Tuesday 27 December 2011

Justice and Equality Movement leader killed

Khalil Ibrahim in 2007
Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement



A spokesman for the Darfur rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement or JEM, confirmed yesterday their leader Khalil Ibrahim died of wounds sustained in an air strike last Thursday. 

JEM boycotted a peace agreement signed by the Sudanese government and other insurgent rebel groups last year in Doha, Qatar; last month they signed a cooperation agreement with three other rebel groups vowing to overthrow the Khartoum based government of Omar al-Bashir. Sudan's information minister, Abdullah Masser, said Ibrahim's death sends a message to other rebel groups "to listen to the voices of wisdom and join the peace process"

Ibrahim had reportedly only recently returned to Sudan, previously being in exile in Libya. It's understood JEM was attempting to regroup and reorganise, following the death of their generous patron Muammar Gadaffi. A security officer with the UN mission in Darfur (Unamid) says the group has mostly operated out of North Kordofan state in recent times and has ceased to have an official presence in Darfur. 

Sudan Police crackdown on Student Protests

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Up to 16,000 students staged a sit-in protest at the University of Khartoum on Sunday, December 25th. The students were protesting police violence and demanding the overthrow of both the university administration and the Sudanese government.

Clashes between students and police began earlier in the week when up to 700 students staged a smaller protest in support of people displaced by the construction of the Merowe Dam. Police entered the campus on Thursday and used batons and tear gas to disperse the students; the sit-in began on Saturday and was violently broken up the following day, with the arrest of over 70 students.

Wednesday 21 December 2011

What's happening in the rest of Sudan?

What's going on outside of South Kordofan? Plenty. Yesterday, Sudanese anti-riot police broke up a demonstration protesting the construction of an up-country dam; Rebel leader George Athor, South Sudan's most high profile rebel leader, was killed by South Sudan's military near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and African Union mediators have announced Sudan and South Sudan will resume negotiations in January, aimed at resolving their dispute over ownership of oil reserves.

George Athor has led an independent rebel group, South Sudan's Democratic Movement/Army (SSDMA) against the new government in Juba, after splitting from the SPLA in 2010. An SSDMA spokesman refuted the version of events announced by a government spokesman, claiming instead that the Ugandan government had a hand in the killing.

S Sudan rebel chief Athor killed
George Athor, South Sudan rebel leader



On Tuesday, a number of youth affiliated to the Al-Manasir tribal group in Northern Sudan thronged the main bus station in central Khartoum, in protest at what they claim has been the forced displacement of over 100,000 people without adaquete compensation, to facilitate the construction of a Chinese- built dam. 
   
Community leaders claim that 90% of the promised compensation has not yet been received; the Merowe Dam was financed by China, the Arab Fund for Social & Economical Development,  the Saudi Fund for Development and other Arab funds. The project has been marred by reports of human rights abuse since it's inception in 2003. Human Rights Organisation claim members of communities opposed to the dam's construction have been detained, tortured and even killed. Tuesday's protest was forcibly broken p by riot police with tear gas and a number of people were arrested.

In other news and perhaps significantly for South Kordofan, the Sudanese Armed Forces today reiterated their commitment to withdrawing from the disputed border region of Abyei. A force of over 4,000 Ethiopian troops is due to arrive in the region in the coming days as part of a new United Nations peacekeeping force, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). 

Earlier this week, the government in Khartoum arrested a senior opposition politician, upon his return from a trip abroad. The Popular Congress Party's (PCP) political Secretary General, Kamal Omer,announced that the party's organisational communications officer Ibrahim al-Sanousi was arrested on Monday at Khartoum Airport by members of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).  

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Ibrahim al-Sanousi

The PCP is led by Islamist figure Hassan al-Turabi, who engineered the 1989 coup which delivered power to Omer Hassan al-Bashir. The two later fell out in the 90s and al-Turabi became a fierce critic of the Khartoum based government. 

The Sudan tribune reports an opposition source as suggesting that the Sudanese authorities are concerned the PCP may be collaborating with the Kadua alliance, a newly formed rebel alliance aimed at toppling the government in Khartoum. 





