29 March 2009 Media Monitoring Report www.unmis.org Mission in / Public Information Office

Local News Headlines • Arab ministerial meet wants ICC warrant scrapped (local dailies) • UN run unilaterally by single country – President Al-Bashir (Al-Sahafa) • President Al-Bashir urged not to attend Doha summit (Al-Ayaam) • Opinion poll shows 94.6% against ICC decision (Al-Sudani) • Parties reject earlier elections (Al-Sudani) • Abyei minister threatened (SMC) • Militia attacks hamper polio campaign in Southern Kordofan (Akhir Lahza) • Government to reveal position today on Israeli raid (Al-Khartoum) • Free Lions reject registration of Eastern Front as political party (Al-Sahafa) • Al-Sahafa School certificate exams kick off tomorrow (Khartoum Monitor/ Akhir Lahza) • Southern Sudan leaders discuss land tenure (Radio Miraya FM) • Authorities in Unity State arrest suspected attempted assassins (Akhir Lahza) • Switch to summer time (Khartoum Monitor) • Rift reported within JEM (SMC)

Websites/International Headlines • UN urges Sudanese rethink on aid (BBC) • Prosecutor waits as Al-Bashir defies warrant (AP) • Arab summit to back Bashir, ease divide over Iran (Reuters) • chief says Darfur different from Gaza (Sudan Tribune website) • African Union panel on Darfur postpones visit to Sudan (Sudan Tribune website) • US court upholds dismissal of lawsuit over Sudan’s drug plant attack (Sudan Tribune website) • South Sudan in "serious" financial crisis, govt takes measures (Sudan Tribune website) • Egyptian president warned Al-Bashir on arms smuggling to Gaza – report (Sudan Tribune website) • UN calls for restrain in Pibor (Sudan Tribune website) • LRA ambush in S. Sudan’s Ezo kills two motor cyclists (Sudan Tribune website) Commentaries • Jonglei depopuplates due to insecurity By Miyar De'Nyok, (The New Sudan Vision)

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 29 March 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG

Highlights

Local and English Language Press

Arab ministerial meet wants ICC warrant scrapped (local dailies) The preparatory meeting for the Arab summit in Doha has issued a draft resolution calling upon the ICC to revoke its warrant on President Al-Bashir because Sudan is not a member to the ICC, reports Al-Sahafa. The draft resolution rejected the “attempts to politicize the principles of international justice and to use it to infringe on sovereignty, integrity and stability of a state under the guise of international criminal justice.” The resolution also said that the UNSC referral of “an internal conflict in Darfur” to the ICC does not comply with the UN Charter and its Principles. The paper also reports that State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Karti who led Sudan’s delegation to the preparatory talks is back in Khartoum for consultations and will return to Doha tomorrow. This, the paper adds, is against the background of reports of a rift at the meeting with regards to the wording of the draft resolution. Arab League Secretary General Amru Musa said that the summit would discuss, among other things, a proposal to hold a special session in Khartoum in solidarity with President Al-Bashir, reports Al-Ayaam. Meanwhile, Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Abdelmahmoud Abdelhaleem revealed that high-level delegations of the Arab League, the AU, the OIC and the Non-aligned Movement have been dispatched to the UK, France and the US to try to scrap the ICC warrant. Furthermore, following a meeting yesterday, the OIC issued a statement citing the 1961 Vienna Convention on Immunity for Heads of States and Governments and calling for a revoke of the ICC arrest warrant. The OIC called for respect for Sudan’s sovereignty and unity. ’s Minister for Legal affairs and Representative Council’s, Mufid Shihab, has said meanwhile that he will lead Egypt’s delegation to the summit.

UN run unilaterally by single country – President Al-Bashir (Al-Sahafa) “The UN is being run by a single country that adopts creative chaos as its policy,” said President Al-Bashir yesterday in his address at the close of the International Youths’ Forum. He pointed out that three-quarters of the world stand bewildered before this “new form of colonialism,” reports Al-Sahafa He called for comprehensive reforms that would guarantee international justice and depart from double standards. He also slammed the western press for “broadcasting lies about the humanitarian situation in Darfur.”

