

Link

Africa Horn

Localized violence continues in Darfur despite regime change: UN sanctions committee

2019-10-07

[Sudan Tribune] The U.N. Security Council’s Sudan sanctions committee said localized violence and festivities continued in Darfur region despite the regime change in the country.

Joanna Wronecka the head of the sanctions committee briefed the Security Council about the activities of the panel of experts on the security situation in Darfur as they submit their report about the period between 22 June and 27 September.

"The security situation in Darfur (...) was characterized by inter-communal skirmishes, militia attacks on civilians, tensions in camps for internally displaced persons and other localized security incidents, but no large scale outbreaks of violence," said the UN spokesperson in a statement released after the meeting last on Thursday.

Wronecka told the informational consultations meeting that the three months period witnessed festivities between Sudanese security forces, allied militias and th the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdel Wahid (SLA-AW).

Also, there were fighting between the groups of the SLA-AW itself, and attacks against the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
-United Nations
...boodling on the grand scale...
Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and humanitarian agencies, she further said.

The holdout rebel group continues to reject peace talks with the new government saying that the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the army stole the revolution and asks for a referendum on their legitimacy before to engage in peace negotiations.

All the other gangs in Darfur region, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states are expected to begin talks with the transitional government in the South Sudanese capital Juba on 14 October 2019.

She said the panel documented violations of international humanitarian law and human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
abuses, rape and sexual violence against communities in Darfur, including internally displaced persons.

Link

Africa North

Khalifa Haftar reaches out to Sudan’s Minni Minawi rebel group to hire more mercenaries

2018-05-29

[Libya Observer] The Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) revealed Saturday that the commander of Libya’s Dignity Operation forces, Khalifa Haftar

...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
, had sent a committee of his military aides to meet with the leaders of Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi in order to resolve the recent disputes between the two sides and to discuss increasing the number of fighters of the rebel group in Libya.

The Sudanese news website confirmed that it was able to obtain official letters that were sent between the military aides of Haftar and the leaders of the rebel movement, stating that the two sides have met to resolve the differences related to increasing support to the movement.

The source added that the two sides reached an agreement on a number of proposals; the most important one was increasing the number of Minawi rebels in Libya to more than 1000 fighters.

According to the SMC, Minni Minawi rebels are now present in Libya. In Zalla there are 450 rebels and 88 military vehicles, in Jufra there are 28 rebels and 37 military vehicles, and in Rebiana there are 90 rebels and 26 military vehicles.

Link

Africa North

6 LNA soldiers die in Jaghboub Oasis

2018-01-17

Tunis, 16 January 2018:

Sudanese rebels killed six Libyan National Army (LNA) soldiers and captured another yesterday near to the Jaghboub Oasis, close to the Egyptian border.

Initially it was thought the so-called Islamic State was the attacker, but now it is understood the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were culpable.

The seven soldiers were part of the LNA’s 106 and 501 desert patrol brigades, and effectively border guards. The six bodies were found rotting in the desert and the other LNA fighter is missing, presumed abducted.

They were named as Ibrahim Al-Barasi and Salah Al-Barasi from Beida, Muftah Al-Barasi from Marawa, Nasser Al-Qut’ani and Saqur Al-Qut’ani from Um Al-Rizim. The identity of the final dead LNA soldier is unconfirmed and Hisham Al-Barasi from Beida is the missing member.

In late October 2016, 13 members of JEM were killed near Jaghboub in clashes with a Kufra-based Salafist brigade supportive of the LNA.

On 23 September 2016, six Libyans were kidnapped south of Jaghboub by JEM while they were on a bird-hunting tour. Initially, JEM demanded LD 2 million but this was negotiated down to half a million LD.

JEM are typically described as mercenaries, willing to work with anyone who will pay them and let their group move freely. However, pictures have emerged of JEM fighters with notable figures in the Islamist-led Benghazi Defence Brigades including a senior commander nicknamed Al Nahla or ‘the bee”. Others are seen as supportive of the LNA.