Monday 19 December 2011

Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation- call for applications

Balkan based NGO Transconflict (www.transconflict.org) is launching a Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation (GCCT). This initiative will bring together not for profit organisations who are committed to upholding and implementing certain Principles of Conflict Transformation (which can be found here http://www.transconflict.com/advocate/global-coalition-for-conflict-transformation/principles-of-conflict-transformation/)

The GCCT's mission is to raise awareness and understanding about conflict transformation, facilitate theoretical and policy oriented debate on conflict transformation, advocate for greater support for conflict transformation processes and catalyse the sharing of best practice between practitioners.

Ru'ya urges any NGO based in the East and/or Horn of Africa to consider applying to the Coalition; it is essential for NGOs in the region to share experiences with other conflict ridden regions, learn from the example of others and also promote awareness of the difficulties in the region. The GCCT provides an excellent forum for all these things.

Visit Transconflicts website for more information  http://www.transconflict.com/

No end in sight to conflict in South Kordofan; UK Parliament calls for "effective action"

A SPLM-N spokesman claimed nineteen people were killed last weekend when heavy clashes broke out between government forces and insurgent rebels in South Kordofan. There are reports of heavy artillery bombing by the Sudan government being carried out in Taruje, near the border with South Sudan.
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A SPLM-N rebel shows off a rocket propelled grenade launcher captured in clashes with government forces
Fighting initially broke out in June but has intensified in recent weeks, with the end of the rainy season. Earlier this month, the UK Parliament addressed a letter to the UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague, which urged the UK government to impose targeted sanctions on high level members of Sudan's ruling party, who currently enjoy unimpeded travel to the UK, where many of them even own residences. The letter furthered that unless the Government took effective action instead of making dialogue its priority, Khartoum would continue to act ruthlessly with impunity.

Meanwhile, debate continues to rage over the merits of the ICC prosecutors office seeking yet another arres warrant for a high level Sudanese official, given that no one from Sudanese government has yet stood trial in the International Criminal Court. Some experts, such as Phil Clark a long time observer at the court and a lecturer at the London School of Oriental and African Studies, have claimed the issuing of arrest warrants allows people in the West to feel as if they are acting positively to halt a genocide, despite the fact that the ICC has had little or no impact on the way the conflict in Darfur has actually played out. Not everyone agrees with this point of view of course; many claim the alleged crimes are so horrific, those who committed cannot simply get away without an international arrest warrant being issued as if it were a free pass. Although there is merit in this point, it is true that the issuing of arrest warrants for Sudanese officials has had little impact on their behaviour.

Sunday 11 December 2011

ICC issues arrest warrant for Sudan Defence Minister over Darfur

ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo


The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has requested an arrest warrant for Sudan's defence minister, Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between 2003 and 2004; the Hague based ICC has previously inidcted Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir for the same crimes, but also for the crime of genocide.

The warrant was issued on Friday, in a statement released by Moreno-Ocampo's office which claimed that Mr. Hussein, who was Sudan's Interior Minister and government representative in Sudan at the time of the alleged crimes, is among those who bear "the greatest criminal responsibility" for the atrocities committed in Darfur.

When questioned on the timing of the request, Mr. Moreno-Ocampo stated he wished to refocus attention on Sudan's policy and actions. ICC judges will now examine the request and decide if an arrest warrant shall be issued. It would be the fourth such arrest warrant issued for a Sudanese official in relation to Darfur.

Sudan's Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein. Photo: September 2011
Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein
A spokesman for the Sudan government branded the allegations as nonsense; It is unlikely that even if an arrest warrant were to be issued by the ICC, it would affect the actions of Khartoum. Despite an arrest warrant being issued two years ago for Presideny Bashir, he has continued his policies unabated and has traveled to several other countries, mostly in Africa, without being arrested. The African Union has consistently expressed concern over its belief that the ICC is unfairly targeting African leaders.

Academics have already begun to debate why the crime of genocide is not also being leveled at Mr. Hussein, as it was at President Bashir. Genocide scholar Professor William Schabas looks more closely at this issue on his blog http://humanrightsdoctorate.blogspot.com/

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Tensions between Sudan and South Sudan continue to escalate

South Sudan last week petitioned the United Nations Security Council, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Sudan Armed Forces from parts of the southern state. The complaint also called for the release of South Sudanese soldiers, allegedly taken prisoner by Sudan. South Sudan's Foreign Affairs Minister Nhial Deng Nhial also called on Khartoum to immediately halt all forms of aggression, fearing a return to all out war.