President Al-Bashir urged not to attend Doha summit (Al-Ayaam) The High Committee for Support of President Al-Bashir staged a demonstration before the President’s residence to pressure him not to travel to attend the Doha summit, reports Al- Ayaam daily. Speakers at the demonstration said that President Al-Bashir represents the “safety valve” for unity and peace in the country and the symbol of its sovereignty. They called on the president to “heed to the pleas of the people.” In another development, press reports differ over whether or not President Al-Bashir would

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UNMIS Media Monitoring Report 29 March 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG attend the Doha summit. Some report that President Al-Bashir will not attend the talks in person but will address the opening session over satellite while others say VP Taha will lead the Sudan delegation to the talks.

Opinion poll shows 94.6% against ICC decision (Al-Sudani)

An opinion poll by Misdaqiya (Credibility), a Sudanese polling organization, reveals that 94.6% of the 10,000 respondents from Khartoum State reject the ICC arrest warrant on President Al- Bashir; 85.6% say they are happy to bear repercussions of Sudan’s rejection to the ICC; 73% reject a President Al-Bashir travel to the Doha summit and 71.5% say their rejection of the ICC warrant has nothing to do with the Sudan government, reports Al-Sudani. Parties reject earlier elections (Al-Sudani)

A number of political organizations have voiced total rejection to any attempts at earlier polls or at the conducting of presidential elections separate from parliamentary elections as was proposed earlier by the Political Parties and Organizations Association, reports Al-Sudani. They cite a series of technical considerations that need to be addressed ahead of the polls such as transition to democracy, border demarcation and the results of the census in addition to other technical difficulties that include the rains and lack of training for the concerned officials. Many parties suggest instead that the polls be deferred to allow for more time to address these issues.

Abyei minister threatened (SMC) SMC website (also reported on Al-Wattan and Al-Ayaam): Majid Back, the Abyei Administration’s Minister for Local Government and Human Resources, says a group of local tribesmen has threatened to “physically liquidate” him for testimony he gave to the court in the Hague asked to arbitrate the border dispute in Abyei. Back told the SMC that the group summoned him two days ago and asked him not to travel to testify before the court. He pointed out however that the National Congress Party has condemned this act and has voiced its support for co-existence in the area.

Militia attacks hamper polio campaign in Southern Kordofan (Akhir Lahza) The union of health practitioners in Southern Kordofan has halted child immunization campaigns throughout the state in protest over continued attacks by militias and government inability to protect the teams, reports Akhir Lahza. Mohamed Bushra Somei who heads the union said that five members of these immunization teams are in hospital receiving treatment from such attacks. He said that the militias rob them of mobile phones and other personal items. He called on government to protect these teams if it wants a successful vaccination campaign. Government to reveal position today on Israeli raid (Al-Khartoum) Sudan has denied being informed that Egypt is deploying forces to monitor the joint border areas to avert arms smuggling to Gaza but adds it will tighten monitoring of arms flow to those areas, reports Al-Khartoum. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Muttrif Sidig said that the government would issue today a statement on its position on the Israeli raid on a desert area north-west of Port Sudan early this year.

Free Lions reject registration of Eastern Front as political party (Al-Sahafa) Al-Sahafa reports that the Beja Congress and the Free Lions have presented to the Political Parties’ Council a memorandum calling for legal measures to challenge the registration of the Eastern Front as a political party. They argue that the Eastern Front is an alliance of the Beja Congress and the Free Lions, not a separate political party.

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School certificate exams kick off tomorrow (Khartoum Monitor/ Akhir Lahza)

Sudan School Certificate examinations kick off tomorrow with 447,000 candidates expected to sit. The governments of the three states of Darfur have set up examinations centres in the major urban areas, Khartoum Monitor daily reports. UNAMID meanwhile reports that it is helping transport by air Sudan Secondary School Examinations papers to nine examinations centres in North Darfur state. UN Spokesperson Michele Montas said that UNAMID will transport the second batch of the papers tomorrow, according to Akhir Lahza.

Southern Sudan leaders discuss land tenure (Radio Miraya FM) Radio Mirada FM reports that head of the Southern Sudan Lands Committee, Robert Laud, said that local leaders of the southern Sudan states, representatives of the Lands Commission and representatives of civil society organizations have started meetings to evaluate land tenure policies in southern Sudan.

Authorities in Unity State arrest suspected attempted assassins (Akhir Lahza)

Authorities in Upper Nile arrested a suspect in the December 2008 failed attempt to kill Mrs. Angelina Tang, the State Minister for Energy, during her visit to Lire County. Akhir Lahza reports that the suspect was released on bail. Mrs. Teng is wife to GoSS VP Riek Machar.

