Port Sudan Massacre - BC Press Release

This photo not part of the press release [below.] Photo portrays a man in a hospital [morgue?] on January 29, 2005.

 

Contents of press release.

 The Beja Congress demands the trial of the Port Sudan massacre and Condemns the violation of Human rights in Sudan

In a demonstration before the Sudanese Embassy in Washington DC

Today Friday Jan. 29^th   2010  the Baja people of Eastern Sudan, from the United States and Canada ,  joined by Sudanese human right activist from all parts of Sudan in the US to demonstrate and commemorate the Port Sudan Massacre against Baja people and demand Justice and accountability  

We, members of the Beja congress, the political party of the Beja people of north eastern Sudan , appeal to the international community and to all human rights organizations to support all efforts to bring the Port Sudan massacre criminals to the international court.

On the 29^th January 2005 the Beja people organized a peaceful demonstration carrying a petition demanding the end of their marginalization, democracy, development, and an end to the armed confrontation at the eastern border through peaceful negotiations. Instead of accepting the petition the government forces came and shot down 21, injured several hundred and arrested many of the demonstrators. This is the first time in the history of Sudan that such a brutality occurred to peaceful demonstrators. The killing of the ethnic Beja youth was their target.

We consider this reaction a grave violation to the basic human rights and an act of racial discrimination. The criminals have never been questioned. They hold top posts in the government in Khartoum . We strongly demand the arrest of the criminals and their trial by the international criminal court. As it is evident in Darfur war crimes, there is no possibility to process such cases in Sudan . The international community is requested to help to bring the criminals to justice. They should not go unpunished.

Further, we condemns the recent arrest of political opposition leaders in Port Sudan and in other parts of our country and demand freedom of expression and demonstration to all political parties and the carrying out of free elections by implementing the rules of democracy and recognition of the basic human rights.

Beja Congress , USA & Canada Chapter

For more information please contact

Mr. Ibrahim T.  Ahmed,   Email: -     adrob215@yahoo.com

Sourced from  sudaneseonline.com

UPDATE: Feb 1, 2010. Report by an eyewitness describes the demonstration outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington DC.
http://blogfordarfur.org/archives/2879

Gold discovered in the Nubian Desert

 The Jordanian paper Al Rai reported in October, 2009 that a local company had discovered gold in commercial quantities in the Nubian Desert.

Brinsley Enterprises said it has has explored more than 15 sites that contain gold and precious metals on its 15,000 square kilometers in its concession area in Sudan. Brinsley has discovered 7.5 tons of gold in one site in the early exploration stage.

A follow-up report by Reuters, compiled from Sudanese news sources on January 19, 2010  states that commercial production will begin in the middle of 2011. Other sites may provide a further 10-15 tonnes of gold.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1048813

A December report by Al Jazeera includes a video clip describing gold mining done by hand by prospectors.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/12/2009121514441113917.html
 Also on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj97GAVQ9VU
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Fed government seeks United Nations aid

Sudan Government has called on the UNHCR to assist in confronting the challenge of growing number of refugees who continue to pour into eastern Sudan from Eritrea and Somalia, local dailies report. Reportedly, refugees’ camps in eastern Sudan have encountered an acute shortage of food and deterioration of health situation due to the failure of donors to honour their pledges.

UNMIS Media Monitoring Report. January 17, 2010.

Donor Conference set for March 2010

A conference based in Kuwait has been scheduled for March 2010. It is for the reconstruction of East Sudan, and donors are expected to attend. A donor conference was envisioned by Eastern Front negotiators like Amna Dirar, even before the ESPA was signed in November 2006.

Abu Obeida Duj is the Secretary General of the Fund for Support to Rehabilitation in East Sudan. He said that intensive diplomatic work will be required over the next two months so as to receive the contributions of the donor countries.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article33734

COMMENT. The 2006 ESPA stipulated that funds of $100 million per year were to be appropriated for reconstruction in east Sudan among the Beja and Rashaida tribes. This money from the central government has not been paid out... Yet here we have a conference seeking fundings.