Also this weekend, the Sudanese government blocked the U.N.'s relief coordinator Valerie Amos from visiting Khartoum, claiming the top official with responsibility for humanitarian issues was not available to meet with her. This claim proves rather disingenuous seeing as how the visit was planned months in advance. Amos planned to use the trip to press high level Khartoum officials to allow greater humanitarian access to the conflict ridden states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Monday 5 December 2011

Sudan army claims it has captured rebel army base; UN says refugee numbers to rise to 100,000

A Sudan military spokesman claimed Sudan's armed forces had captured a strategic rebel base in South Kordofan. A spokesman for the SPLA-N however, denied the claim.

Army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad claimed Sudanese forces captured the base in the Lake Jau area on Saturday afternoon; his SPLA-N counterpart Qamar Dalam claimed this to be false. It is impossible to independently verify either claim as the Khartoum based government has banned journalists from South Kordofan.

Earlier in the week, the SPLA-N leader Yasser Arman accused Khartoum of engaging in a heavy military campaign against civilians in South Kordofan. The UN refugee agency said last week that approximately 80,000 people have fled conflict in the region so far this year and they expect this figure to rise to 100,000 by the end of the year.

Saturday 3 December 2011

Nobel Women's Initiative highlight Ru'yas work

As part of the Global 16 Days of activism against gender violence, the Nobel Women's Initiative has highlighted the incredible contribution our founder and executive director, Zeinab Blandia, has made towards the advancement of women in South Kordofan.

The Nobel Women's Initiative was founded in 2006 by six female Nobel laureates, to help strengthen and support the work being done to advance women's rights worldwide. The Initiative uses the prestige and profile of the Nobel prize positively to highlight and support women who work for peace, justice and equality.



Find the article on Zeinab by the Nobel Women's Initiative here http://nobelwomensinitiative.org/2011/12/day-8-spotlighting-zeinab-blandia-sudan/?ref=18

Monday 28 November 2011

Sudan's numerous conflicts are not isolated but are a direct result of the policies of Khartoum

Last week, 62 US Representatives signed a letter urging the Obama administration to change it's policy towards Sudan to reflect the fact that each individual conflict in the country cannot be viewed or dealt with in isolation; rather each conflict must be seen as a symptom of a larger problem- the repressive policies of the Khartoum government.

The British Sudanese writer Jamal al-Mahjoub once said that to understand Sudan you need a layered map like an old cellophone digaram once found in encyclopedias. The journalist Deborah Scroggings furthered this theory in her enlightening book Emma's War, " As you peeled away the top piece of cellophone labelled 'Sudan', you would find a succession of maps lying underneath. A map of languages, for example, and under that a map of ethnic groups and under that a map of ancient kingdoms..." 
 
Using the same idea of a layered map, Scroggings describes Sudan's long running civil was as thus "A surface map of political conflict- the northern government versus the southern rebels and under that a layer of religous conflcit- Muslim versus Christian versus Pagan; and under that a map of all the sectarian divisions within those categories; and under that a layer of ethnic divisions; then a layer of tribal subdivisions; then linguistic conflicts; beneath that still, economic divisions..."


Scroggins description is dense but apt; the decades long interconnected conflicts in Sudan are dense and cannot be simplified down to one neat reason that can be solved by George Clooney paying for a satellite to monitor the region (helpful as that gesture is for monitoring the situation in Darfur.) US policy makers seem to be relying on humanitarian actors, like George Clooney and his satellite, to promote a public image of acting or having done something, when really at a political level, there has been nothing substantial done to address the real issues in Sudan.

Humanitarian actors are essential to address certain issues in the region but they do not have the capacity or the power to effectively change the political situation and the political situation is the problem; the largely Arab north has historically been exerted power over the South of the country and abused souths inhabitants to extract its vast natural resources.

There are a number of reasons that explain why the northern part of Sudan has the advantage over the south. First of all, the sheer size of Sudan (approximately equal to Western Europe, before secession of the South) means there is huge differences and varieties in culture, politics and education caused by such a large geographical spread and differing influences. The predominently Muslim people of north Sudan tended to be better educated with higher levels of literacy than their Southern counterparts; this was due to the influence of Islam and also it's colonial past when British and Egyptian administrators favoured Sudanese Arabs over Black Sudanese. This legacy was still a huge factor in Sudanese politics in the 80s and continues to be to a lesser extent today; it enabled the Khartoum government to impose their policies as there was a distinct lack of capable Southerners to take over the administration and running of their own region.

