South Sudan’s Kiir constitutes ICC Preparedness Committee (31.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), General Salva Kiir Mayardit, has announced his Government’s formation of a Ministerial Committee to deal with the expected decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants on the President of the Republic, Omer Hassan el-Bashir.

African Union against indictment of Al-Bashir (30.01.2009)

(Quelle: allAfrica / International)

African governments have rallied behind Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in rejecting a possible international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court on charges of orchestrating genocide in Sudan's volatile western region of Darfur.

Sudanese jailed for 'spying' for war crimes court (28.01.2009)

(Quelle: Mail and Guardian / South Africa)

A Sudanese man was jailed for 17 years on Wednesday for trying to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate a minister over war crimes in Darfur. Mohammed el-Sari is the first person to be convicted by Sudanese courts of trying to assist the ICC, which Khartoum does not recognise, and had faced a possible death sentence.

UN mission counters erroneous reports of staff evacuations (25.01.2009)

(Quelle: UN News / International)

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today voiced disappointment that some daily newspapers in the African nation have erroneously reported that the mission intends to evacu-ate international and national staff ahead of possible action by the International Criminal Court (ICC). “These reports are inaccurate and misleading,” the mission said in a statement issued in Khartoum.

Results of Sudan’s census expected to be released by mid February (23.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

The commission of the monitoring and follow-up of the fifth population census today has expected that the census results will be available in the second week of February 2008. The fifth Sudan Popula-tion and Housing Census, a milestone in the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was conducted from 22 April to 6 May 2008. It was the first all inclusive census for people of southern Sudan since Sudan became independence in January 1956.

Bashir war crimes bid challenged (22.01.2009)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

Two Sudanese groups have formally requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) not to issue an arrest for President Omar al-Bashir. He is accused of responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict in Darfur. Experts warn that the motion filed could lead to a delay in the judges' decision on whether to issue a warrant.

US official blasts China special envoy to Sudan (19.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

A senior US official lashed out at the Chinese special envoy to Sudan Liu Guijin calling him “difficult” during his engagement in political efforts to resolve the five years Darfur conflict. The outgoing US special envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson speaking at the Heritage Foundation last Friday disclosed that he attempted to launch a joint dialogue with US, UK, France and China for discussions on Sudan. “Beijing showed no interest in such a mechanism” the US official said but did not say what reasons were given by the Chinese.

Fighting erupts in Nuba Mountains, 19 killed (16.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

Armed irregular forces on Tuesday attacked Nuba villages and SPLA military camps in Southern Kor-dofan, a flashpoint in central Sudan where some of the heaviest fighting occurred during the 1983-2005 civil war. The clashes reportedly killed 19 people, said the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), naming seven of them.

Bashir 'war crimes' call arrest (15.01.2009)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi has been arrested after calling on President Omar al-Bashir to hand himself in to face war crimes charges. The veteran opposition leader is the most high-profile Sudanese figure to say the president should go to The Hague to face charges over Darfur.

Growing discontent in Southern Kordofan (14.01.2009)

(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)

Squabbles between parties to Sudan's North-South peace agreement, rival community interests and the slow pace of development could destabilise Southern Kordofan State, analysts warned. "South-ern Kordofan is in a state of political turmoil," Sara Pantuliano, research fellow with the Humanitarian Policy Group, said.

Sudan's president urged to surrender to war crimes court (12.01.2009)

(Quelle: Washington Post / USA)

A Sudanese opposition leader on Monday called on Sudan's president to hand himself over to the In-ternational Criminal Court, saying he should take responsibility for war crimes in Darfur. The call from Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi was the first significant show of dissent from inside Sudan's political system since the chief prosecutor of the global court asked judges to issue an arrest warrant against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in July, accusing him of genocide and other war crimes.

Bashir case “may spark attacks” (11.01.2009)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

Foreigners in Sudan could be targeted by "outlaws" if the International Criminal Court pursues a case against Sudan's president, a top official says. The ICC is widely expected to issue an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir on charges that he masterminded a genocide in Darfur. It is the most spe-cific warning yet that foreigners could bear the brunt of public anger if a warrant is issued.

Uneasy peace in Sudan ghost town (09.01.2009)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

Four years after the signing of a peace deal to end two decades of conflict between north and south Sudan, the disputed central town of Abyei resembles a ghost town. Two bouts of fighting last year drove most of the population away and even threatened to reignite the bloody civil war. The guns may be silent at the moment, but the clashes in May and at the beginning of December showed how fragile the situation remains in the key, oil-rich area.

Moving Sudanese north-south peace pact forward will require redoubled efforts – UN (09.01.2009)

(Quelle: UN News / International)

While commending the parties to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan for the progress achieved so far, the United Nations to-day marked the fourth anniversary of the signing of the pact by urging them to redouble their efforts on key goals such as elections and border demarcation.

Sudan says indicting president would risk bloodshed (06.01.2009)

(Quelle: Mail & Guardian / South Africa)

Sudan has been trying to head off a possible International Criminal Court arrest warrant against al-Bashir after the court's prosecutor accused the president of genocide in Darfur, where rebels have been fighting Khartoum's rule since 2003. … The international court's judges are expected to decide later this month on whether to issue a warrant against al-Bashir. "If this happens it is going to have a very negative impact," Siddiq said. . "The rebellion in Darfur will escalate. [The rebels] will feel jubi-lant ... They will say they are fighting a legitimate cause against a criminal government and a crimi-nal president."

