Southern Ministers Set to Rejoin Sudan Government

Southern Ministers Set to Rejoin Sudan Government
Sudan People's Liberation Movement agreed that its ministers would rejoin the government following a meeting between President Omar Bashir and Vice President Salva Kiir

The Progress Report on Darfur

Distinguished Diplomat Says Sudan Still Plagued With Prejudice
UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide, Francis Deng, says Khartoum government remains unwilling to reconcile with people of Southern Sudan

SPLM says Comprehensive Peace Agreement Remains the Only Way to a New Sudan
Analysts warn the North-South peace agreement in Sudan in danger of collapse, but former rebels say it is still the blueprint for democratic reforms

Former US Special Representative Warns about Lack of Progress on Implementation of Sudan Peace Deal
Roger Winter says Khartoum fears democratic elections

The BBC Darfur Documentary

Darfur Now

I was a refugee child during the horrible and terrible Nigerian civil war as I have recalled in my Memories of a Refugee Child, so I can tell you that the worst victims of the civil war in Sudan are the refugees in Darfur. I can relate with them as they endure the stigma and trauma of their predicament. The only people who can give the true account of the horrors and terrors of Darfur are the victims and until the victims tell their own stories as I told mine, then the truth of the wrath of the earth in Darfur would be revealed.

Film director Ted Braun, producer Cathy Schulman and activist Adam Sterling have made Darfur Now and the documentary is worth seeing.
Click on the title or photograph to view the trailer.

Letters From Darfur

I have letters from an eye-witness in Darfur in 2006.
I cannot post these letters on this blog, because they were from a senior officer with the African Union (AU) Mission. I can allow only private access to these letters for studies and seminars only.

Amnesty International Delivers Global Petition on Darfur to White House

Amnesty International Delivers Global Petition on Darfur to White House; Instant Karma Campaign Generates Close to Half a Million Signatures

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Amnesty International USA, marking United Nations Day, on Wednesday delivered to the White House a global petition with close to half a million signatures urging the Bush administration to press for deployment of the U.N. peacekeeping force to Darfur by early 2008 to urgently save lives.


The petition, signed by notables including Nobel Peace Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, rock star Michael Stipe, lead singer of R.E.M., and actor Gael Garcia Bernal, among others, was generated by "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur." The project combines the power of John Lennon's recorded by some of today's best known artists, together with cutting-edge online and mobile activism. Lennon's widow Yoko One generously granted rights to Lennon's entire songbook to Amnesty International to call attention to the urgent situation in Darfur. More than 50 musical artists are featured on a CD and music downloads, including US, Aerosmith, Green Day, Christina Aguilera, Ben Harper and others (http://www.instantkarma.org/).


With the date uncertain for the deployment of the multi-national peacekeeping force and new blocks being thrown up by the Sudanese government, Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA, and Lynn Fredriksson, advocacy director for Africa, pressed White House officials in a meeting to use their influence with key countries for the speedy deployment of the 26,000 U.N. peacekeepers.


The violence and atrocities that have befallen civilians in Darfur since 2003 have sparked new outrage internationally with recent reports of another brutal massacre in South Darfur. Witnesses told the United Nations and the African Union that government troops killed more than 30 civilians in the village of Muhagiriya, slitting the throats of several men praying at a mosque and shooting a 5-year-old boy in the back as he tried to run away.


"The viciousness of this latest attack only adds to the urgency of our message," said Cox of Amnesty International. "Are the U.S. and other key governments willing to sacrifice more lives while the deployment process moves slowly into gear? As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the United States has an obligation to use its influence to save lives now in Darfur by pushing ahead swiftly to get the peacekeepers on the ground early next year. This force is the only hope that the suffering will end."


Amnesty International warned in a report this week that the peacekeeping force approved by the U.N. Security Council is being delayed by Sudan's failure to accept the list of troop-contributing countries, and open the land assigned to the force, among other things. The report also said the international community is failing to supply urgently-needed supplies, including military helicopters.


United Nations officials estimate that more than 200,000 people have died in Darfur's conflict since 2003 and more than 2.5 million have been driven from their homes and depend on international aid to survive.


