Sudan: Give us George Bush & Tony Blair, we’ll give you Bashir

Despite celebrating its independence a year ago, the country of South Sudan is still locked in conflict with its neighbor to the north, Sudan. The main point of contention is oil. South Sudan has the oil fields, but the oil must be shipped from Sudan. 

The United Nations Security Council has ordered the two countries to end their hostilities and resolve outstanding issues. The deadline is August 2, but after decades of conflict, and more than two million deaths, they have still not reached an agreement. 

 Christiane Amanpour spoke with Sudan’s Ambassador to the U.K., Abdullahi Alazreg Monday. He maintains that his government is having constructive talks with South Sudan.

 Amanpour asked Alazreg whether Sudan will hand over the country’s president, Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court. Alazreg responded by saying that Sudan is “willing to hand over whomever, provided that America hands over Bush and the United Kingdom hands over Blair.”

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Tribal clashes kill 58 in Sudan’s Darfur region

The fighting involved the Misseriya and Rizeigat tribes and took place in the Jebara area at the border between East Darfur and South Kordofan state, SUNA said after a meeting of tribal leaders and government officials in East Darfur.

 It did not say what had started the violence. Tribes in Darfur, a vast arid region in western Sudan, and in the south of the country often clash over land or water rights. Darfur is the scene of a rebellion by non-Arab tribes against the Arab government in Khartoum, which they accuse of political and economic marginalisation. 

 The rebels took up arms in 2003, and a year later the government sent troops and allied Arab tribes to quell the insurgency, unleashing a wave of violence which the United Nations estimates has k*lled hundreds of thousands of people. Khartoum puts the number of dead at 10,000. The level of violence has subsided, but continuing fighting and widespread banditry have hampered peace efforts.

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Nigerian Soldiers Threaten To Go On Rampage In Sudan

Nigerian Soldiers currently on a United Nations Peace Keeping Operation in Dafur, Sudan have threatened to go on rampage if they are not airlifted out and paid allowances owed them on or before July 3, 2012. The stranded soldiers whose duty tour had expired after the mandatory six months are from the four Battalions: NIBATTSS 30, 31, 32 and 33 deployed in November 26, 2011 and January 12, 2012. Two have been confirmed dead from exhaustion and depression following negligence on the part of the Military Authorities to pay allowances owed and keeps to rotation schedules. 

 A petition sent to Pointblanknews.com by Concerned Soldiers in Dafur accused military hierarchy of corruption and negligence. They noted with anger that after the completion of the stipulated six months duty tour, the military hierarchy extended their duty tour with no explanation and provision for their families back home. 

The petition reads: “Nigeria which was an active participant in the UN peace keeping operations, widely commended for our previous performance of restoring peace in Sierra leone and Liberia, but presently we lost our respect especially in United Nations African Union Hybrid Missions in Darfur due to our ill equipment and corruption existing among top Nigerian who is who in peace support operation. “The situation of our peacekeepers is pitiable as if we don’t belong to any country. Nobody seems to listen to us or the plight of our family back home. 

Even though is against the ethics of military to go to press but we are pushed to the wall, nobody to listen our cry apart from the media. “As am writing now Nigerian Troops are Stranded In Nyala, sector south headquarters of the mission in Darfur, Sudan After The Expiration of Their 6 Months Tour of Duty – We have four Nigerian Battalions (NIBATTS 30, 31, 32 and 33) on duty in Darfur, Sudan deployed from 26 November, 2011 – 2 January, 2012 after successful completion of their mission they now stranded with no specific date for rotation. 

Our expected period of rotation to Nigeria is 26 May – 3 July, 2012 for the four battalions; up till the time of this report, we have not been rotated. This situation is very depressing and is dangerously affecting us and our loved ones back home. “NIBATT 31 was supposed to be rotated back to Nigeria between 31 May – 7 June, 2012.

 Out of the 800 troops that made up the battalion, only 115 were airlifted to Nigeria on 31 May; the remaining troops are still stranded in Sudan. They have added extra weeks to their official date of departure as well as NIBATT 30 which was supposed to be rotated back home on 26 May. “This situation is due to either negligence on the part of the Nigerian government or the Army in taking up their responsibilities abroad with respect to their men and women on tour of duty. 

And the worse nobody explain to us what is happening as if we are not humans, as if we dont have anyone that cares for us, as if we dont have the right to know what affect us. Our family are left helpless because we gave them only six months cheques, now we are more than six months here, our houses are crying of money to buy food, fuel generators, pay our children school fees. Last month a two soldiers fainted and gave up the ghost due to negligence, depression and uncertainty about our condition. 

Is our country that poor cannot charter a commercial flight to bring us back home or are we not needed back home? “As I write, Nigerian Army Peace Keeping Center (NAPKC) in Jaji is full of troops of the four Battalions that underwent training to rotate the stranded 4 Battalions here in Sudan. Also the FOB in Abuja where troops normally spend the night before they are airlifted to Sudan is filled up with troops awaiting airlift to Sudan. Sudan as we all know is a very hostile and a desert country with hash weather that makes living very unbearable. 

It is unwise for Nigeria to leave us to stay extra days, weeks or months in Sudan after the expiration of our tour of duty. “Other Contingents like Thailand, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Nepal, Egypt and South Africa have all rotated their troops with chartered planes with passenger seats of about 220. Nigerian Army is waiting for United Nations to organize their rotation for them with a plane carrying only 115 passengers, making us to rotate a battalion seven (7) times x 4.

 “I appeal to Nigerians to use their good offices in telling Mr. President, Senate President, Minister of Defense, Chief of Defense Staff and Chief of Army Staff as a matter of urgency to bring planes (bigger ones) to rotate the four Battalions in Sudan not later than 3 July or else we will create a scenario in Sudan which will deter the on-going peace process in Darfur. 3rd July is our ultimatum.

 Please publish this to the readership of those in Aso Rock. They are all sitting down in Nigeria eating from our sweat which a battalion generates a month ($700,000:00) for then in the UN. “We look forward to seeing this news publish today or tomorrow in the various dallies. Thank you and God bless.” Concern Soldiers in Darfur, Sudan. Email: tamunoblessing@yahoo.com

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South Sudan oil regions 'bombed by north'

Sudan is bombing oil-rich regions of South Sudan in order to scare away American and Chinese investors, South Sudanese officials have claimed, as Barack Obama expressed concern about the growing tensions between the two countries. 

 Barnaba Marial Benjamin, a South Sudan government spokesman, said Sudan is bombarding disputed areas in South Sudan despite a non-aggression and co-operation pact signed by both countries in African Union-led negotiations on 10 February. "As we speak today they are continuing bombing villages," Mr Benjamin said. 

 Sudan described as "false and unfounded" claims by South Sudan that Khartoum was attacking southern Sudan territories. A statement issued by Sudan's delegation to the talks to resolve disputes between the two countries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, instead accused South Sudan of attacking a region in Sudan. 

 President Obama asked South Sudan's President Salva Kiir in a telephone conversation to ensure that South Sudan's military exercises maximum restraint and is not involved in fighting along the border, according to a statement from the White House. 

Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the governments of Sudan and South Sudan "immediately to cease hostilities" and implement agreements already reached on security, border monitoring and the disputed border region of Abyei, the UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Mr Ban called on the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to meet with Mr Kiir as soon as possible. A meeting scheduled between the two leaders for yesterday was cancelled by Sudan.

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