Sudan SPLM discussed asking Bashir to step down: report (05.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

The southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) contemplated urging president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to step down in the event of the issuance of an arrest warrant, a newspaper re-ported today. The London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat quoting unidentified SPLM officials said a meet-ing was held to discuss options should Al-Bashir be formally charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The 2009 elections: landmines on the road to democratic transition in Sudan (04.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

The 2009 elections in Sudan, to be followed by a self-determination referendum for the south, are both key prerequisites of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was concluded on January 9, 2005, between the Government of the Sudan (GOS), represented by the National Congress Party (NCP), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A) that ended a 22-year civil war. The elections, thus, serve as a mechanism for democratic transformation after almost two decades (1989-2005) of monopolizing state power by one party, as well as provide a political space for making unity “attractive” by persuading southerners to vote for unity in the upcoming referen-dum.

Sudan president calls on political parties to ready for elections (02.01.2009)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

Al-Bashir speaking during the Independence Day show appealed to the electoral commission to speed up setting up a timetable for holding the elections. … The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) … calls for elections no later than July 2009 as part of a democratic transition in the country.

Top envoy to Sudan still misrepresented in Khartoum media, says UN mission (31.12.2008)

(Quelle: UN News / International)

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today reiterated that the world body’s top envoy to the African nation never made remarks attributed to him by some by Khartoum-based newspapers. Media reports have resurfaced in the Sudanese capital linking Ashraf Qazi, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, with comments predicting a date for an International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment of the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, for alleged war crimes, including genocide, in Darfur.

Sudan army quits town after death (14.12.2008)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

Sudanese soldiers have agreed to ease tensions by withdrawing from the town of Abyei, where fighting left one dead, UN officials say. Thousands of people fled the disputed oil town after fighting between the army and the police on Friday. The details remain unclear, but fighting seems to have broken out after police intervened in an argument between a soldier and a trader.

Elections to be held on schedule says Sudan second VP (10.12.2008)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

The Sudanese second Vice President Ali Osman Taha dismissed widespread speculations that the elections scheduled for 2009 would be delayed over logistical difficulties. “The reasons that would cause a postponement of elections in any country and not just Sudan are plenty and easy but the government proved its seriousness of moving towards the polls” Taha told the daily Al-Sudani in a rare interview.

Sudan census hold-up raises fear for elections (08.12.2008)

(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)

Sudan's key census results will not be released until at least February, its organiser said on Sunday, a hold-up that raises fears for the timing of coming elections. The census is a cornerstone of a 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of north-south civil war, and will define the constituencies for the country's first democratic poll in more than twenty years, promised before July 2009.

Sudan build-up in oil-rich state (07.12.2008)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

The Sudanese army says it has sent more troops to the sensitive oil-rich South Kordofan state.

The army told state media that it had information that a Darfur rebel group planned to attack the area. The main party in the south says the military build-up is a violation of a 2005 peace deal that ended civil war.

Sudan’s Kiir vows not to accept “unreasonable” census results (05.12.2008)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

The Sudanese First Vice-President and the head of southern Sudan government Salva Kiir warned that he will not accept census results that appear unreasonable . ... “We will not accept less than 15 million people as population for the people of Southern Sudan” Kiir told a rally at Lainya, Central Equatoria State.

Civilian disarmament remains elusive as government rethinks process (03.12.2008)

(Quelle: Irinnews / International)

Efforts by Southern Sudanese states to forcefully collect arms from civilians have been poorly planned, leading to violence, deaths and increased insecurity in some areas, sources said. President Salva Kiir in June directed all southern states to disarm their populations by the end of 2008. However, no government policy on how disarmament should be undertaken existed, leaving implementation to state governors and opening up the process to possible abuse.

UN urged to support Sudan arrest (03.12.2008)

(Quelle: BBC / UK)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has warned the UN Security Council not to shield Sudan's president if the court issues an arrest warrant. … Sudan has been campaigning for the UN Security Council to use its powers to suspend the ICC proceedings for a year. Judges at the ICC are due to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant by the start of next year.

Sudan NCP says will stay in power longer with elections delay (01.12.2008)

(Quelle: Sudan Tribune / France)

A senior Sudanese official today accused unspecified political parties of seeking to delay elections scheduled for next year. “Ingaz [the ruling National Congress Party] will stay in power even if elections were delayed for a century” he added. Yesterday a UN consultative team of experts advised the semi-autonomous southern Sudan government to postpone the next year general elections to November 2009 till the end of rainy season in order to avoid the logistical complications.

Some Sudanese regions rife with arbitrary arrest and detention, says UN report (28.11.2008)

(Quelle: UN News / International)

The 51-page report covers the capital Khartoum and other parts of northern Sudan, southern Sudan, and the three central areas of Abyei, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile state. … According to the report, intelligence and security services, police, and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), as well as the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in the country's south, have all committed violations of Sudanese and international law.

Southern Sudan needs more help to rebuild education, roads, health care – UN aid chief (28.11.2008)

(Quelle: UN News / International)

The United Nations relief chief today wrapped up a two-day visit to southern Sudan by calling on international donors to help the region develop basic education and health-care services and quickly build up its road system as it recovers after two decades of civil war. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, met President Salva Kiir and other senior officials in the Government of Southern Sudan, which was set up as a result of the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement that ended the north-south civil war.

Ban hails Sudan’s election body as major progress in north-south peace accord (26.11.2008)

(Quelle: UN News (International))

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the decree signed yesterday by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir appointing the National Electoral Commission, calling it a major step towards im-plementing the accords that ended a two-decade-long civil war in the south of Africa’s largest coun-try.