Source: Amnesty International USA

CONTACT: Ben Somberg of Amnesty International, +1-212-633-4268


Web Site: http://www.instantkarma.org/

Newsweek Interview With Gen. Martin Luther Agwai on The UN/AU Peacekeeping Crisis in Darfur

THE LAST WORD: Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, Commander of the United Nations- African Union. Last week Agwai's peacekeeping mission in Darfur suffered a serious setback when unidentified rebel forces overran an AU base. He spoke with Newsweek about the difficulties of his mission and how to be a peacekeeper where peace does not yet exist. "We are here as peacekeepers, and our job would be easier and smoother if there were a peace deal brokered for us. Unfortunately, right now, there is no peace to keep. So it has become another Herculean task to see that people are protected," he says.


Force Dejection

Newsweek International

Oct. 15, 2007 issue - Gen. Martin Luther Agwai might have the toughest job in Africa. As commander of the new joint United Nations-African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Darfur, the former head of Nigeria's armed forces will lead the 26,000-strong force that will be deployed to the region next year. His mission suffered a serious setback last Saturday when unidentified rebel forces overran an AU base at Haskanita, leaving 10 of his troops dead. NEWSWEEK's Silvia Spring spoke with Agwai by telephone from Khartoum, where he was attending a ceremony honoring the dead AU forces, about the raid, the difficulties of his mission and how to be a peacekeeper where peace does not yet exist. Excerpts:


SPRING: This week, 10 AU soldiers were killed. How did a small rebel group manage to ambush these soldiers so successfully?

AGWAI: Where did you get this idea that it was a small rebel group? And these troops were not ambushed. They were attacked. Twice. The second time a large number of rebels overwhelmed the camp. Who these rebels were, I don't know.

What are the implications for your UN-AU force?

There are no implications. Right now, I don't have control over the AU troops. When my [AU-UN] troops arrive, then we'll resolve most of these problems. We are committed to staying, and I hope other countries will still allow their troops to come.

What are you most worried about right now?

A lack of troops. We're supposed to have 20,000 troops and 6,000 policemen. As of now, we don't even know the troop contributors. To be able to perform the task that is expected of us, that is what is my biggest challenge now. The resolution itself stated that by the end of August we would know all the troop contributors, and now we are at almost the end of September, and we don't know. So you see the whole program is running behind schedule.

Whom do you blame for the delays?

It would very difficult for me to sit here and apportion blame because I don't know what is happening behind the scenes. I don't know what challenges other people are facing, and I'm only looking at this from my own perspective. I have a job to perform, and there are resources that have to be given to me. I know if the resources are available, they will be given to me. I believe there must be challenges that all the parties are facing. I just hope that we will be able to resolve and find an answer to those challenges and that the troops arrive so we can save lives and property in this part of the world.

You've warned the international community not to set its expectations too high. Why?

The resolution that created this hybrid [peacekeeping] operation is not a secret document, so many people have read that the force is to have 20,000 troops. I have had telephone calls from different organizations and individuals congratulating me that I now have 20,000 troops. Unfortunately, as you and I know now, we don't even know the troop contributors, so how can we talk about what those troops will do? Those people who are calling me will see nothing happening on the ground and feel disappointed. That is why I have already cautioned people not to expect too much because there is not much happening on the ground.

So you're saying things aren't changing fast enough?

Definitely. I am very concerned. I accepted the job because I wanted to give it my best, and I can only give it my best and be judged by the world depending on the resources available to me. And the resources are not forthcoming. They are not giving me 20,000 [troops], not to mention the equipment the troops will use, not to mention the other staff we will need in the mission. Nothing. So I am really, really concerned.

Plus, there's no peace deal yet. How can you be expected to provide security when there's no peace deal?

Lack of peace on the ground is definitely another big challenge because we are here as peacekeepers, and our job would be easier and smoother if there were a peace deal brokered for us. Unfortunately, right now, there is no peace to keep. So it has become another Herculean task to see that people are protected. We hope the talks in Libya [scheduled to start Oct. 27] result in an acceptable, comprehensive peace agreement for us and for every party involved.

So you must be feeling pretty stressed out these days.