The Souths rich mineral resources, coupled with its lack of educated, capable leadership effectively turned it into little more than a producer of raw materials that enriched the north; southern Sudanese became labourers and often slaves who kept the North running. Meanwhile southern Sudan saw little or no investment in education, industry or infrastructre. Famine consistently raged through the region in the 80s; as well as being neglected by Khartoum, people of the South also suffered at the hands of their own rebel groups who often seized humanitarian aid and sold it off for their own profit.

The genocide in Darfur galvinised global popular opinion and mobilised a new generation of activists to try and halt the atrocities being committed. It focused an unflattering spotlight on Khartoum and its policies; an concentrated international effort was made to address the issue and, soon after, to address the issue of southern Sudan, resulting in the secession of the South this summer.

But the rather thorny issue of the three disputed border states, South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, was simply left to one side. The inhabitants of these states were not given a referendum for self determination; the mineral and oil deposits their land sits on was simply too valuable for Khartoum to lose, on top of losing the Souths oil reserves. The south was proving too troublesome to keep and international pressure meant Sudan had to let it go; but the International Community seems wearied by the constant waves of conflict engulfing the country and Khartoum bet they would be reluctant to act or intervene in yet another conflict.

They were right. Responses to the atrocities carried out by Khartoum in these resisting states has been half hearted at best. The International Community is failing to grasp that Khartoum is effecting a policy of ethnic cleansing (at the very least; further research and documentation is needed to investigate claims of genocide), to clear these valuable lands of troublesome black, mostly Christian or Pagan residents who resist Khartoums' efforts to impose Sharia law and are anxious to see the benefits of their own lands resources.

It's easy to criticize the International Community's current response to the situation in Sudan but harder to know what the next step should be; such a complicated conflict does not present any easy solutions. But at the very least, a policy change by the US would be the first step towards properly addressing the numerous conflicts in the country and perhaps, finally, bringing them to conclusion.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Impunity for crimes against Journalists: A Global Scourge

Yesterday, November 23rd, marked the International Day to End Impunity, a day to demand justice for the hundreds of journalists worldwide who have been murdered because of their work. A free and open press is vital for the growth and development of a democratic society.

Sudan is notorious for its lack of free speech. One of the most high profile cases to emerge in recent years was the case of Lubna Hussein in 2009; though Lubna is a journalist, she was arrested by Sudan's Pulbic Order Regime police for wearing trousers and sentenced to forty lashes after refusing on principle to pay a fine. Ten journalists who reported Lubna's case inside Sudan were subsequently imprisoned also.  

The worlds newest state, South Sudan, a mere five months old, is already displaying a worrying tendency to imprison journalists critical of the government. Only this week, two journalists were released after being imprisoned for two weeks, just for writing an editorial which criticised the South Sudanese President.

There are many more cases, too numerous to cite here, of journalists being persecuted and prosecuted for merely doing their job and carrying out an invaluable democratic service. We should all defend press freedom; without it, we have no society.

US warns South Sudan against supporting SPLM-N; meanwhile Congress representatives call for policy shift towards Sudan

Yesterday the US demanded South Sudan cease giving any assistance or support to the SPLM-N, who are fighting against the Republic of Sudan in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

The message came during a visit to Juba and Khartoum by the White House Deputy National Security Advisor Denis Mc Donough which began last week. A statement released by the National Security Council furthered it was neccessary for South Sudan to respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Sudan and not provoke an inter-state conflict by providing support to rebel groups fighting within another state.

  
White House Deputy National Security Advisor, Denis McDonough 

Khartoum has already lodged two complaints with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Juba has been providing support to rebel groups fighting against it; this latest statement by the US will provide a certain level of justification for those claims.

Khartoum is not fully embracing the US however and has accused it of "conspiring" against it with the government of South Sudan, after the UN said this month that Sudan was responsible for the bombing of a refugee camp within South Sudan.

