Media Monitoring Report United Nations Mission in Sudan/ Public Information Office
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13 January 2009 Media Monitoring Report www.unmis.org United Nations Mission in Sudan/ Public Information Office Local News Headlines • MFA dismisses Israeli allegations (Sudan Vision) • Tight Plan to ICC Decision – Qutbi (Sudan Vision) • Joint plan to protect Khartoum (Al-Rai Al-Aam) • NCRC committee to draft referendum law (Al-Ayyam) • Sudan to open an Embassy in Venezuela (Local dailies) • JEM mobilizing fighters (Al-Wifaq/Al-Raed) • Ex-rebel army deployed to contain tribal clashes in south (Al-Ayyam) Websites/International Headlines • Turabi claims Sudan “could get worse than Somalia” (AFP) • Bashir in Syria for Gaza discussions (Local dailies) • Arab rivalries slowing Darfur initiative (Al-Jazeera TV) • ICC charges former DR Congo leader (UN News Centre) • LRA calls for a new truce (Miraya FM) • Sudanese groups caution against rushing reforms (ST) • Hundreds flee clashes in Malakal (ST) • South Sudan assembly adjourns Human Rights Bill debate (ST) • Sudan reports sharp oil revenue drop for November (SUNA) • Government seeking to terminate Sima Samar’s mandate (SMC) • Ban visits Middle East to help promote Gaza ceasefire (UN News Centre) NOTE: Reproduction here does not mean that the UNMIS PIO can vouch for the accuracy or veracity of the contents, nor does this report reflect the views of the United Nations Mission in Sudan. Furthermore, international copyright exists on some materials and this summary should not be disseminated beyond the intended list of recipients. Address: UNMIS Headquarters, P.O. Box 69, Ibeid Khatim St, Khartoum 11111, SUDAN Phone: (+249-1) 8708 6000 - Fax: (+249-1) 8708 6200 UNMIS Media Monitoring Report 13 January 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG Highlights Local Arabic and English Language Press MFA dismisses Israeli allegations MFA spokesman Ali Al-Sadiq, the Sudan Vision reports, has dismissed as Zionist propaganda Israeli allegations that Yemen has been smuggling rockets to Gaza via Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea. He accused Israel of targeting Sudan because of its strong support for Palestinian rights. Meantime, Al-Ayyam reports Sudanese Charge d’Affaires in Cairo Edriss Sulaiman as saying yesterday’s Arab media reports that ICC judges had agreed to issue an arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir were “mere leakage to cover up Israeli war crimes in Gaza.” According to Al-Wifaq, an Egyptian newspaper “Al-Masri Al-Ayoum” (Egyptian Today) claimed the ICC judges had actually issued an arrest warrant for Bashir. The paper quoted sources as saying that the decision of the “UN Court” was supposed to be taken and made public but the Court and UN leaders though it should be delayed for several days due to Gaza conflict. Sudanese Director of Protocol Ali Yousuf told the paper an arrest warrant is expected any time. Meanwhile, according to the Sudan Vision, Dr. Qutbi Al-Mahdi, a top NCP official, said civil society organizations, including the lawyers association and a number of other parties, have come out in support of the government’s position vis-à-vis the ICC. He said formation of an emergency government was out of the question, adding that the necessary measures are in place to foil any plot by agents of the ICC prosecutor aiming to topple the existing regime. Joint plan to protect Khartoum Al-Rai Al-Aam reports the Interior Ministry as saying that limited force units deployed across Khartoum yesterday in an exercise rehearsal of a plan designed to protect the capital. Afterwards, forces returned to base. NCRC committee to draft referendum law Al-Ayyam reports the National Constitution Review Commission has formed a legal committee to draft the Southern Sudan referendum law scheduled for 2011. Taj Al-Sir Mohamed Saleh has been appointed chairman of the committee. Sudan to open an Embassy in Venezuela Local dailies report Sudan has decided to open an Embassy in Venezuela. JEM movements Al-Wifaq claims JEM has mobilized 1000 fighters aboard about 250 vehicles and that the force is currently stationed in Um Jaras area at the border with Chad. NISS announced security forces’ combat readiness to frustrate any aggression. According to Al-Raed, about 350 JEM Land Cruisers and trucks have been deployed in three areas around El Fasher. The vehicles, each carrying 6-7 fighters along with their arms and ammunition, reportedly stationed in Saq Al-Naam, Wadul, and Um Hosh areas, to the south and southeast of the town. Sources tell the paper JEM may launch an attack on El Fasher soon. Page 2 of 8 UNMIS Media Monitoring Report 13 January 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG Ex-rebel army deployed to contain tribal clashes in south Al-Ayyam reported yesterday that GoSS had reported deployment of a large number of Sudan People's Liberation Army troops to the areas where clashes erupted between the Dinka and Shuluk tribes on 9 January. GoSS