If it were my younger days, maybe I would have been very stressed, but I have taken some courses in stress management and read a book called "Stop Stressing and Start Sleeping." Now, instead of crying over spilt milk, I look at tomorrow and what I can achieve.

© 2007 Newsweek, Inc

If what Gen. Martin Luther Agwai said is true, then I am disappointed that the UN/AU cannot prove to be capable of ending the civil war in Sudan and save the millions of refugees who are still suffering and dying daily in Darfur and the borders of Chad.
How can the UN/AU continue to blame the ruling government of Sudan for the Darfur crisis when the UN/AU cannot even provide the required troops, equipment and logistics for the joint United Nations-African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission?
I blame the UN/AU for the preventable death of the 10 AU peacekeepers that were killed by unidentified rebel forces in a surprise attack on the AU base at Haskanita on Sunday, September 30, 2007.

The fact that, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai admitted that they could not identify the rebel forces opposed to the peacekeeping mission shows that the previous AU Peacekeeping mission failed. The first assignment of any military operation in any hostile territory is reconnaissance. The intelligence observers would have gone ahead of the troops and identify the agents of the conflict, their locations, positions, conditions, supplies and their weaknesses. Then, the intelligence report will be used for the blue prints of the main operations of the peacekeeping mission.

You do not send troops to the hostile territory without knowing your enemies and allies. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai would be more informed if he contacted Mr. Jan Pronk, the former UN Envoy to Sudan, who knew all the warring antagonists in the conflicts in Sudan. Jan Pronk’s intelligence report would be very useful to the commander of the peacekeeping mission.

It is unfortunate that strategic priorities are being misplaced in the joint United Nations-African Union Hybrid Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan.

What Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Others Have Done To End The Darfur Crisis

Nigeria received more bad news from Darfur last week as seven Nigerian soldiers with the UN/AU Peace Keeping Mission were killed by one of the lawless terrorist militias.

The fact is, the only solution to the question of Darfur is to sack the oppressive regime of President, Prime Minister, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. Because, there is no democracy in Sudan, but a despotic government that continuues to violate the rule of law and tramples on the UN Charter on Human Rights.

What Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Others Have Done To End The Darfur Crisis

The most lionized Nigerian writer, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has been the most vocal African writer on the Darfur Crisis since the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) (NAS) Capoon, Andrew Obinna Onyearu addressed it in his "DARFUR: A Genocide We Can Stop" at the 9th Annual Wole Soyinka Lectures Series, held on Friday, July 14, 2006, at the Cannel View Hotel, in Calabar, seven days after I left the city. And exactly a year ago on September 20, 2006, Soyinka accused the Arab League of complicity in the genocide in Darfur in a paper he delivered in Paris at the 50th anniversary of the First Congress of Black Writers and Artists.
Soyinka said:
“It is depressing to observe the studied indifference of the Arab family to the criminality of one of its members, a nation historically placed as a cultural bridge between two races”.

“The Arab family has steadfastly refused to call Sudan to order, indeed placed obstacles in the way of sanctions.”

Soyinka accused the the rampaging Jajaweed "devil on horseback" as the “arrowhead of a state policy of ethnic cleansing,” who have a “naked language of racial incitement” with “claims of race superiority, complemented by the language of contempt and disdain for the indigenous African”.

Soyinka did not want the African Union (AU) peace keeping mission to leave Darfur, because it would be “preparing to abandon the peoples of Darfur, leaving them to the mercy of murdering, raping and burning gospellers of race doctrine”.

“When a deviant branch of that family of nations flouts, indeed revels in the abandonment of, the most basic norms of human decency, is there really justification in evoking the excuse that protocol requires the permission of that same arrogant and defiant entity?”

But like the late Nigerian dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, the head of Sudan, President, Prime Minister, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, is deaf to reason and would prefer to kiss the dust than kiss the UN Peace Keeping Force. He has only accepted a joint AU/UN hybrid support operation, because China and Russia gave him their assurance that they would protect his selfish interests in Darfur and his policy of Arabization and Islamicization. So, the AU/UN only recently got the permission of the government in Khartoum to intervene and stop the genocide in Darfur.

