---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Nov 3, 2011 at 3:49 PM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Sudan's civil wars To: Group <[email protected]>
1. Sudan’s Bashir vows imminent liberation of border town November 2, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir today spoke of an imminent attack on a rebel stronghold in the Blue Nile state heightening fears of new clashes in the coming days. Addressing supporters in the twin capital city of Omdurman, Bashir said that Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Popular Defense Forces (PDF) units are on the outskirts of al-Kurmuk town. The Sudanese leader underscored that his forces are determined to perform Eid al-Adha prayers in the town which contains bases of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM-N) led by Malik Agar. Bashir described SPLM-N forces there as “mercenaries” Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid al-Adha religious holiday starting Sunday. The Blue Nile state was the scene of fighting between SAF and SPLM-N since early September. Agar at the time was elected governor of the state but was sacked by Bashir shortly afterwards under his constitutional powers to impose emergency laws. Agar accused SAF of firing on his convoy and thus triggering the fighting between the two sides. The SPLM-N was flushed out of most of the state in the fighting that ensued and is now believed to be confined to the town of Kurmuk. Residents who fled the state said that SAF is conducting aerial bombardments in Kurmuk causing widespread havoc and casualties among civilians. The United Nations says about 27,500 Sudanese refugees have streamed into Ethiopia since the fighting broke out. The Sudanese government is also fighting SPLM-N units in South Kordofan state since June. This week SAF said it repelled a massive attack by the rebels on the city of Teludi in the state killing hundreds from the assailants. Khartoum also repeated accusations that South Sudan is providing support to SPLM-N in these areas. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-s-Bashir-vows-imminent,40612 END1 2. Rebels say still fighting in Sudan oil state Wed Nov 2, 2011 8:36pm GMT Print | Single Page [-] Text [+] KHARTOUM Nov 2 (Reuters) - Sudanese insurgents in the country's main oil-producing state South Kordofan battled government forces in a volatile border region for a second day on Wednesday, a rebel spokesman said. Sudan's military denied the assertion, however, saying the region was quiet after the army repulsed a rebel attack on Tuesday. Four months since the new country of South Sudan gained independence from Sudan, fighting in areas near the border has complicated talks over unresolved issues such as how to manage the formerly integrated oil industry. The two countries have accused one another of backing rebel groups near the border. Analysts say clashes threaten to drag the old civil war foes into a proxy conflict. South Kordofan is north of the new border and remains part of Sudan, but is home to rebels that sided with the south during the civil war that ended with the peace agreement that led to independence for South Sudan this year. Qamar Dalman, a spokesman for the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) in South Kordofan, said insurgents were continuing to advance on the town of Taludi on Wednesday. "There is heavy fighting around Taludi between SPLA forces and the Sudanese army. The SPLA army is very close to the city. The Sudanese army is bombing from military planes," he said by telephone. Al-Sawarmi Khalid, Sudan's army spokesman, dismissed the claim. "There is not any fighting or clashes today around Taludi. Everything is quiet," he said. Both sides claimed to have killed hundreds of their opponents during a rebel assault on Taludi on Tuesday. The accounts could not be verified independently. . The United Nations said on Wednesday more than 18,000 civilians have fled since the outbreak of fighting in South Kordofan to Unity state across the border in South Sudan. "Humanitarian partners are concerned that the number of people arriving to Unity might double before the end of the year if fighting continues in Southern Kordofan," the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report. Unity, the main oil-producing state in South Sudan, has itself been hit by fighting between the new country's government's troops and rebels. North of the border, conflict has torn South Kordofan and Blue Nile, states where tens of thousands of fighters sided with the south during the decades-long civil war that killed some 2 million people. Rebels in those states say they have been politically and economically marginalised by Sudan's government. Khartoum accuses the insurgents of trying to spread chaos and says it will not tolerate armed militias on its side of the border. South Sudan seceded after voting for independence in a January referendum promised in a 2005 peace deal that ended one of Africa's longest and deadliest civil wars. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Additional reporting by Ulf Laessing; Writing by Alexander Dziadosz; Editing by Peter Graff) http://af.reuters.com/article/sudanNews/idAFL5E7M24HM20111102?sp=true END2 3. Civil war looms in Sudan, VIDEO: http://www.globalpost.com/video/5679828/location-sudan-slides-toward-civil-war END3 4. SPLM-N Veteran Trade Unionist Arrested! office of the Official SpokespersonTuesday 18th October, 2011: Today, at about 13:00 (GMT: +2) the leading SPLM-N senior official and veteran trade unionist, Abbas Al-Awad was arrested at his home in Khartoum (AlKla-Kla) in a raid carried out by National Security Service officers. Mr. Al-Awad was the director for political mobilisation in the SPLM (Northern Sector). At 85 years of age, there are legitimate concerns regarding his health. Not least, Mr. Al-Awad suffers from various chronic conditions: diabetes, high-blood pressure and rheumatism. Disregard for his medical condition, as often happens to NISS detainees, may lead to serious complications and subject his life to danger. The SPLM-N warns that NISS shall bear full responsibility should Mr. Al-Awad's health deteriorate or that his life be endangered in any way. Comrade Al-Awad is from Shendi, River Nile State, and has dedicated most of his life to trade union work. He is one of the organisers of the first railway workers' strike in the country's history in 1958. He was a renowned labour leader during the struggle against the Aboud regime, and came to be known as 'Iron Abbas' as a result of his unyielding opposition to dictatorship. He is one of the few surviving veterans of the 1964 popular revolution that overthrew Aboud's regime, and was also involved in the trade union alliance that was at the heart of the popular uprising that toppled Nimeiri's autocratic regime is 1985. He was dismissed from his railway job in the early 1990s by the current regime under their punitive policy of 'discharged for the public good', which enabled them to cull tens of thousands of employees in the civil service and public institution suspected of being disloyal to the Ingaz regime. He joined the SPLM/A when he was in his 60s, and was enlisted in the rank of Captain in the SPLA on the recommendation of the movement's late chairman Dr. John Garang De Mabior. Mr. Al-Awad is considered one of the most courageous fighters and defenders of human rights, democracy, peace and trade union rights. He is an active executive committee member of Trade Union Solidarity (the legitimate representative body for independent trade unionism in Sudan). Long live the Struggle of the Sudanese People. Arnu Ngtullu Loddi Official SpokespersonSudan Peoples' Liberation Movement- North The Liberated Areas END4______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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