Sadly, the Sudan Tribune article does not make key details clear: Is the "Fund for Support to Rehabilitation in East Sudan" an initiative of the Beja Congress or Rashaida Free Lions? Who are the donors [donor countries?] - they are already identified to someone, since they claim Kuwait is a "friendly" country. Does that imply that some donors and recipients think Sudan is not a "friendly" country? Have projects been identified that the money will be spent on?

We await positive developments, since any project that serves to make Beja life better is a good thing.

UPDATE January 18, 2010. Comments by Ibrahim Ahmed on this article at the Sudan Tribune point out that Kuwait is an Arab state, and the federal government in Sudan has an Arab power base, and that there is a plan of Arabization for the East of Sudan. Thus, money from Arab states will serve to further marginalize the Beja people by creating a region that is beholden to Arab funders. The Rashaida tribe, which is Arab in origin, can be readily supported with these funds.

Read the comments here.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article33734#forum73048

Beja Congress leader unhappy with UN sanctions

On December 23 2009, the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions against Eritrea because of its support for armed groups which are destabilizing Somalia. The resolution was introduced by the United States. Voting was 13 for, one against and one abstention.

Weapons sales to and from Eritrea were banned. Travel restrictions on the country's political and military leadership were imposed and and their assets were frozen.

A UN radio article about the sanction is here
http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/88025.html

About two weeks later, a joint meeting between the Eritrean Community in Sudan and the Eritrean-Sudanese Friendship Association was held. They denounced the sanction, proclaiming it unjust and without substance. A number of prominent politicians including Beja Congress leader Mussa Ahmed Mussa and Minister of Tourism in the Sudanese Red Sea Zone, Mr. Abdalla Kona said the resolution should be rejected.

The report of the meeting is here at the Eritrean Ministry of Information web site www.shabait.com
http://bit.ly/6jwA6O

British House of Lords speak about Sudan

On January 7, 2010, the British House of Lords (the upper house) listened to various members for two hours on a debate initiated by Baroness Cox, who has a longstanding interest in the well being of Sudan. The debate served to get on record the latest information about the situation in Sudan; one of the government ministers is going to visit Sudan.

Our interest here at Adroub.net is to note that they briefly mentioned the plight of the Beja people.

Baroness Cox said,

Other marginalised peoples continue to suffer humanitarian crises. For example, the plight of the Beja people in eastern Sudan remains so serious that the southern Sudanese, whose own predicament is dire, undertook an investigation and claimed that the Beja people's plight is even worse than their own. Can the Minister say whether EU and DfID funding therefore includes appropriate weighting to provide essential assistance to those all too often forgotten people in the marginalised areas?

On the eve of the anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Treaty, the speakers reviewed many issues facing the south, the coming election, the need for roads and development and education, the impact of the Lords Resistance Army, the role of the church and the referendum of 2011.

This debate can provide you with an active understanding of what is going on in Sudan now. It's fairly long, but an excellent backgrounder.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2010-01-07a.212.0

National Elections - List of political parties

NCP - National Congress Party
The leading party in the current national government which is called the Government of National Unity. [GNU], led by President Omer Al-Bashir.
Presidential Candidate for April 2010 elections: President Omer Al-Bashir

DUP - Democratic Unionist party
Led by Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani
Presidential Candidate for April 2010 elections: Hatem Al-Sir, a party spokesman. Some early reports had suggested that this party would endorse Al-Bashir.

SPLM - Sudan People Liberation Movement
led by Salva Kiir Mayardit, currently First Vice President in the GNU. He is also the President of the regional Government of South Sudan [GoSS]. He will be running for this role again.
This party is made of southerners.
Presidential Candidate for April 2010 elections:  Yassir Saeed Arman is a northerner, married to a Dinka woman, former law student, former member of National Democratic Front, and frequent spokesman for the SPLM, and later the NDA.