I had an insider in Darfur who was a senior officer in the military who corresponded with me and sent me the details of the intricate local and international political intrigues of the bloody conflicts in Darfur and I reported the crisis on The DARFUR Blog I started to join global efforts to save the millions of innocent refugees suffering and dying in Darfur. I told Jan Pronk, the former Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Sudan that my insider in Darfur was working on a book on the realities and Jan Pronk was looking forward to the book until the Sudanese Armed Forces accused Jan Pronk of "waging psychological warfare on the armed forces" and demanded his deportation after Jan Pronk published thoughts on the military defeats of the Sudanese Army in his weblog. The government in Khartoum forced the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan to recall Jan Pronk to the UN Office in New York for consultations. And later, Jan Pronk left the UN to become a Professor of Theory and Practice of International Development at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.

Another highly esteemed Nigerian writer who has become outspoken on the Darfur Crisis is Prof. Chinua Achebe.

"African nations will realize the Bantu maxim ' a human is human because of other humans,' Achebe said. And he recalled how African nations watched whilst the Rwanda holocaust occurred before their eyes.
Achebe said:
"It is said of the Jewish Holocaust that the world slept and did not know. Today, there is perhaps nowhere on earth where the crime of genocide is more glaring than in Darfur, Sudan. In that region, domestic bigotry in juxtaposition with foreign multinational oil interests has served to create a humanitarian emergency of epic proportion."

"The world community has responded to this crisis, albeit belatedly; however, much more needs to be done to address a most tragic situation. When President Bush first declared that what was happening in Sudan was genocide, one African president left his country and travelled to America to 'correct Bush' and instructed him that what was happening was rebellion against the government of Sudan."

"As hundreds of thousands perish in Darfur, it is African nations and their leaders, this time, that have become silent spectators. The African Union (AU) must play a far more central role in bringing about suitable solution to the crisis in the Darfur region. By galvanizing their resources, African nations will realize the Bantu maxim 'human is human because of other humans' which represents the African communal viewpoint."

I have noted three Nigerian writers who have stepped out of the silent crowd of the Nigerian elites to save Darfur from becoming another Rwanda, because they are worthy of emulation.

I have some classified mails from my insider whilst he was still in Darfur, but I cannot publish them, because he would prefer them to remain classified. He has decided to hold on to his dairies and publish the book later.

Chronicles of Darfur

My intelligence observer in Darfur has completed his mision and returned to Nigeria. I am going to publish his reports on the genesis of the Darfur crisis.

AMIS Civpol Monitor Shot Dead in Darfur

AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE
UNIAO AFRICANA
Headquarters Ceasefire Commission African Union Mission in SudanEl-Fasher SudanFax: +249-731-831457, e-mail: aucfc2005@yahoo.com


Press Statement

by the AU Ceasefire Commission on the killing of an AMIS Civpol monitor

The AU Ceasefire Commission is shocked by the news of the killing of an AMIS CIVPOL monitor who was shot dead today 1 February 2007 by unknown gunmen who snatched the AMIS vehicle in which the officer with two other colleagues were riding in.

The Ceasefire Commission condemns the shooting of the officer who was unarmed and performing his normal patrol duty in an IDP camp at the time.

It is to be recalled that on 10 December 2006 an AMIS military officer was abducted along with his vehicle by unknown persons and has not been found to date. Also, on 22 December 2006 and on 26 January 2007 AMIS vehicles were hijacked by unknown persons.

AMIS is calling on the perpetrators to desist from such ruthless acts and is strongly appealing to them to handover the officer unconditionally and return the vehicles they have snatched without further delay.

Once again the AU Ceasefire Commission would like to remind the perpetrators that AMIS is here to help Sudan make peace and is not part of the conflict in Darfur.


El Fasher, 1 February 2007

Urgent Appeal For Darfur

I have just received the following letter of appeal for Darfur from Maureen Byrnes, the Executive Director of Human Rights First and I want to appeal to you reading this post to join us in helping the suffering and dying refugees in Darfur.