It has also been rumoured that JEM were in the Wershefana area alongside pro-Qaddafi fighters.

The UN Libya Experts Panel final report presented to the Security Council in June 2017 revealed an immense presence of foreign groups who contributed to an escalation of violence in the country. This included JEM and the Sudan Liberation Army. Also noted were Chadian groups such as the Front pour l’alternance et la concorde au Tchad (FACT), Conseil de Commandement Militaire Pour le Salut de la Republique (CCMSR) and Rassemblement des forces democratiques (RFC).

Link

Africa Horn

Sudan Rebels Suspend Peace Talks after Chemical Attack Claims

2016-10-22

[An Nahar] A prominent Sudanese rebel group said on Friday it was suspending peace talks with Khartoum after a rights group accused government forces of using chemical weapons against civilians in war-torn Darfur.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North, which is fighting government troops in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, this summer signed a roadmap brokered by African mediators to end conflict in the two states.

But on Friday the SPLM-N said it would suspend talks with Khartoum after ~~Amnesia~~ Amnesty International accused government forces of unleashing chemical weapons on civilians in Darfur state this year, killing up to 250 people.

Urging an investigation into the suspected attacks, the rebel group in a statement announced an "immediate suspension of political engagement with the Sudan government on all political matters, including national dialogue and peace negotiations."

It said Amnesty's report showed a "new dimension to the genocidal war in Sudan, and as such, the people of Sudan, the regional and the international community should take it seriously."

The signing of the roadmap by SPLM-N along with two other rebel groups in August had raised hopes for a permanent ceasefire to be negotiated and humanitarian aid

to be delivered in Sudan's three conflict areas.

While SPLM-N is fighting in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, two other rebel groups -- the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Army faction headed by Minni Minnawi -- are fighting government forces in Darfur.

Link

Africa Horn

Governor in Sudan's Darfur Survives Ambush

2014-03-17

[An Nahar] The governor of Sudan's troubled North Darfur state has survived an ambush after visiting a town briefly seized by rebels, a source familiar with the incident said Sunday.

"He's OK," the source told Agence La Belle France Presse after the Saturday attack against North Darfur governor Osman Kbir, which was the latest sign of instability in the region.

It came while he was returning to the state capital El Fasher after assessing the situation in Mellit town, more than 50 kilometers (30 miles) north, said the source, who asked for anonymity.

There was no indication of who carried out the ambush.

The state-linked Sudanese Media Center (SMC) reported that Kbir, accompanied by a legislative and security delegation, had visited the area but the report made no mention of an attack.

SMC is close to Sudan's security apparatus.

The official SUNA news agency on Saturday quoted Kbir as saying Mellit was "fully under control of the armed forces" after the attack by krazed killers.

Minni Minnawi, who heads a faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, told AFP on Thursday that his forces had captured the town.

It was the fourth major outbreak of violence in Darfur since late February, with rebels attacking an area in the southeast and another uprising erupting in the far west, where local sources said militia loyal to Musa Hilal took control of Saraf Omra town.

Even before the Mellit incident, about 115,000 people had been displaced by violence in North Darfur and in South Darfur, according to the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
.

International peacekeepers said "a number of military and civilian casualties" were reported after last week's attack against a Sudanese military base in Mellit.

According to the source familiar with the incident there were "heavy losses" among paramilitary forces, but he did not have an exact number.

Minnawi claimed to have killed several dozen government troops but Governor Kbir said it was the rebels who suffered heavy casualties.

The African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which has a base outside Mellit, said it treated several victims, one of whom died from injuries.

Link

Africa Horn

'Dozens' of Casualties in Darfur Rebel Ambush

2013-11-08

[An Nahar] Dozens of government troops have been killed during a rebel ambush in Sudan's Darfur, a regional analyst said on Thursday, confirming an unusually high toll for the troubled region.