Switch to summer time (Khartoum Monitor) Khartoum Monitor reports that the General Secretariat of the Council of Minister announced yesterday that the switch to summer time would commence on April 1 and continue until October 31 this year. The change entails in working hours at federal government department from 07:30 hours each day and end at 15:00 hours each working day.

Rift reported within JEM (SMC) SMC website carries a report of a rift along tribal lines within the JEM. Quoting sources, SMC reports that Commander Ali Wasi walked out of a recent meeting chaired by Dr. Khalil in protest over “marginalization” on the grounds he hails from an Arab tribe. Sources add that the commander has been marginalized also because of his demands for the return of some commanders sacked in the wake of the JEM attack on Omdurman. Wasi has also demanded that “some JEM Arabs participate at the Doha talks.”

Websites/International News Coverage

UN urges Sudanese rethink on aid BBC, 27/03/09 - The UNSC has called on Sudan to reconsider its decision to expel foreign aid agencies from Darfur. Correspondents say the council's move is significant as they had previously been unable to agree on a statement. A non-binding statement read out by current Council President, Libyan Ambassador Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgam, read out a non-binding statement agreed by all 15 members. It said the members "stressed the importance of continuing the distribution of humanitarian assistance to all the needy in Darfur".

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The statement also called on Sudan to continue co-operating with the UN and to "reconsider the decision on suspending the activities of some non-government organizations in Sudan". But it remains unclear what the council will do if President Bashir does not change his mind.

Prosecutor waits as Al-Bashir defies warrant AP, The Hague, 27/03/09 - Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir may be able to travel to friendly neighboring nations but he remains a fugitive from international justice, the ICC prosecutor said. Al-Bashir was back in Sudan on Friday after jetting to Eritrea, Egypt and Libya in four days, effectively thumbing his nose at the war crimes court that issued an arrest warrant March 4. But all three countries are Sudan allies. None are among the 108 countries that recognize the court and are obliged to arrest him if they can.

"To be honest, Mr. Bashir's actions look to me more like desperation than defiance: how can he be proud to be traveling to neighboring countries?" Moreno Ocampo said in written responses to questions from AP. "He is a fugitive from the law, and this is how he is acting." Al-Bashir's trips were to thank allies for their support since the international arrest warrant was issued and discuss Darfur. But they also appear aimed at demonstrating the warrant will not turn Al-Bashir into a prisoner in his own country.

"Al-Bashir is trying to flex some diplomatic muscle in a show of strength," said Richard Dicker, head of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. "This is the beginning of what will be, I suspect, an ongoing and possibly long-term process to diplomatically marginalize Omar Al-Bashir and ultimately arrest and surrender him for fair trial at the ICC," he said. It remains unclear whether al-Bashir will fly to the Arab League summit next week in Qatar.

Moreno Ocampo said prosecutors in The Hague are monitoring al-Bashir's movements, but it has no police force to execute the warrant. He appealed to countries - even those unwilling to arrest President Al-Bashir - to do more to protect those in the camps. He alleges that Sudanese forces are still attacking civilians in camps with a campaign of intimidation and rape. "We are asking states for more than silence _ the scale of possibilities between arresting and doing nothing is wide," he added. "We need to apply the law, but we need leadership. We need diplomatic efforts to call on the Sudan to stop the crimes."

Arab summit to back Bashir, ease divide over Iran Reuters, Doha, 29/03/09 - An Arab summit in Qatar on Monday will seek to give backing to Sudan over an ICC warrant for its president and ease a deep rift among Arab states over how to deal with ascendant Shi'ite power Iran.

The Doha summit is still a battleground between the emerging de facto alliance between Qatar, Syria and Iran, on one side, and the Saudis, Egyptians and Jordanians, on the other," said Ali al- Ahmed, a U.S.-based Saudi opposition figure. It was not clear if any Iranian officials would attend as observers. Plans by Qatar and Arab League chief Amr Moussa to make the meeting a reconciliation summit were spoiled by Egyptian President 's surprise decision not to attend -- apparently over continuing rancour at the Gaza summit chaos. Jamal Khashoggi, editor of Saudi daily al-Watan, said Mubarak's absence would not affect Saudi- and Egyptian-led attempts to get to join a unity government with the Fatah faction led by U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir's indictment by the ICC in The Hague over atrocities in

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Darfur is set to present a further challenge for leaders of the 22-member Arab League, whether Bashir defies international justice and turns up or not.