I have been active in the global efforts to end the crisis in Darfur where over six Nigerian soldiers with the African Union (AU) Peace Keeping Force have been killled. And this made me to advise my contact in Darfur to leave by all means. He is like a brother to me. So his safety is paramount. He has been sending me eye-witness accounts of the catastrophe in Darfur and I corresponded with Jan Pronk the UN Special Envoy in Sudan. But now Maureen just informed me that Jan Pronk has been expelled by the ruling goverment in Sudan. I have some classified reports and I cannot make them public now.

Please, respond to the following appeal as I have done. More details are provided on Human Rights First.

Hello Toniyah,

Last week I sent you a message about the crisis in Darfur - and how your financial support can help people like Hawa Salih (see below). I felt compelled to reiterate how urgently we need you in this effort, especially in light of recent news from the region.

Today, Jan Pronk, the U.N.'s top official in Sudan, is leaving the Sudan after the government expelled him, saying he was an enemy of the country.

Also today the New York Times' top story reports that the fighting is at its worst in two years, with millions of refugees and displaced people caught in the middle.

Our efforts are needed more than ever. Will you please help us build peace in Darfur?

Simply click here to make an online tax-deductible donation to ensure we can respond to this crisis fully and effectively.

My sincerest thanks for being part of our efforts,

Maureen Byrnes
Executive Director
Human Rights First

Human Rights First is an American Institute of Philanthropy A-rated charity.

DAY 36 OF ROUND-THE-CLOCK DARFUR VIGIL AT WHITE HOUSE

Press Release June 17, 2006

DAY 36 OF ROUND-THE-CLOCK DARFUR VIGIL AT WHITE HOUSE

White House President’s Park, Washington, DC. 25 days ago a businessman from Philadelphia began a round the clock vigil to rescue and restore Darfur from the Genocide that has raged for the last 3 years in Western Sudan. “Even when I was a well to do self centered child I knew that humanity should have stopped the Holocaust, no excuses, whatever it took. Well, now it is happening on my watch, and I want to do everything in my power to help spark the miracle of Darfur’s Rescue and Restoration.”

McGinley maintains that we can stop this Genocide now, without question. He asserts that this is a petty land grab by bullies and if we put the 20,000 Chapter 7 UN Peace Keepers called for on the ground not a shot need be fired and 2,000,000 lives can be restored. “That is worth my life right now. I am here for as many months as I can hold out to encourage our leaders and my countrymen to get the 20,000 on the ground, NOW.”

Darfur, a state the size of Texas in western Sudan populated with native African farmers, has been victimized by its Arab government in Khartoum who wants the land for Arabs for grazing. To grab the land the government’s Janjaweed (Devils on Horseback) militia has destroyed 70% of the Darfur villages, slaughtered 300,000 residents, gang raped 1000’s of women, incinerated countless children alive, and forced the remaining 2,000,000 inhabitants into desert camps where the murder and rape by the Sudan militia continues, along with forced starvation and disease. 2,000 per week are dying. The UN has called it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Until May 14th Jay McGinley, 55, ran an elite furniture store in a northern suburb of Philadelphia, and prior to that was a computer industry executive. “The April 30th 2006 Rally for Darfur at the US Capitol with 30,000 of us from around the country including congressmen and celebrities showed me that Rescue and Restoration was coming within reach.”

However, this country has never stopped a Genocide, ever. Harvard’s Samantha Power’s Pulitzer Prize winning Genocide study of the last 100 years presents a clear conclusion. “THE BATTLE TO STOP GENOCIDED HAS THUS BEEN REPEATEDLY LOST… [BECAUSE] AMERICANS OUTSIDE THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH WERE LARGELY MUTE…” Jay says, “I am not going to be mute, and by this round the clock vigil at the White House I will try to encourage my countrymen, and our elected leaders, that now is the time to find the time and courage to CRY OUT to stop this Genocide and to restore the people of Darfur to their lives. We need to do whatever it takes to make crystal clear to our leaders that, WE WANT YOU TO STOP THE GENOCIDE NOW, AND WE ARE BEHIND YOU ON THIS 100%.”

But in McGinley’s view, there is more involved. “Frankly, although 2,000,000 Darfuri lives are enough justification, I think more than that is at stake. I think that what we stand for as a US people is at stake – JUSTICE, FAIRNESS, PROTECTION OF THE WEAK. We MUST unleash our humanity to rescue and restore Darfur now. This can be our shameful failure, or our finest hour. Let’s make it our finest hour.”