vice-president, Riek Machar told the paper the troops had been deployed in Nagdar, Wau Nar, Al-Dafugiyah and southern and central Malakal city following the clashes that broke out between traditional dancers during Peace Day celebrations in the latter. He said the security situation in the area was calm but noted that latest statistics indicated seven people had died in the clashes, two had gone missing and two others were wounded. However, the paper reports that according to local civil society leaders, 20 have died in the clashes so far. Websites/International News Coverage Turabi claims Sudan “could get worse than Somalia” AFP reports that Sudan's foremost opposition leader warned Monday that the country risked becoming worse than Somalia should central authority break down if, as expected, the ICC issues an arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir. Hassan Turabi told reporters in Khartoum that the fall out would be worse than Somalia “if we lose any order of authority in the constitution” because, “we are not one people like the Somalis or one religion or one language -- we are a diversity of peoples.” Turabi said the president should hand himself over to save the country from possible UN sanctions. “Politically we think he is culpable... He should assume responsibility for whatever is happening in Darfur, displacement, burning all the villages, rapes, I mean systematic rapes, continuously, I mean on a wide scale and the killing….Six million Sudanese are now paralyzed, no agriculture, no animal farming or rearing. He is responsible and we condemn him.” Turabi added that Bashir should “go there and defend himself” -- that “politically he's guilty, no doubt about it.” He also noted that “pressure from outside” could encourage resistance movements to “do something”; that previously “they attacked the capital” having said “the whole country should be reorganized”. Turabi warned that this could catalyze “the others and then the south”, which is “mostly for the court”. Meanwhile, Richard Dicker, Director of the Human Rights Watch international Justice Program told VOA al-Turabi’s comments were well-founded. “Before there could be any consideration by the president as to surrendering himself, there first needs to be an arrest warrant from the court. Our expectation is within four weeks time more or less such a decision will be made by the judges. My own expectation is there will be an arrest warrant and giving those conditions it would be entirely appropriate for Omar al-Bashir to take responsibility for crimes alleged in Darfur and surrender himself for a fair trial at the ICC. In that context, the statement by Al-Turabi is well-founded,” he said Dicker hoped Sudanese authorities would have in place a succession plan in the event President Bashir is indicted by the ICC. “I can’t say what al-Turabi had in mind in making these statements. But I can say in the event of Omar al-Bashir’s surrender to the ICC, one certainly does not want to see a vacuum at the centre of political power in Khartoum, and steps would need to be taken to make sure that no such power vacuum existed and that presidential authority could continue to be exercised by a successor to President al-Bashir,” Dicker said. Referring to statements earlier this week, Sudan state media quoted Salah Gosh, head of Sudan's National Security and Intelligence Service, warned that foreigners could be targeted by Page 3 of 8 UNMIS Media Monitoring Report 13 January 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG radicals if the International Criminal Court indicted President al-Bashir for alleged war crimes. Dicker said the international community should not tolerate and threat of violence on the part of Sudanese officials. “There can’t be any tolerance by the international community for any violence directed at innocent individuals be they Sudanese or foreign as a reprisal or retaliation for the decision to issue an arrest warrant against President al-Bashir. We are expecting members of the Security Council as well as the U.N. secretariat to convey that message privately and publicly to the Sudanese authority,” he said. Bashir in Syria for Gaza discussions Local dailies report President Al-Bashir arrived in Syria yesterday for discussions with President Assad, his Syrian counterpart, and Hamas leadership on Arab efforts to stop the Israeli military offensive in Gaza Strip. According to the Sudan Tribune website, he met for three hours with Damascus-based Hamas official Khaled Meshaal. Arab leaders are to meet on the Gaza crisis alongside a planned economic summit in Kuwait on 19-20 January. On Thursday, President Al-Bashir heads to Qatar and then to Kuwait to attend the economic summit. According to a report in Al-Rai Al-Aam, he is being accompanied by Presidential Affairs Minister Gen Bakri Hasan Salih, National Intelligence and Security Service head, Gen Salah Abdallah Gosh, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Karti and State Minister for Information, Dr Kamal Obeid.