Posted on 10/17/2006 11:25:07 AM PDT by Republicain
Sudan's army has suffered two major military defeats in its campaign against rebels in the Darfur region, the UN envoy to Sudan says. Jan Pronk wrote on his personal blog there had been hundreds of casualties and prisoners taken, leading to a fall in morale and the sacking of generals.
He also said that pro-government Arab militias were again being mobilised in contravention of UN resolutions.
The Janjaweed militias are accused of widespread atrocities, even genocide.
A former Janjaweed fighter "Ali" now living in London has told the BBC that Sudanese ministers gave express orders for the activities of his unit, which included rape and killing children.
He told the Newsnight programme that Janjaweed fighters would go into Darfur villages after they had been bombed by the air force.
The government has always denied backing the Janjaweed militias and says the problems in Darfur are being exaggerated for political reasons.
More than two million people have fled their homes during the three-year conflict in Darfur.
Spreading conflict
Mr Pronk said the army's defeats in its latest six-week campaign in Darfur came at Umm Sidir and Karakaya.
Some soldiers were now refusing to fight, he said.
"The government has responded by directing more troops and equipment from elsewhere to the region and by mobilising Arab militia. This is a dangerous development."
He also said that Chad, Sudan's neighbour to the west, is also taking an increasing role in the fighting.
Mr Pronk says it seems that Chadian rebels are now fighting alongside the Sudanese armed forces, while Chad's government backs the Darfur rebels.
Envoys from the United States and the UK have visited Sudan this week, but the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says the international community is at a loss to stop Darfur's violence.
Our reporter says efforts to persuade Sudan to accept United Nations peacekeepers have failed, with Khartoum seeming determined to pursue a military solution.
A peace deal was signed with one of the rebel factions earlier this year but since then the violence has intensified, with aid workers unable to operate in much of the region.
Mr Pronk says the government has been able to exploit the rebel divisions.
"The rebel movements seem to underestimate how far the DPA [peace deal], if implemented, would restrict the government of Sudan in a possible further abuse of its power," he says.
"It is important to keep what has been achieved, rather than throw away the child with the bathwater."
May they have many more, allthe way to Khartoum.
And Britain let Mr. "Ali" in why???
"In 1979, two EDS employees were taken hostage by the Iranian government. Perot directed a successful rescue mission composed of EDS employees and led by retired Green Beret Colonel Arthur “Bull” Simons. Perot himself went to Iran and entered the prison where his men were held."
Somebody tell me, but is that against U.S. law, or would the Secret Billionare (et al) be appropriate recipents of the Noble Peace Prize ?
You're talking about a "Wild Geese" scenario -- IOW's mercenary action. Mercenaries are a for-profit operation. Not sure what the bottom-line would be in Darfur.
Mercenaries had a checkered history in Africa during the period after many of these countries became independant. It's a bad word in Africa. It's one of the few things that Africans can agree on.
Good point Tallguy,
But what if it weren't just a bunch of mercenaries sent in to kill, but rather a Private Security firm (such as Blackwater) that could send in a relatively small group of men to do classic Special Forces work - i.e., they would train and equip the locals to successfully defend themselves against the radical Muslims?
Fletcher J
Wrong. They need to go for independence. They already know what it means to be ruled by Sudanese; it means slavery, mass murder, torture and mutilation. The Sudanese government considers them to be the enemy, that couldn't be more clear. They should never again submit to rule by Khartoum.
It is my understanding that the Janjaweed is not a radical Muslim group, but rather a group of murderous thugs whose members happen to be Muslims.
Ah, gotcha. The Janjaweed is not a violent Muslim group, it's a violent group of Muslims.
Thanks. Fletcher J
We're probably supposed to know who is who in this, but pro-gov't, militias, Arab, army, rebels, etc. are murky, shadow entities. Why don't they write a clear piece in English over at BBC, the curators of the English language?
And, who the b^)(#Y $$(( is Ganjaweed?
I'm really not following your point of contention here, zimdog...
Let me rephrase in my best lawyer speak: The Janjaweed Militia is comprised of radical, violent and murderous thugs, who also just happen to be Muslims. The article in discussion calls the Jangaweed a Muslim Militia.
Fletcher J
That must be lawyer speak becayse now I'm confused.
My point is that the Janjaweed isn't a radical Muslim group because its goals (namely, killing black people) are not specific to Islam and they never said otherwise.
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