PCP - Popular Congress Party
led by Hassan Al-Turabi (Islamic cleric)
Presidential Candidate for April 2010 elections:  Abdulla Deng Nhial
   Abdulla Deng Nhial is from the Dinka tribe, the largest tribe in the south. He was a professor at Juba University in the 1980s. After the 1989 coup when Bashir gained power, Nhial was a minister for peace and reconstruction, and Governor of White Nile State from 1994 -1999[?]. He is currently the Party Deputy for the PCP. This is an Islamist party.

Umma Party  [URRP]- Umma Reform and Renewal Party
led by: former Prime Minister (1986-89) Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi
Presidential Candidate for April 2010 elections: Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi
  Candidate Al-Mahdi is described as party leader.

Other minority parties...
Sudanese Communist party
Umma National Party

UPDATE. Feb 1, complete list from  Sudan Tribune website 30/1/10
The official presidential runners include Omer Hassan Al-Bashir (National Congress Party); Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi (Umma Party); Hatem Al-Sir (Democratic Unionist Party); Yasir Arman (Sudan People Liberation Movement); Abdullah Deng Nhial (Popular Congress Party); Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud (Sudanese Communist Party); Mubarak Al-Fadil (Umma Reform and Renewal Party); Abdel-Aziz Khalid (Sudan Alliance Forces); Kamil Al-Tayib Idriss (Independent); Ahmed Goha (Independent).

However, the commission rejected three presidential candidates including a female saying they did not meet the statutorily requirements such as gathering a specific number of signatures in a certain number of states.

Munir Sheik Al-Deen (The New National Democratic Party); Fatima Abdel-Mahmood (The Socialist Democratic Union); Abdullah Aki Ibrahim (Independent) were disqualified.

= = = = = =
SOUTH  Sudan elections
Two parties are contesting the leadership and governance of South Sudan. If South Sudan votes in the 2011 referendum to separate or become semi-autonomous, then the party and leader will become the defacto rulers of South Sudan.

1. SPLM. Currently the existing governing party is South Sudan.
Candidate for president of GoSS: Salva Kiir Mayardit, currently First Vice President in the GNU. He is also currently the President of the regional Government of South Sudan [GoSS] ie. the incumbent. Eligibility is at risk because he remains an officer in the SPLA, though recent legislation forbids soldiers from also being politicians.

2. SPLM-DC. newly formed breakaway southern group- (resistance to its creation Jan 2010)
Candidate for president of GoSS: Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin

UPDATED on January 18, and January 25.

Limited rain in East Africa causes drought

Rainfall has been very limited in East Africa this year. The United Nations and aid agencies are calling for funds to prevent starvation among people in southern Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Malnutrition rates are up, cholera has been reported, millions of animals have died. A map created by Oxfam shows how little rainfall there is compared to normal amounts.
In the north of this map, the little rain may not be so problematic since rains were adequate earlier this year.
http://bit.ly/7DGZTp
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Analysis. Will the south vote to leave?

Various news reports examine the rising tensions in the south, and the upcoming referendum in 2011.
The Sudanese government passed a bill that appears to reserve the right to allow the south to proclaim its own independence.

Here's the key quote:

Meanwhile, the parliament endorsed in its evening session the referendum draft law of south Sudan for the year 2009 in the general feature stage.

Parliament speaker affirmed the importance of the said law indicating that the application not an easy thing calling for enlightening the southerners with regard to the said law.

Ghazi Salahuddin affirmed that the secession will have its impacts on the region saying that we are looking for the unity of all Africa and not the unity of Sudan only.