Arab League chief says Darfur different from Gaza Sudan Tribune website, Doha, 28/03/09 - Asked by reporter why they want the international court to investigate Gaza crimes and not Darfur, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa Moussa said the two situations are different. “What is happening in Darfur is a semi-civil war and its responsibility is shared by many parties” the Arab League Secretary General said. “The arrest warrant against a sitting president but what is occurring in Palestin is military occupation” he added.

African Union panel on Darfur postpones visit to Sudan Sudan Tribune website, Khartoum, 28/03/09 - A high level panel established by the AU last month to look into accountability issues relating to Darfur rescheduled its first visit to the second week of April. The SMC quoted an unidentified official as saying that the panel was supposed to arrive on Sunday but did not say the reasons behind the delay. This is not the first time the panel’s visit has been postponed. The eight-member panel is comprised of three former African heads of state including South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, Burundi’s Pierre Buyoya and Nigeria’s General Abu Salam Abu-Bakr.

US court upholds dismissal of lawsuit over Sudan’s drug plant attack Sudan Tribune website, Washington, 28/03/09 - A US federal appeals court upheld on Friday a decision to dismiss a lawsuit seeking $50-million in damages as compensation for the US military’s destruction in 1998 of a Sudanese pharmaceutical plant in retaliation for al-Qaeda’s bombings of US embassies in Africa. The case had been dismissed for the first time on August 11, 2004.

South Sudan in "serious" financial crisis, govt takes measures Sudan Tribune website, Juba, 27/03/09 – GoSS is to take drastic political and administrative measures to try to curb a looming economic crisis in the region, according to GoSS Spokesperson Gabriel Changson Chang following a cabinet session on Friday that discussed the negative impact of global financial crisis on the 2009 GoSS budget. Chang, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, said the cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit had resolved to constitute a ministerial committee to seriously look into political, economic and administrative issues and to recommend possible measures to the government for action within a week. The Governor of the Bank of Southern Sudan (BoSS), Elijah Malok Aleng, presented a statement on the status of balances in the Bank and indicated that the coffers are almost empty. Malok, who is also the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan, blamed the situation partly on financial irregularities by senior government officials.

Egyptian president warned Al-Bashir on arms smuggling to Gaza - report Sudan Tribune website, Washington, 27/03/09 - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had personally warned his Sudanese counterpart Omer Al-Bashir this week on the growing trend of

Page 6 of 9 UNMIS Media Monitoring Report 29 March 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG arms smuggling from Sudan, US officials told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) today. The WSJ said that Mubarak was also echoing US complaints on the same issue who sent a formal letter demanding Sudan’s government “cease smuggling arms into Egypt”. This week news emerged that Israeli warplanes struck suspected arm smugglers headed towards in Eastern Sudan killing dozens of people. Sudanese officials said that there were two raids conducted, one on January 27th and the second on February 11th. However an unnamed US official speaking to ABC network said that Israeli warplanes launched three airstrikes since January. Sudan acknowledged the bombings took place but said that the government kept it under tight wraps while investigation is complete. Foreign ministry spokesman Ali Sadiq said there were two separate bombing raids against smugglers in a remote desert area near the Red Sea town of Port Sudan in January and February, killing about 40 people. “First we suspected it was the United States, but we received assurances it was not them, and we are investigating other possibilities, including Israel” Sadiq told AFP. “But there is no indication for now that it was Israel” he added.

UN calls for restrain in Pibor Sudan Tribune website, Khartoum, 27/03/09 - UNMIS has called on the warring parties in Jonglei State to exercise self restrain and refrain from retaliatory attacks. UNMIS senior officers visited Jonglei State on March 25 to try to defuse inter-ethnic violence in Pibor County that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and the displacement of an estimated 5,000 residents. The delegation met with Jonglei State Governor Kuol Manyang and other officials and expressed the UN’s deep regret over the loss of life. It also appealed to exercise restraint and refrain from retaliatory attacks related to chronicle cattle-raiding activity in the region. UN agencies responded quickly to the humanitarian situation on the ground. WFP food supplies have been delivered to the town of Pibor and UNICEF has released 500 non-food item kits that the IOM is transporting to the affected areas. The UNOCHA and UNMIS Civil Affairs have conducted assessments in both Nyeri and Akobo. "U.N. agencies have worked closely with the Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission and the Jonglei State Government to provide immediate assistance to area residents in the aftermath of the attacks," said U.N. Deputy Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Southern Sudan Lise Grande. "We will continue to support the Government of Southern Sudan and Jonglei State Governor Kuol Manyang in ways consistent with the UNMIS mandate." She added. The mandate of UNMIS is focused on the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

