Arabic Media

July 9, 2023

Source:Al Ahram (government-friendly, Egyptian daily with over 1 million in circulation)

Headline: Libya’s International Conference to Encourage Political Resolution

By: Abdul Wahid Libini

United Nations Deputy Spokesperson Mary Okabi announced Libya international conference will:

• Find ways to prod along peace talks between various Darfur rebel groups
• Evaluate progress of two-month-old peace process
• Review recommendations to push along peace negotiations between the rebels and government
• 13 countries and regional and international organizations to attend the conference
• UN Security Council to discuss funding hybrid force operation
• Priority to be given to African nations to provide troops for the hybrid force

Source:Addustour (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)

Headline: Egypt Arrests 40 Africans – mostly Sudanese – for attempting to sneak into Israel

Egyptian police arrested 40 Africans, amongst them over 30 Sudanese citizens, who tried to sneak into Israel illegally:

• 37 people were arrested aboard busses heading toward Rafah in order to enter Israel illegally
• 3 more Sudanese citizens were arrested a day after as they tried to sneak into Israel near Rafah
• 20 of the arrested Africans were from Darfur
• The illegal immigrants paid Sinai Bedouins to assisted them

Source:Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with over 1 million in circulation)

Headline: Sudan Liberation Movement and “Federal Democratic” Rebel Group Sign a Memorandum of Understanding in London

By: Mustapha Sirri

United Nations Official Mary Okabi announced that an international conference will be held in Libya mid July:

• To discuss ways to speed up Darfur peace negotiations
• To evaluate progress of peace “road map”
• The negotiations will be headed by Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim
• Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Libya, Canada, Norway, Holland, permanent UN Security Council members, United Nations, African and European Unions, and Arab League will participate in the conference

Meanwhile, Sudan Liberation Movement and the Federal Democratic Union announced in London that they:

• Agreed to coordinate their political and military actions and
• Urged wider cooperation between Darfur rebel groups to achieve peace, economic development, and protect civilians and refugees in Darfur
• Called for disarming the Janjaweed militia

Source:Annahar (Independent Lebanese daily with strong circulation)

Headline: Joint Darfur Envoy Declared Mission to Be Difficult and a Challenge to Africa

Joint United Nations and African Union envoy Rudolph Adada expressed optimism about his mission in Darfur but acknowledged that it was complicated too:

• The mission is difficult…and represent a serious challenge to Africa
• But said he was ready and welcomed the challenge
• Because Sudan agreed to the hybrid force, the UN Security Council will soon discuss funding the operation
• Hybrid force will replace current the 7,000 African troops
• The real challenge is to find additional funding to cover the extension of African troops mission till hybrid force is assembled and deployed

Source:Al Jazeera TV News Program Taqrir (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)

Headline: Sudanese Government Wants Abuja and Addis Ababa Agreements to be the Basis of any Agreement with Rebels

About 3 minute segment that listed the government’s conditions regarding the international conference to be held in Libya:

• No changes to Abuja peace agreement
• No changes to Addis Ababa agreements
• Hybrid force to be mainly African
• To start peace negotiations with Darfur rebel groups very soon

Meanwhile UN and African Union envoys want the conference to provide a breakthrough and launch serious negotiations between the government and the rebel groups

Source:Al Riyadh (Government-friendly Saudi daily with wide circulation)

Headline: Sudanese Government Warns Hybrid Force against Meddling in its Domestic Affairs

By: Khalid Saad and Baleegh Hasballah

The Sudanese government put the head of hybrid force on notice that it will not tolerate interference with government decisions or meddling in the country’s domestic affairs. General Martin Luther, head of the hybrid force, expressed optimism about his mission in Darfur but acknowledged that it was challenging:

• The mission is difficult…and represent a serious challenge to Africa
• But said he was ready and welcomed the challenge
• Hybrid force will replace current the 7,000 African troops
• The immediate real challenge is to find enough African troops

Source:Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with over 1 million in circulation)

Headline: African Union and United Nations Envoys Start Difficult Task of Talking to Darfur Rebel Groups

By: Ismail Adam

African Union and United Nations Envoys, Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim, started the difficult task of talking to various Darfur rebel groups to prod them into adopting a common strategy toward peace talks with the government:

• To achieve a ceasefire
• To secure the participation of as many rebel groups as possible
• To use Abuja agreement as basis for upcoming peace negotiations

Eliasson urged all parties to take advantage of the available opportunity to achieve lasting peace, meanwhile presidential advisor, dr. Mustapha Othman Ismail, declared Eliasson’s “new proposal to be interesting” and that “it will be debated further” in upcoming meetings with the two envoys. Dr. Ismail told Eliasson the government wants to move quickly with political negotiations in order to achieve a lasting political solution.

Source:Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)

Headline: Khartoum Accuses Israel of Masterminding Illegal Sudanese Immigration

Sudanese government, which acknowledged that 3,000 of its citizens have sought refuge inside Israel, accused it of:

• Planning, plotting, and encouraging this illegal immigration
• Using it as a publicity stunt and public relations campaign to improve its image
• Using it to tarnish Sudan’s image

Source:Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)

Headline: Amru Mussa Met with Ocampo about Darfur

Internatinal Criminal Court chief prosecutor Louis Mareno Ocampo discussed the situation in Darfur with Amru Mussa of the Arab League

• Ocampo told Mussa of the latest developments at the Criminal Court
• Ocampo said the court conducted a thorough investigation and has hard evidence that implicate Ahmed Harun and Ali Shukaib
• He also argued that Sudanese government bears full responsibility of the war crimes since it failed to protect Darfur civilians, and that
• The Arab League and neighboring countries have an important role to play in resolving the Darfur crisis

Source:Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)

Headline: Controversial British Draft Resolution on Hybrid Force Deployment

By: Annour Ahmed Annour

Diplomatic sources predicted British and American endorsed draft resolution to UN Assembly General to cause a rift between African Union and United Nations regarding hybrid force deployment because:

• The resolution calls on joint AU and UN envoy Rudolph Adada to provide regular progress reports only to UN
• Agreement signed by Sudan, UN, and AU in Addis Ababa calls on Adada to provide reports to both entities
• Adada predicts toughest difficulties to be finding political solution to the conflict given the splintering of Darfur rebel groups

Read the above in Arabic.