He said that the said the referendum is a national affair affirming that there are procedures required for secession indicating that it should be recognized by the mother state with accordance to the international law. 

http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=52304

Other recent articles in the media.
From World Net Daily
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=119536

From All Africa
http://allafrica.com/stories/200912110916.html

Analysis: Sudan - Preventing Implosion

Sudan is sliding towards violent breakup. The main mechanisms to end conflicts between the central government and the peripheries – the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Darfur Peace Agreement and the East Sudan Peace Agreement – all suffer from lack of implementation, largely due to the intransigence of the National Congress Party (NCP)....

 http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6438&l=1

The Government of South Sudan now has their own website.
http://www.goss.org/

Eastern Front members walk out of parliament

The Beja Congress members walked out of parliament to abstain from voting on a National Security Act of 2009 that gives greater powers of arrest to authorities. Other minority groups in parliament like the SPLM and Darfur Peace Faction also walked out. They held a press conference explaining their decision to boycott the voting.

http://www.radiodabanga.org/?p=7903
[Officially there are no members of the Beja Congress in parliament. Instead they are considered members of the Eastern Front, which is a joint party of both Beja and Rashaida tribesmen. Most members of the Eastern Front acting in parliament are from the Beja tribe, though.]

More details here:
 
http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=52304
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article33534 
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OT. Brief business analysis of goat herding in Mongolia

Off Topic. Low prices for cashmere wool cause herders to raise more goats to fill up the lower income. More goats consume more grass, and their greater numbers break the fragile soil crust, which increases the dusty sand in the area, which reduces the plants and grass. Compound this with an extended multi-year drought. Some scientists think the rivers and lakes have disappeared because of the lack of rain, but also the lack of rivers and lakes may make the rain less frequent.

It's a complex system that may be spiralling out of control. But what can one farmer do?

Find it in the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/global/08iht-rbogcash.html?_r=2

Sourced on December 14, 2009 from
http://ilriclippings.wordpress.com/
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OT. Wild camels invade Australian town

Off Topic News. Reported in late November, the small Australian town of Docker River has been invaded by about 6,000 camels looking for water, because of a regional drought. People are afraid to go outside because of the large animals. They arrived over the course of a few weeks, and have been wrecking fences in their search for water. The government has authorized a hunt from helicopter, which will allow hundreds of these animals to be shot. Their bodies will be allowed to rot in the countryside. Some animal rights groups are protesting this cull.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34167067/ns/world_news-world_environment/

Camels were imported into Australia in the 1800s, and there are an estimated 1,000,000 wild camels in the outback.

Some Australian farmers raise camels and race them. Here's a video slideshow [about 25 pics] and radio interview with a small Australian woman who is a camel jockey.
http://www.theworld.org/2009/12/07/audio-slideshow-camel-races-in-australia/
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Beja Congress leader stopped at border

Beja Congress leader and Presidential Advisor Musa Ahmed was stopped at the Sudanese-Egyptian border when he tried to go into the Halaib region to “assert the sovereignty over the [Halayeb] triangle and inspect the situation of the people and provide moral and financial support to the members of the Sudanese army unit trapped inside since the [Egyptian] occupation began”

The Sudan Tribune has the source article. Read it now.
http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article33415

COMMENT: This is a very strong statement by Egypt. They have prevented an authorized representative of the Sudanese government access to land claimed by Sudan. Mind you, if they are holding some soldiers as 'defacto' prisoners, the Egyptians have already made a strong statement of land ownership. See posts below for more info about the dispute over the Halaib Triangle.

UPDATE- December 17.
Beja Conference [sic] welcomes arbitration on Halaib Sudanese Beja Conference [A Sudanese political party from the eastern region of Sudan] announced that it welcomed the transfer of the dispute on Halaib between Egypt and Sudan to the International Court of Arbitration, in order to settle the issue. Chairman of the Party, Abdullah Mousa commended Egypt on accepting to address the issue through legal channels. He also urged the Sudanese government to respect political and geographical borders. (The Democrat)
http://sudan.usembassy.gov/media/morning-news-pdf/mn_20091217.pdf

Tour the border lines between Egypt and Sudan

Google Sightseeing reviews the odd borderline between Egypt and Sudan in a recent blog entry. They explain some background, and note that there is a border post on the 22°N latitude line, but not on the administrative border.

Have a look.

http://googlesightseeing.com/2009/11/17/bir-tawil-triangle/

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