Previously, on our last episode of the Sudan, we had reported of late-breaking news shared by Al-Anba about an imminent deal negotiated by Chad between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels. How is that going, you ask
It appears that they were at two bows length from reaching a definitive agreement but they didnt get there so the talks were suspended for further consultation.
The website of Sudans Democratic Unionist Party has an update: The government team negotiating with SLM/A, which is based in Darfur, has accused some 'elements' of striving to torpedo the peace agreement. But, according to Lt-General Dr Abdulkerim Abdallah (who is Sudans Chief of Intelligence), the obstacles had been overcome through the parties patience and resolve. New talks are scheduled for December 4.
Remember the talks about Southern Sudan issuing its own currency? That idea seems to haverun out of circulation. A delegation representing the southern states stressed the need for having one central bank, according to Radio Umdurman
Meet Dr. Lam Akol. Dr. Akol used to be with SPLM, then he split and he called his split organization SPLM-United. Then he joined the Sudanese government, and now he has gone back to SPLM, just in time for the south-to-south dialogue. In a long interview with Londons Al-sherq Al-awsat, Herui T Bairou, we mean Dr. Lam Akol, describes the Sudanese government in a way that should be very familiar to Eritreans: There is a small group, whether it is inside the party or the government, that is hanging on to the decision-making processIt thinks from a security perspective and not from a political one[the small group] makes all the decisions in isolation from the party and the other agencies of the government and it will not allow any democratic change. His advice to SPLM: Dont sign a bilateral agreement because that would be tantamount to political suicide.
Absolutely, agreed Dr. Hasan Al Turabi, the recently freed leader of the Popular National Congress and co-engineer of the coup that brought Albashir to power. Dr. Turabi told the Jordanian Al-sebil that the deal between the government and SPLM/A is only ink on paper and that his party would pre-empt all of this nonsense by striking its own deal with SPLM/A. He didnt explain whether that deal would be ink on paper or using a different liquid on a different canvass. Dr. Turabi then proved that the jail term had not tamed him: he blasted the United States for its terrorism in Iraq.Turabi is still not saying which countries, besides Qatar, intervened for his release from jail
Two individuals who make a living by putting ink on paper, Al Sahafas Abdul Albaz and Nuredin Madani were arrested after Sudans Awqaf complained that their newspaper published petitions of dissident clericsThe two reporters were NOT taken to a desert camp or some underground prison, though. They posted bail and were releasedwhat a concept.
Meanwhile, the Arab League's Secretary General, Amr Mussa, was giving his boilerplate platitude about how his organization was central to the peace treaty in the Sudanthe problem was the speech was shortly after his own representative, Nadayah Makram Ubayd, resigned her post to protest her marginalization from the peace talks, which she blamed on IGAD. So reports Sudans Akhr Lahza (Last Chance) website
ETHIOPIA
There was a shooting incident over the demilitarized zone that resulted in the death of an Eritrean. UNMEE verified that blood was spilt and was gravely concerned, outraged, worried, and used some deductive reasoning which went something like this: An Eritrean was killed in an area we control; we didnt kill him; therefore, it must be Ethiopia which did it. Then Ethiopia fired a volley at UNMEE: The government of Ethiopia deplores the way the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) has in a roundabout way attempted to implicate Ethiopia So UNMEE backpedaled furiouslyweve seen blood, we havent seen the body of the deadplus, this is an isolated incident; we have to remember there is not only inter-state but intra-state violenceit is very unlikely for Ethiopia to do thiswe humbly beg your forgiveness, mighty Ethiopia, my liege
IRIN reported that 40 bandits wearing Ethiopian military uniforms had crossed the Kenyan border into Moyale, killed three villagers, abducted more, and then fled back to Ethiopia. Baseless! cried Radio Ethiopia, the Ethiopian army has no reason to cross into Kenyan sovereign territory. Could it be the work of the Ethiopian opposition, then? Absolutely not, because, there is no armed force in Ethiopia which can cross the Kenyan border and launch an attack.
Maybe not the Kenyan border.but how about the Sudanese border? A fierce fighting between Oromo Liberation Front and Ethiopian government forces reportedly occurred in Nekemte town, western Welega and various parts of Oromiya Region, according to Seifenebelbal, an Ethiopian newspaper. The OLF forces reportedly entered through the Sudanese border
Was this the subject of discussion between Sudan and Ethiopia? What did they talk about, anyway? Lets see. Ethiopias Foreign Minister met with his Sudanese and Yemeni counterparts and held extensive talks on ways and means to promote political, economic, trade and security co-operation of the common interests between their respective countries, That is one version, as reported by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA.) For the Eritrean version, check the Eritrea section below
There is talk about fissure within OLF, according to Ethio News, with one group suggesting that it is better to dialogue with the EPRDF (the ruling party) than with the Ethiopian opposition, who categorically reject Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution. Article 39 is the one that allows the Ethiopian regions to have the (theoretical) right to self-determination up to secession.
