UN Feb. 2 Bulletin on Sudan

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United Nations Sudan Bulletin
2 February
Highlights:
· An AMIS officer was killed in an ambush in Kutum, North Darfur.
General:
· On 1 February, a spokesman for the US State Department expressed hope that
Southern Sudan will remain as the mediator of talks between the Government of Uganda
and the LRA. The US was concerned that a change in mediator will only delay peace in
the region.
· On 1 February, SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy met
Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol and Minister of Defence Gen. Abdel-Rahim
Hussein at the end of her visit to Sudan.
· On 1 February, according to Sudan's national news agency, movements signatory to
the Darfur Peace Agreement and some civil society forces signed a protocol committing
themselves to co-operate in implementation of the DPA. Signatories included the
Rapporteur of the Political Office of SLM-Peace Wing Ismail Aghbash, Ismail Yahya
signed for Sudan United Forces and Alyas Mohamed Ahmed signed for Future Forces
Movement.
· On 1 February, the Sudanese national news agency announced details of the
programme for President Hu Jintao, who will make his first official visit to Sudan on 2-3
February. President Hu will meet President Omar al-Bashir, FVP Salva Kiir Mayardit
and VP Taha. He is also holding events with the Chinese Community in Sudan and
visiting the Khartoum Oil Refinery. President Hu Jintao is expected to attend the signing
of a number of commerical and investment agreements between the two countries.
· On 1 February, according to regional media, Ugandan armed forces are deployed
along the Nimule-Juba road in a bid to restore security after a spate of attacks attributed
to the LRA. The report, by Uganda's leading daily newspaper New Vision, says UPDF
forces are concentrated in Nimule and have established checkpoints along much of the
route the the Southern Sudan capital. Comment: Sudan's National Assembly voted in
November not to extend the MOU under which UPDF forces are permitted to operate
inside Southern Sudan. The MOU expired on 31 December.
· On 1 February, according to local media, GOSS Minister for Transport and
Communications Rebecca Garang gave a speech encouraging South Sudanese to have
faith in the ability of the GOSS to deliver on the objectives of the CPA. Mrs. Garang
called 2007 a "year of learning", and emphasized that GOSS was still in a learning
phase. She stressed that the recently approved US$1.3 billion GOSS budget would be
used appropriately to meet the needs of the people.
Khartoum and Northern Sudan: NSTR
North Darfur
Security:
Page 2
· On 1 February, a CIVPOL officer of the AMIS was killed in an ambush by unknown
armed elements in the area of Kassab IDP Camp, north of Kutum. The AMIS vehicle he
was driving was also robbed.
· On 1 February, National Security officers at the check point at Haluf denied passage
to a UN convoy including UNMIS vehicles en route to Mellit, demanding HAC permit.
Civil Affairs:
· On 31 January, during the visit to El Fasher, the Danish Minister for Development
and Cooperation pledged 25 million USD to support longer-term development in Darfur.
She expressed to the Governor of North Darfur her concern about the limited
humanitarian access in North Darfur. The Governor emphasized there was full
humanitarian access in government-controlled areas, adding that they were not
responsible for areas controlled by the NSF.
South Darfur
Security:
· On 1 February, four armed men attacked a commercial bus en route to Nyala from El
Fasher at a location 28 km north of Nyala and robbed all the passengers of their personal
properties. There were no casualties.
Humanitarian:
· Reports indicate that new IDPs are arriving at Al Salam Camp from Al Goz (Buram
locality) on a daily basis. An INGO registered 2,356 IDPs between 15 and 30 January,
making the total number of the population in the camp 5,925. More are expected to
arrive.
West Darfur
Security:
· On 31 January, a vehicle rented by an INGO was robbed on its way to Silea from
Qawz Nginnu. The perpetrators bundled the driver and passengers, nine INGO staff
members, and drove away towards Hizilini. The vehicle was recovered later.
Southern Sudan
Security:
· On 30 January, shooting occurred involving local police and SAF soldiers at Mirmir
market and one person was reportedly killed.
· On 31 January, unconfirmed information was received on possible LRA movement to
the south of Yambio, in the areas of Nabiapai and Gangura. UNPOL, UNMOs and
BANBAT took appropriate security precautions.
Civil Affairs:
· On 1 February, at the inaugural session of the Upper Nile Legislative Assembly, the
Speaker of the assembly highlighted the assembly's achievements to date and thanked
key actors including UNMIS for their support towards peace-building and good
governance. He called for accountability vis-à-vis public funds, noting that little was
known about state revenues generated for 2006, and called on the Finance Ministry to
clarify the usage of 55 million Sudanees Dinar received from the GoSS in November
2006.
Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan: NSTR
Safety of Personnel: NSTR
Restriction of Movement: NSTR
Page 3
Casualties: No Casualties reported
Bulletins generally sum up the main events, incidents and developments on the ground in the various
areas of UNMIS operation in Sudan. As public records of occurrences, the reports include statements
and accounts from a wide range of sources and witnesses such as the internally displaced persons
(IDPs), refugees, representatives of the Government, rebel movements, non-governmental
organizations and others. As such, statements and accounts cited in the Bulletin and quoted from such
individuals do not necessarily reflect the views of UNMIS.
Unified Mission Analysis Centre (UMAC)
United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
Khartoum
Sudan
Please direct enquiries to umac@un.orghttp://www.unmis.org/english/2007Docs/UMAC-Bulletin-feb02.pdf