Contact: Jay McGinley, 484 356 6243, restoredarfur@cs.com
Blog: www.standwithdarfurwhitehouse.blogspot.com

UN Finally Does The Right Thing

The Washington Post news report that U.S. is secretly backing Warlords in Somalia does not surprise me, because that is exactly what the US is doing in Sudan by backing the rebels and using the Western mainstream media to misinform the ignorant public that the Janjaweed militia and the Sudanese government are the real evils in Darfur. The rebels are actually the real devils perpetrating evils in Darfur. I have been in contact with Jan Pronk, the UN Special Envoy to Sudan and I am glad to read that the U.N. Council Approves Mission to Darfur

--Posted by Orikinla Osinachi. to Nigerian Times at 5/17/2006 06:37:00 AM

The Washington Post Says US backs proposed NATO role in Darfur:

The Washington Post Says US backs proposed NATO role in Darfur.
And I say, it's about time.

Sudan Cannot Dictate Terms To The UN

Khartoum says this and Khartoum says that.
I am tired of reading, hearing and listening to all the irrational statements of the Sudanese government on Darfur. Because, Sudan cannot overule the Resolution of the United Nations Security Council on stopping the genocide in Darfur. Sudan cannot dictate terms to the UN.

Darfur Blues and other Jazz.

I have been busy addressing the political emergencies in Nigeria. Because, we have to put out the fire in our own house before we can put out the fire next door. See my http://nigeriantimes.blogspot.com on the current crisis in Nigeria.

I have over 12 active blogs and all my blogs are for all the issues on the facts of life. And my most favourite blog is my romantic http://kissesandroses.blogspot.com for overcoming stress.

The Sudanese government must bow to the UN and that is the only solution to the problem in Sudan.

The Religious Blackmail In Sudan

Anti-America rally in Darfur, SudanPhoto: Associated Press

Sudanese rally against UN Darfur plan
Wednesday 08 March 2006, 16:50 Makka Time, 13:50 GMT Aljazeera.Net

Declares the headline on Aljazeera.Net in a very comprehensive report on the threats of the Islamist movement to stop any foreign intervention in the civil war in Sudan. And groups called the "Darfur Jihad Organization" and the "Blood Brigades" have emerged to threaten fire and brimstone against the deployment of the UN Peace Keeping Force. And as usual, they are accusing the US of trying to turn Sudan into another Iraq.

The threats of Islamist groups are becoming the worst fears of the 21st Century. Because, their religious terrorism is now the weapon of Islamic tyranny. And I am afraid that if we allow this Islamic tyranny to continue, millions of non-Muslims in predominantly Islamic states will continue to be victimized and killed as the Islamic terrorists known as the Janjaweed guerillas have been doing in Darfur. And the emergence of the so called "Darfur Jihad Organization" and the "Blood Brigades" is a threat to the on-going peace keeping efforts in Sudan.

The report that:

" Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Husain, the defence minister, addressed a military
demonstration in central Khartoum, but foreign journalists were detained and
escorted from the scene." is a pointer to the unrepentant nature of the ruling
government in Sudan.

"Jihad, victory, martyrdom," the soldiers chanted.
"Our martyrs are in heaven, and we are ready," said the minister.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/429EE02A-ABBA-4451-907A-4F3AF9B2765A.htm

We must reject all the religious blackmail of the Islamist regime in Sudan and defend the fundamental human rights of all the people in Sudan. Especially the Darfuris. And the Washington Post echoed the sentiments on one of the Darfuris.

Among the crowd of demonstrators, one brave woman quietly said she supported intervention in her place of origin, Darfur.
"I don't think the government can solve the problem, nor can the African Union," student Maha Mekki said. "I want America to come in," she said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/08/AR2006030801378_2.html

Bush Calls For More Troops In Darfur

Bush finally comes to the aid of the suffering Darfuris in Sudan.