Colonel Gaddaffi (The Brother Leader) sent a message to Meles Zenawi, ENA reported. ENA told us everything Meles Zenawi and The Brothers Leaders envoy, Abdelrahman Shalgam, discussedwithout relaying what the actual message from Gaddaffi was. If it is anything like 1998, Gaddaffi will announce that he has solved the Eritrea-Ethiopia impasse only to be contradicted within days by Ethiopia
SOMALIA/DJIBOUTI
In his last visit to the United States, the Kenyan president, Mwai Kibeki (who is well-liked by George W), had asked for US involvement in Somalia. Now, according to Mogadishus Ayaamaha news, the US is about to appoint the former US ambassador to Somalia, Robert B Oakley, envoy to Somalia.
Meanwhile, when we last checked in with Djiboutis President Omar Guelleh, we seem to recall that he was fed up with everything. He was fed up with Ethiopia; he was fed up with Somali leaders and he was particularly fed up with illegal immigrants. The only thing he wasnt fed up about was American presence in Djibouti. Guelleh was paid a visit by the African Union boss about finding lasting solution for the political crisis in some areas of the continent. Guelleh had some advice for Somalis: beware of your enemies, but be flexible enough to reach compromise
ERITREA
With respect to the Ethiopia-Sudan-Yemen meeting, the Eritrean News Agency (Shabait) has, as you might expect, a totally different take from the one reported by the Ethiopian News Agency. And what exactly is it? Here: The foes of the Eritrean people in recognition of he fact that the strength of people lies in unity which enabled them over decades to achieve miracles witnessed by all, exerted every effort to continue their conspiracies for weakening the unity of the Eritrean people and in trying to strike a wedge and internal conflicts within their ranks, wrote the website.wait a minute, that was a different subject, a soft porn praise piece by the Front about the front: Shaebia - A True Embodiment of the Peoples Will and Spirit. Heres what Shabait thinks about the mini-axis, as it called it: The trilateral alliance is the Ethiopian regimes delirium of a stillborn singular axis which features none other but the regime itself. Calls to Shabait.com to translate the above statement into plain English were not returned but a spokesperson said that the agency was busy looking for hermits and seals. We are kidding, of course...
And how are our good friends in the international community dealing with the issue of final and binding? The Brits, through their Director of Africa, British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said that as far as the international community is concerned, the debate on the border issue was over, according to Addis Tribune. But there is one member of the international community, namely Ethiopia, which doesnt think the border issue is over. What shall the Brits do about it? We are not planning to put pressure on Ethiopia to accept the ruling of the border commissions decision.
The French, through their Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Herve Ladsous,expressed their hope that the Algiers Agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea would be implemented in its entirety, according to Djiboutis ADI News Agency. And what if Ethiopia is objecting to implementing the agreement in its entirety? Well, then, France calls on Ethiopia and Eritrea to return to political negotiations, which are essential to the restoration of relations between the two countries and for the success of the peace process.
Mais, oui. Cest bon.
How about the European Union-African Caribbean Pacific (EU-ACP) folks? Ethiopia gained a big victory in the African, Carribean and Pacific/EU (ACP/EU) conference held in Rome as African governments rejected an appeal by Eritrea that the UN should impose sanctions on Ethiopia, crowed the ENA. Not only that, but the conference elected Ethiopia to host the next ACP/EU conference. And while they were at it, they passed a resolution that Asmara makes known the conditions of the 11 officials jailed.
After holding a meeting in Addis Abeba for two weeks, the Eritrean National Alliance reported that it conducted assessments, read reports, passed resolutions, condemned foes, praised enemies, took frequent breaks, congratulated Sudan, expressed concern about the response to the Boundary Commission and wished a speedy recovery to its Chairman, Abdella Idris. In other words, it did nothing, wrote some commentators writing at Awate.com.
Nonesense! responded the ENA. According to the opposition Radio Voice of the Eritrean People, the meeting reached a consensus after exhaustively deliberating on the strength and weaknesses of the ENA. What about the commentators who contradicted this report? An ENA spokesman in Addis Ababa described as far from truth rumours by some opportunists and defeatists to belittle the ENA meeting, added the radio station, Radio Voice of the Eritrean People, which is very different from Voice of The Broad Masses of the Eritrean People with one difference: both seem to feel that the nation is awash with defeatists.
So, who is right, you ask? Was something accomplished or nothing accomplished by the ENA? You will have to be patient and wait for some organization or individual to withdraw then you will get an overabundance of information
Meanwhile, back in Planet Reality, it was reported that Eritreas requirement of cereal is 600,000 metric tones per year and that, on a good year, Eritrea produces 450,000 tonnes; last year, it produced 54,000 and the forecast for this year is 100,000 metric tones. The causes: inadequate rains, ongoing drought, and the lingering fallout of the 1998-2000 war with Ethiopia, explains Simon Nhongo, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Eritrea. The humanitarian situation remains serious. The emphasis now is on recovery from the war and from the drought. Peoples coping mechanisms have been depleted and it takes a while to build this up again.
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