There were "huge" casualties on the government side, numbering in the "dozens", although exact figures were unclear, the analyst told Agence La Belle France Presse on condition of anonymity.

Rebels were also killed, though in lesser numbers, he added.

The Minni Minnawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, and the Sudanese military, both said a clash occurred last Sunday about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

"We killed 200 regime troops," said Abdullah Moursal, front man for the Minnawi faction.

He also said rebels seized about two dozen vehicles from government forces in the battle a few kilometers outside Tabit town.

"Yes, they tried to ambush a SAF convoy but we defeated them, and the convoy continued on its journey," said Sawarmi Khaled Saad, the Sudan Armed Forces front man.

He said he had no details on casualties.

Death tolls in the dozens, or even higher, are more common during Darfur's inter-ethnic militia fighting rather than government-rebel festivities.

The inter-ethnic tribal fighting, mostly involving Arab groups, has been the main cause of an upsurge of violence in Sudan's far-west Darfur region this year.

The Sudan Liberation Army and other non-Arab rebels have been battling the government for 10 years in Darfur.

The conflict was sparked by what they considered domination of Sudan's power and wealth by Arab elites.

In the latest tribal fighting, more than 20 people died on October 27 when the Misseriya and Salamat tribes clashed near Mukjar town in Central Darfur, the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Thursday in its latest weekly bulletin.

The Salamat and Misseriya have been fighting on-and-off for months, with more than 170 people killed, according to reports received by the United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
Two peace agreements during that time have failed to halt the tit-for-tat violence.

"Fighting between the Salamat and Misseriya tribes continues to be a major security concern in the localities of Umm Dukhun, Mukjar and Bindisi in Central Darfur," OCHA said in its bulletin.

Link

Africa North

Sudan Rebels Claim Clash in Strategic Region

2013-07-28

[AnNahar] Sudanese rebels clashed with government forces on Saturday for the second time this week in the strategic South-North Kordofan region, the snuffies said.

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Darfur-based group which is part of a wider rebel alliance seeking to topple the government, said it ambushed a convoy north of Dilling town.

The army front man could not be reached for comment.

There has been an upsurge of rebel activity since April in the South-North Kordofan boundary region, through which passes the main road link to the national capital Khartoum.

Dilling is on the route linking the South Kordofan state capital Kadugli with El Obeid, North Kordofan's capital which is home to an air force base and an oil refinery.

Residents of Dilling said they heard gunfire and kabooms coming from north of the town.

"Authorities ordered buses traveling to El Obeid to cancel their trips," one resident said, asking for anonymity because of the situation.

On Wednesday, both the JEM and the army said they had fought at Sidrah, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Dilling in North Kordofan.

That attack ended weeks of relative calm in the area.

It came as the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
and East Africa's regional bloc, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), launched a panel to probe allegations by Sudan and South Sudan that each is supporting rebels operating on the other's territory.

Because of the allegations, Khartoum has threatened to close an economically vital pipeline carrying South Sudanese oil for export.

JEM front man Gibril Adam Bilal said that after the ambush, surviving government troops fled towards Dilling where fighting continued on the town's outskirts.

He said six government troops were killed, but analysts say casualty figures from either side in the war should be treated with caution.

The rebels also took some prisoners, Bilal said.

The JEM and two factions of the Sudan Liberation Army in Darfur belong to the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), an alliance with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), a group which has been fighting for two years in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

SPLM-N front man Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said his forces were in the Dilling area but he could not immediately confirm that they joined Saturday's fighting.

The latest incident is a follow-up to the Sidrah battle earlier in the week as rebels seek to sever key logistical routes in the area, a regional analyst said.

Those routes include the road to Kadugli and the stretch from El Obeid to Kosti, a key point on the way to Khartoum.

The SRF rebel alliance staged its first joint operation in April, sweeping through a previously peaceful part of North Kordofan near Sidrah as part of coordinated attacks in the region.

