Daily Darfur: Bombs Keep Falling (Why Am I Not Surprised?)

by Michelle

category: Daily Darfur

Published February 19, 2009 @ 03:46AM PT

Clashes continue in Darfur despite the "confidence building measures" --- or, talks about thinking about talking about peace --- and goodwill agreement signed in Qatar earlier this week. (Shocker.)

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the only Darfur rebel present at the negotiations in Doha, accused the Sudanese government of launching aerial attacks against its troops the day after the agreement was signed. According to AFP, Khartoum confirmed the attacks, which took place in the Jebel Marra mountains in central Darfur.

So much for goodwill. Or, as Maggie at ENOUGH puts it:

"Is this Khartoum's new definition of a charm offensive in the lead-up to the ICC arrest warrant?"

(I'm also betting that the title of Arthur Traldi's post on the issue at the War Crimes blog, "Darfur Again," is an indication of fatigue over this pattern --- after all, this is coming from a regime that couldn't even abide by its own ceasefire declaration last fall.)

The Sudan Tribune also reports clashes between rebel groups in North Darfur, with the JEM claiming to have destroyed the last of Minni Minnawi's branch of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM). (Not sure how credible such claims are. The JEM has an impressive PR department.)

Minnawi is the sole rebel signatory to the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement --- which, as you can see, has been a spectacular failure. According to the Tribune:

"Minnawi, who serves as Senior Presidential Assistant in the Sudanese government since signing the Abuja agreement in 2006, has slammed the ongoing peace talks in Doha. He is currently in Cairo, where Egyptian diplomats have been markedly cool toward the Qatari-mediated negotiations with JEM."

(Curious, about Egypt.)

Clashes between the JEM and SLM in Muhajiriya, South Darfur, resulted in intense conflict between the JEM and Sudanese government forces earlier this month.

I Heart Nick Kristof

From his blog:

"My Thursday column is the first from my current trip back to the Chad/Darfur border area. Frankly, I'm not going to say exactly where I'm staying, because I don't want the Janjaweed to know."

From the column, criticizing the UN for suddenly pulling the security escort of his travel companion, George Clooney:

"If the U.N. is too craven to protect its own goodwill ambassadors - because they might criticize genocide - it's not surprising that it and the international community fail to protect hundreds of thousands of voiceless Darfuris."

Other items of note...

In a disappointing announcement earlier today, a UNAMID spokesperson said that delays in procuring supplies and equipment will prevent the peacekeeping force from reaching its target of 80% deployment by March.

To follow up on a story reported earlier this week, Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur, the founder of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (but not part of the SLM-MM faction discussed above) confirmed reports of his recent trip to Israel, stating that the visit was an attempt to normalize relations between the two countries:

"The rebel leader added they reject the hatred that the Sudanese government is teaching to the Sudanese about the Jewish people. He also hailed the positive attitude of the Israeli authorities for providing refuge to the Darfuri who fled the war in Darfur."

Very, very refreshing to hear.

[Photo from AFP: A girl walks past a truck carrying Sudanese soldiers in the West Darfur state capital of El Geneina, 2008.]