Staying with the US, this week a bipartisan group of 62 members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama, calling on the administration to recalibrate US policy towards Sudan, taking into account the most recent eruption of violence and the ensuing humanitarian crisis.

The representatives argue that the conflicts in Sudan can no longer be views as distinct entities but must be seen as the result of a consistent, centralised policy of political and economic marginalisation of peripheral areas by Khartoum.

Sunday 20 November 2011

What's going on in South Kordofan?

Not quite sure what's going on?



If you're new to the issues surrounding the conflict in South Kordofan, visit our page Why is there conflict in South Kordofan? for a simple and accessible history to the conflict.

Nuba Diaspora urged to mobilise and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls for "Action, not words" in Sudan



Mohammed Yassin, on behalf of Nuab Diaspora and in coalition with a number of Italian NGOs, has released an appeal to halt the violence in the Nuba Mountain region. The appeal calls on the wider Numba diaspora and INGOs to mobilise efforts to lobby the international community and Khartoum to act in order to save lives.

The document details the recent escalation of violence by the Khartoum government and lists a litany of human rights abuses directed at the people of South Kordofan, including political, cultural and social oppression. It calls on the NGO community to act now to save lives.

The appeal is an attempt to replicate, in part, the highly successful "Darfur Consortium" , a coalition of African based and/or focused NGOs who began to work together in 2004 to mobilise the general public and lobby policymakers for action in Darfur.

From their vocal condemnations, it would seem the current US administration is eager to act on Sudan; they have been overt in their calls for action on the Sudan issue. But they themselves are not acting on the issue. Former member of US Congress, Tom Andrews, writes an interesting piece on the issue in the Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-andrews/sec-clinton-action-not-wo_b_1100110.html, in which he lays out five simple steps the US administration could take to help end the violence.

 The US Administration has consistently failed to act upon their calls for peace in Sudan.  

Wednesday 16 November 2011

UN Peacekeeping Chief labels Sudan rebel alliance as "counter-productive"

Herve Ladsous, head of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, has condemned an alliance between rebel groups from Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, calling it "counter-productive"

  The UN has called for an official inquiry into the bombing of a South Sudan refugee camp.

Ladsous made the comments in an effort to calm the political situation in the region, which is tense following the bombing of a refugee camp in South Sudan by Sudan government forces. The most recent conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile erupted in June of this year and has continued since; violence is once again occurring in Darfur and with South Sudan claiming it is ready for a war with Sudan, the situation is extremely fragile.

Ladsous stressed the need for calm and warned against any moves by leading political figures which could spark more violence.

He was referring to the alliance announced last week by rebel leaders in the troubled east and south regions of Sudan, who called for the government of Omar Al-Bashir to be overthrown and replaced with a "democratic regime"


Refugee camp in South Sudan

Staff Profiles

We've now updated our staff profile page! Have a look http://ruyaassociation.blogspot.com/p/our-staff.html

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Genocide in South Kordofan?



Type "genocide Sudan" into Google and all that appears are articles about Darfur. If Google doesn't acknowlege something, does it exist?

Back in August, a senior US lawmaker urged the US government to immediately deploy peacekeepers in South Kordofan due to an imminent threat of genocide (find an enlightening report on this here http://jonestream.blogspot.com/2011/08/sudan-south-kordofan.html); nothing happened, despite an emergency congressional hearing being called by House Foreign Affairs Committee. The International Community is either unconvinced of a real threat of genocide in the region, or unwilling politically and militarily to intervene, exhausted by previous interventions in Darfur and Chad.

Operation Broken Silence, an NGO dedicated to ending mass atrocities and modern slavery, is convinced the situation in South Kordofan merits the term genocide and has been trying to mobilise a civil society campaign on the issue in the US and Europe: http://www.operationbrokensilence.org/?p=6395

Despite these few campaigners, there is a complete lack of recognition, or even debate, within the International Community about genocide or the threat of genocide in South Kordofan. Perhaps they're suffering from genocide fatigue?

Situation remains tense as Sudan rebels form alliance to oust President Bashir

Rebels in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile State have formed an alliance to overthrow the government of President Omar al-Bashir. The Alliance, named the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, purports to aim to implement a democratic political system instead of the current authoritarian regime.