Analysts said those rebel strikes humiliated the authorities, who took a month to retake one of the seized areas, Abu Kershola.

Link

Africa Horn

Govt Link Denied in Attack on Darfur Peacekeepers

2013-04-23

[An Nahar] A deadly attack on peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region appears to have been planned and carried out by government-linked forces, local sources in the area said on Monday, but authorities denied such a connection.

One Nigerian Blue Helmet was killed and two other peacekeepers were maimed in Friday's assault against a base of the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
-U.N. Mission (UNAMID) near Muhagiriya town in southern Darfur.

Two days earlier the Sudanese army announced it had regained control of the area from rebels.

The attack "looks like it was planned and conducted by forces aligned with the government," one source said, asking for anonymity.

Local sources said peacekeepers returned fire, killing at least one of the attackers.

Sudan's foreign ministry said on Monday that investigation confirmed "the one who did the attack and who was killed during the operation has no link with SAF troops and the incident happened before SAF troops completed their control of the area".

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) front man announced last Wednesday that troops had "liberated" Muhagiriya but rebels of the Sudan Liberation Army's Minnawi faction said they withdrew in the face of massive force.

UNAMID said its base was attacked by person or persons unknown early Friday.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is deeply sorry and condemns the killing of a peacekeeper in Muhagiriya," it said in a statement which expressed condolences to relatives of the dead peacekeeper.

It said a joint investigation is underway, supported by the army and local authorities.

"The SAF was performing its role of protecting civilians and their properties," the ministry added.

On Sunday the U.S. charge d'affaires to Sudan, Joseph Stafford, expressed grave concern "about the reports of civilian casualties and deliberate targeting of civilians by militias in Muhagiriya and Labado", a second town retaken by government forces.

Link

Africa Horn

Qatar pledges $500m in aid to rebuild Darfur

2013-04-09

DOHA Qatar pledged $500 million in aid to Sudans Darfur on Monday at a donors meeting in Doha, even as rebels launched new attacks in the troubled region scarred by a decade of conflict.

Qatar has pledged an amount of $500 million as grants and contributions for rebuilding Darfur, said the countrys Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmud. In February 2010, Qatar had promised to establish a bank with a capital of one billion dollars to develop Darfur.

Germany also pledged 60 million euros in aid

...better to Darfur than to Cyprus, I guess...

at the conference as other delegates expressed their support for development in Darfur without announcing their contributions.

Britain had on Sunday offered at least £11 million ($16.5 million) for Darfur annually over the next three years to help communities to grow food and to boost skills for employment.

Assuming the remaining rebels and the Janjawed leave everyone alone...

The latest pledges came on the second day of a meeting of representatives of donor countries and aid groups in Doha. The conference aims to endorse a strategy to rebuild Darfur, where the conflict has shocked the world with atrocities against civilians. The meeting, which drew condemnation from rebel groups still fighting the regime, was agreed under a July 2011 peace deal which Khartoum signed in the Qatari capital with an alliance of rebel splinter groups.

It seeks support for the six-year, $7.2-billion strategy to move Darfur away from food handouts and other emergency aid, and lay the foundation for lasting development through improved infrastructure. While the worst of the violence has long passed, rebel-government clashes continue along with kidnappings, carjackings and other crimes.

The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Sunday reported a fresh spate of violence. It said rebels of the Sudan Liberation Armys Minni Minnawi faction attacked and seized the towns of Muhagiriya and Labado, while several possible air strikes were also reported in the area.

The violence prompted thousands of civilians to seek protection around peacekeeping bases.

Rebels had on Saturday said they killed government troops and occupied the areas, about 100 kilometres east of the South Darfur state capital Nyala.

Some 1.4 million people have been displaced by Darfurs decade-long conflict.

Coinciding with the donors meeting, displaced people have staged demonstrations in several camps in Darfur, demanding that security take priority, with some saying they would not return to their villages until peace is restored.

Security before prosperity? What a revolutionary idea...

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