LRA ambush in S. Sudan’s Ezo kills two motor cyclists Sudan Tribune website, London, 27/03/09 – The LRA has reportedly killed two cyclists in an ambush in Ezo County on Wednesday, according to the Azande Community World-wide Organisation head office in London. According to Charles Kisanga, chairman of the Organization, the LRA left the bodies under the burning motorbikes on the road before they fled. “Even with concerted efforts by the Self Defence groups to keep LRA far away from villages, the elusive LRA are always hiding in the forests ready to spring on innocent victims any time they get a chance,” said Kisanga. Page 7 of 9

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Commentaries

Jonglei depopuplates due to insecurity By Miyar De'Nyok, (The New Sudan Vision) Thursday, 26 March 2009 07:53 The sad days of intimidation of loved ones are not totally gone in Jonglei state. The state government has tried to step up to disarm, demilitarize, disintegrate and reintegrate all those militias undercover of gun possessions to no avail. Insecurity still thrives to date in the state. It is time for the Government of Southern Sudan and the state governments to extricate crime perpetuated against innocents, who are not part of theft or arm possessions, but victims of cattle rustling and individual greed. In principle, the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) and Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) have failed to implement the task before their infant nation if the looming hope for secession proceeds in 2011. GoSS should be in a position to secure the innocent people it has been licensed to govern. One of the issues that stands out explicitly is the insecurity. How is Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) prepared if it cannot implement and control internal insecurity? It should be realized that charity begins at home. SPLA and GoSS should be very restrictive to bring insecurity to zero before the hardest task with their counterpart in the coalition government of Sudan. The most important gift on earth is the gift of life. If one loses a member of his family be it through natural death or organized murder, one would love to revenge unless death it was natural. I think State governments, GoSS and SPLA should stand up to alleviate these kind of crimes perpetuated against the innocents. First, it should implement a stringent disarmament program that will restrict and retrieve guns from illegal owners. This task requires comprehensive approach and collaboration of GoSS, SPLA and State governments so that no state, county, tribes, families and individuals are left out. I think all criminals are well known in their respective communities. Holding state governments, county commissioners and community leaders accountable is the best approach to eliminate insecurity. GoSS is a government composed of paradigm structures that will assist in watering down those crimes. The community leaders together with their commissioners should ensure that everyone is counted either in SPLA or police unit. If anyone is not having a unit then he/she must go home. Second, SPLA should step-in to rescue the situation because insecurity has been going on since CPA was signed in 2005. Southern Sudan is now moving toward secession, but if such upheavals cannot be controlled, they are going to have negative repercussions on governance. Nobody under any circumstance should be allowed to possess guns if not in SPLA. I think it should be a merit of SPLM, fighting for peaceful campaign and sanctity for every life. Third, the government should give incentives to local people since poverty struck Southern Sudan during civil war. Development is not going as expected. Insecurity itself is the stumble block to local communities accessing development. Incentives to improve agriculture and small businesses will create jobs, thus, leading to engagement of these criminals who do not have anything. I think most of the crimes perpetuated are committed by youth, who do not have access to

Page 8 of 9 UNMIS Media Monitoring Report 29 March 2009 WWW.UNMIS.ORG resources, remaining idle and resorting to cattle rustling and theft. Therefore providing incentives to them will reduce insecurity. Finally, GoSS should introduce gun registry. This legislation will empower SPLA to have jurisdiction over gun possessions. The law will outcasts and ousts these perpetrators to restrain from illegal killing for the sake of getting cattle and abduct ing children, who are not their own. Therefore, SPLA, GoSS and state governments should put this priority to reduce arm robbery crimes in the nation by implementing stringent disarmament, disintegration, demilitarization, and provide development incentives and hold the government and everyone accountable. These measures will reduce insecurity if we get involved in the task, not only for our government but the good citizens who love Southern Sudan to prosper and flourish in the 21st century for next generations to inherit good deeds.

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