Bush Calls For More Troops In Darfur
President George W. Bush and Kofi AnanThe Washington Post reports the good news from President George W. Bush that the US will support the deployment of more troops to increase the peace keeping force of the African Union in Darfur. And I say, it is long over due. The procrastination has cost thousands of innocent lives in Darfur. And I have already made repeated calls for such a task force on my The DARFUR Blog since the beginning of this year. So, I agree, that it's about time we eradicate the Janjaweed terrorists on rampage in Darfur and put an end to the tyranny in Sudan.Read the full report

Is Sudan Ready To Repent?

The fact that massacres of humans are still going on even as I blog only means that the case of humanity is a forgone conclusion that humanity has chosen the bloody path of self-destruction.

I don't believe in flogging a horse that has refused to drink from the stream of humanity.
I just wait for it until it is too thirsty to refuse to drink from the stream.

Is Sudan is now ready to reject the evils of the devils and repent from the atrocities of her crimes against humanity?

That Washington Post Report:African Rebels Take Their Battles Online

As for the rebels in Darfur, the group remains fractured and the
leaders are still not talking face to face. But they reportedly are still
e-mailing each other.

NAIROBI -- The leaders of the main rebel movement in Sudan's Darfur region were once brothers in arms. But last year, the two powerful men had a falling out, and each proclaimed he was the rightful president of the Sudanese Liberation Army. Things got ugly.
But not a single shot was fired. Instead, the feuding insurgents battled as bloggers over the Internet.

"I got his e-mails and read those bitter diaries," said Mohamed al-Nur, a founder of the rebel group, at a conference held here late last year by the United States to try to bring the two sides together.

"That's the only place we hear from you -- on that Internet!" hooted Saif Haroun, a spokesman for Minni Arko Minnawi, the newly proclaimed leader. "You run your rebellion from a computer?"
-From The Washington Post

I will advise every one blogging in or on Africa to read the Washington Post article "African Rebels Take Their Battles Online:
Internet Extends Political Debate" written by Emily Wax of the Washington Post Foreign Service published on Saturday, January 14, 2006; Page A16.

The Washington Post Report is good for the general public knowledge of the fast developing African virtual world. But it has also exposed us to the majority of ignorant African rulers who don't read blogs, because they think we should be ignored. To them ignorance is bliss. Because, it is better to ignore our hysterics on their tyrannical politics than to pay us attention so that we will not bask in the limelight of such official recognition.

The most popular politcal web site in Nigeria is the Elendu Reports http://www.elendureports.com of JONATHAN ELENDU whose statement below best illustrates his character.

"I was appalled by Jeff Koinange's report on CNN, but I cannot claim, in good conscience, that he invented those people he interviewed. They are Nigerians who see increased insecurity, hunger, poverty, and thuggery as the only fruits that have been borne by democracy since 1999. CNN did not cause our problems."

"Obasanjo and Tinubu should get serious and stop looking for scapegoats in the media. The Obasanjo administration and indeed Nigerian politicians should not use this single episode as an excuse to step on freedom of the press. Every individual has a right to ask for whatever type of government he or she wants."

"This is not illegal. Obasanjo should counter negative reports in the media by doing the people's business as he promised he would. Nigerians need jobs, security, a conducive atmosphere for business to grow, and efficient basic amenities."

-Jonathan Elendu

But Elendu has been questioned for his subjective reports by many critics.

Most of my fellow Nigerian bloggers are based outside the shores of Nigeria where they are safer than me who is right here in the battlefield in the troubled waters of the Niger Delta. And as they say, "Goldfish Have No Hiding Place."

"In the past few months the underground media and later the mainstream Nigerian media have been inundated with stories of corrupt Nigerian officials putting up residences abroad, buying mansions in foreign lands and supposedly sabotaging the war that we all have declared against corruption. Against all odds, most of these stories have emanated from web based journalists especially those situated in United Kingdom and United States: two countries that have become overnight refuge for confused and dislocated citizen-refugees, most of whom will truly prefer to be back home in their country were it not for the profound decadence of a nation of such huge potential like ours."

-Michael Oluwagbemi II

I don't want to be over exposed and become the target of witch-hunting in high places. But since this Washington Post report, I am afraid that the tyrants on rampage in Africa will now be haunting us from pillar to post in our blogosphere.

Now, only God can save us.