Al-Jazeera report on this story: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/11/2011111313442277256.html


Ru'ya Executive Director, Zeinab Blandia talks about the plight of the women of South Kordofan

Our Executive Director (and founder) Zeinab Blandia spoke to Amel Gorani about the situation of women in South Kordofan. Find the article for 50.50  here http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/amel-gorani/on-record-women-in-south-kordofan

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Thursday 10 November 2011

South Sudan Refugee Camp Bombing

Tensions are high between the Sudan and South Sudan, after Sudan majorly escalated the ongoing conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile by bombing a refugee camp in South Sudan. The camp was home to residents of the two embattled states who had fled the recent conflict.

Sudan denies carrying out the aerial attack on the Yida camp, in Unity state, just over the border from South Kordofan and Blue Nile. BBC Correspondent James Copnall was actually present at the camp at the time of the bombing and reported at least 12 people were killed and over 20 injured, many seriously.

Find the BBCs extensive report on the attack here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15678261

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Tuesday 8 November 2011

Ongoing violence in South Kordofan

Violent conflict continues in South Kordofan and neighbouring Blue Nile State.

SPLA-N rebels claim to have destroyed four government tanks near Kadugli town. Refugees who have fled across the borders to South Sudan and Ethiopia accuse government forces of mass killings and rape (although these claims has not, of yet been independently verified).

SPLA leaders have asked the International Community to withhold humanitarian aid from Sudan until it halts its assault of the resource rich rebel states (find a more detailed description of their appeal here: http://www.sudantribune.com/Arman-says-economic-assistance-to,40575)

There has been little in the Western Press about the violence, although Reuters and AFP have been releasing regular (if sparsely detailed) updates. The New York Times however carried an interesting profile of an American aid worker who has built a life in the region and has refused to flee the recent violence http://www.sudantribune.com/Arman-says-economic-assistance-to,40575

Thursday 3 November 2011

Not on Our Watch- Decide for yourself what's really going on!

Following on from our debate about if the conflict in South Kordofan amounts to genocide, Not on Our Watch  http://notonourwatchproject.org/ keeps track of troop movements in the region, using a satellite (funded by George Clooney and some of his altruistic Hollywood pals) to produce irrefutable evidence of what is really happening.

 Visit their website for accurate updates and decide for yourself what's really going on!

Heavy Clashes in South Kordofan this week

Find here http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-army-confirms-heavy-clashes,40594, an article by the Sudan Tribune on recent heavy clashes in the region.

The Sudan military claims there is no violence occurring but there are conflicting accounts, as reported in a Ugandan newspaper today here: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/18875-rebels-say-still-fighting-in-sudan-oil-state.html

BBC News Africa on Tuesday carried a good article on the recent spate of violence : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15529551 On their website you will also find a good archive of past articles and fact sheets which provide some background information.

Does the conflict in South Kordofan amount to a genocide?

Although relatively unknown to the outside world, dwarfed by the ongoing conflict in Darfur and overshadowed by the expectations of the new state of South Sudan, there are many who believe that genocide is occurring in South Kordofan. The conflict there is often referred to as "genocide by attrition". This would seem an apt description for the relentless and exhaustive assaults which have been waged against the regions residents, some directly sanctioned by the state and carried out by state agents, others occurring as an indirect consequence of the states policies.

But Genocide is a term which is used far too commonly; genocide is the most heinous of crimes- the attempt to erase or eradicate an entire race of people. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide (December 1948) defines genocide as "any number of acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group," Therefore, conflict or violence based on ethnicity does not always qualify as genocide as there is no ulterior plan to eradicate the targeted racial group; however, the convention specifically refers to "in whole or in part", which complicates the issue somewhat.

The Sudanese government may not be attempting to eradicate the entire Nuba people (by whom we refer to all residents of the Nuba Mountain region, including those who don't specifically identify themselves as being ethnically Nuba) but a case can certainly be made that their actions are commited with the intent of destroying "in part" the Nuba ethnicity. The motive behind this is to gain control of the abundence of natural resources which South Kordofan possesses.

In the coming weeks, we will be discussing the conflict in South Kordofan, debating if it is a genocide or indeed, discussing if labeling it as such even matters. Check back here regularly to keep up with the debate!

