Elections Quiz - Take the test today!!

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Can you get inside the head of the Beja Congress? Think you know their responses to 30 key issues in Sudan? What do you want to see happen?

Go ahead. Try the quiz. See which party your answers best match. And you can click through on the results page to discover what each party thinks for each question - compare your answers!!
Very nicely done.

Mind you I've come across some people [at skyscraper city, where I found this link] who have laughed at the policy answers, since they believe the parties would give any answer, and if elected, would do what they want...

http://www.electionnaire.com/index2.php
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Election violence - Beja Congress supporters attacked

Al-Sahafa reports that bloody clashes erupted yesterday between a group loyal to Presidential Assistant Musa Mohamed Ahmed and militias loyal to the NCP leader Suleiman Ali Beetai of Hamishureib [Hamishkoreb] Religious Schools. Seven of the Beja Congress’ supporters were wounded, one seriously.

Beja Congress Party spokesperson Salah Barkuein said a delegation from the party visited “Talkuk” area for elections campaigning but they were ambushed by the Beitai’s militias commanded by his son Mahmoud Beitai, SAF captain.

COMMENT: What we have here is a failure to understand the democratic process. This process is supposed to work because everyone has an opportunity for free speech, to say what they want. Decisions about what people say are made at the ballot box. The Beja Congress team was there to do some elections campaigning. Good for them. However, a military man loyal to the political party that is also the current governmental party has decided that alternative voices calling for alternative policies are unwelcome, and further, that these unwelcome voices need to be silenced through physical intimidation.

This brings shame upon the NCP, and might actually increase the desire to hear the Beja Congress policies, if they are so threatening to the current regime.

Telkuk is in Red Sea State, about 60 km southeast of Tokar, and about 20 km from the Eritrean border.

Source UNMIS media report, Feb 23, 2010

UPDATE [from Feb 24 UNMIS media report] It turns out that four of the Beja Congress fellows who were attacked were candidates!!

"Kassala says security measures to prevent poll-related incidents
The Kassala State High Elections Committee has downplayed a recent attack by NCPsupporters on four Beja Congress candidates in the state, reports Akhir Lahza. The headof theState Security Committee, Mohamed Abdelmoneim, described the incident as “normal”. He said his committee took measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents."

UPDATE : March21. Beja Congress releases Press Release railing against election vilolence.
The Beja Congress calls upon all national parties, and all the forces of democracy and civil society organizations to join together and unite ... to topple ... darkness and tyranny and arrogance ..., and [to develop] the construction of united democratic Sudan enjoy the freedom and human dignity, prosperity and stability ...
Source http://sudannewseast-begaor.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post_21.html

Flights launched between Port Sudan and Asmara, Eritrea

 Last Thursday (Feb. 18, 2010) the Red Sea state governor, Dr. Mohammed Tahir Ella, and the Sudan Airways general manager inaugurated a new flight connecting Port Sudan with Asmara.
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Kassala State is the poorest in Sudan, says UN

18 February 2010 - (Kassala) - The United Nations Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, says Kassala state is one the poorest states in Sudan because it has been neglected by both the government and the international community.

In an interview with SRS in Kassala town on Wednesday, the Head of UNHCR’s Kassala office, Dr. Mohamed Dualeh explains why he thinks Kassala is the poorest state in Sudan.
[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Kassala state is one of the poorest in Sudan. It is poorer than some parts of Darfur and a lot of the south. But, if you look at all the indicators, it is a neglected part of the country. Neglected by the international community, neglected by the UN, neglected by UN agencies, there was little aid coming in as a peace dividend after the signing of the Eastern Peace Agreement. Therefore, I think there is no justification now not to provide the assistance the east needs. We are waiting to see it happen. Not just words, but action. Action from the UN, action from the donors, and action from the government.”
Dr. Dualeh describes the indicators that he says suggest that Kassala the poorest state in Sudan.
[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Maternal mortality is very high, child mortality is very high and illiteracy is also very high. I think 57% of people who live in Kassala state do not read and write. Unemployment is very high but at the same time, this is a border state. In the last few years the rains were very erratic, there were less rains. Therefore, there is a drought looming. If there is a failure in terms of agricultural production as well as unemployment, with all other indicators, I think we may run into emergencies in the long term unless we can prevent it now.”
Comparing life in Kassala state with life in the refugee camps, Dr. Dualeh claims that refugees in camps in Eastern Sudan receive better services than the host communities.
[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Refugees receive better services than the neighboring Sudanese villages. They receive better water systems, they receive better education, they receive better health care than the neighboring villages and I think if we want to do justice, we should be doing justice for those Sudanese living in the surrounding villages. I wish you had gone to Umgargora Refugee camp and the next village, Karkora they are identical villages. Umugargora receives everything, the other one does not receive anything. Therefore, if you want to do justice, I think we should be doing justice for the local population in the area.”
Dr. Mohamed Dualeh was talking to SRS in Kassala.
Sourced from http://www.sudanradio.org/kassala-state-poorest-sudan-unhcr
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Fish canning plant to be built on Red Sea Coast

Sudan Vision reports on Thursday Feb 11, that The Federal Ministry of Industry has announced launching of first project for fish-canning project in the region of the Red Sea. It is to be operational next May at estimated cost of $4.3million as a pilot project.

Engineer Ali Ahmed Osman, State Minister for Industry, said in a statement to Sudan Vision that the project would kick off as a result of efforts and coordination with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), affirming that the project will be extended to various regions in Sudan. Halfa Al Jedidda comes second priority, then the experience will be transferred to south Sudan as the region abounds in fish resource.
 

The state minister added that the project aims to meet the home need for fish before export, affirming that fisheries in Sudan have not seen development over the past years due to civil wars in the country.  

http://bit.ly/dct1eJ 

While we generally think of Beja as camel herders, or as labourers or marketers in urban areas or along highways, there are many Beja who fish -- sometimes using nets in shallow water, sometimes from small wooden boats.

Beja fisherman returning with nets
http://www.pbase.com/travelling_terry/image/71271280
from a longer page with more pics
http://www.pbase.com/travelling_terry/the_red_sea_sudan
this pic

A web source for news about the April elections in Sudan

http://www.sudanvotes.com/
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Beja Congress to contest elections

The Beja Congress in Kassala state has confirmed its participation in the upcoming elections at all levels. During press conference, the party’s candidate running for the state’s governorship, Salah Barakuin, said the upcoming stage needs participation of all for free and fair elections.

http://mirayafm.org/index.php/sudan/1802--beja-congress-confirms-participation-in-coming-elections

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.

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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.