Tuesday 25 October 2011

South Kordofan in the News

Want to learn more about the conflict in South Kordofan? See our page on the Regional Background http://ruyaassociation.blogspot.com/p/regional-background.html 

Eager to keep up to date with the latest news from the area? Below are some places to start. In the coming weeks we will be creating a comprehensive archive of news articles and reports on the region so check back regularly!

Al Jazeera English ran some enlightening programmes on the regional conflict; the episode focusing on South Kordofan can be found here: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/peopleandpower/2011/07/2011713134945963823.html

Enough Project, aimed at ending genocide and crimes against humanity, has consistently tried to highlight the situation in South Kordofan and Sudan in general http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict_areas/sudan_south_sudan

Elsewhere, BBC Africa and the Guardian newspaper (UK) write intermittent updates on the regional situation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa/ and http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Enlightening Communities: Rural electrification and gender relations in Sudan

Mirri Bara is a rocky outpost which clings to the hillside west of Kadugli. It has a population of 800 people and has been ravaged by decades of relentless conflict. Conditions in the village are archaic. 92% of houses are made from mud bricks and roofed with a mixture of wood and grass. The majority of residents depend on bicycles as their main method of transportation. There is no electricity; gasoline lamps light every home and, for the few people who own cell phones, an important link to the outside world, it is necessary to send them to Kadugli to be charged.








These conditions are undoubtedly difficult but there is also much opportunity for potential and growth. In Mirri Bara, as in many other rural, less developed villages, the women carry out the majority of agricultural work yet their role is often not recognized or appreciated. Ru’ya decided to harness the agricultural experience many of the village’s women had already acquired through experience and improve it through education.
  
 The resulting project was innovative and pioneering, yet ground-breakingly simple; four illiterate women, in their 40s and 50s, were sent to the Barefoot College in India to train in solar technology, with a view to returning and teaching their skills to others, who would then also pass on their knowledge. Thus the knowledge would spread and enlighten many villages in the region. The plan was not without opposition however; the men of the village held a meeting, expressing a certain degree of outrage and concerns such as ‘Who will take care of the house and children while they are away?’ It was a real challenge for Ru’yas Executive Director, Zeinab Blandia and the women of Mirri Bara to overcome the men’s objections but they persevered and relentlessly pursued their objective until eventually the village Elders agreed and the women embarked on a six month training period.

      The Barefoot College is a non-governmental organization which aims to provide basic services and solutions to problems in rural communities, with the objective of making them self sufficient and sustainable. Based in Rajasthan, it is an amazing initiative which trains exclusively illiterate or semi literate rural women in simple but effective technologies that can better their lives and the lives of their communities (www.barefootcollege.org) Here the women, Khadiga Omen, Asha Rhma, Um Hagain and Mona Morsal embarked on an astonishing journey. Though illiterate, through observation and practical work they acquired knowledge, skills and experience in solar technology. The teaching was tailored specifically to their needs and was aimed at using solar energy to supply rural electrification.


      When the women returned to Mirri Bara they installed solar electricity in an astounding ninety nine homes; the previously dark village was enlightened, not just superficially but by the knowledge and expertise these women had provided for their community. The men’s suspicions had been overcome and the chance they took in agreeing to the scheme was rewarded. As a consequence, gender relations in the village were substantially reformed. Women were afforded a new respect and the potential of their abilities recognized.


    The framework and objective of this training was derived from Ru’yas core policy of utilizing grassroots methods to effect positive change and promote gender equality and justice. We believe a strong network of women and women’s organizations is important in order to improve gender relations; the men of Mirri Bara would never have agreed to the scheme if all the villages women had not represented such a united front and tirelessly argued their case. This unity and solidarity stemmed from the previous establishment of a Women’s Solidarity Funds Group. This simple initiative consists of a group of women meeting weekly, to establish a support network and strengthen their position in society by demonstrating the power the hold when they make group decisions and resolutely support each other. The campaign to send these four women to India to train was a perfect example of this strength in a group decision. Ru’ya may have provided the framework and funds, but ultimately it was the determination and resilience of the women themselves that led to their success. 

Friday 21 October 2011

Welcome!

Welcome to Ru'ya's blog!

Here we will keep you up to date with our work and the general situation in Sudan; posting articles and pictures to keep you informed!

We will also be posting articles about previous projects we've worked on and highlighting other worthy work currently going on in Sudan.

We welcome all comments, feedback and suggestions.