Arab media

February 8 , 2008

Source: Addustour (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)
Headline: Deby Urges EUFOR Deployment

• Chadian President Idriss Deby announced that his forces have a tight control of all Chadian territory and called on European Union to deploy EUFOR forces very quickly
• EUFOR mission is to deploy 3700 soldiers in Chad and Central African Republic to protect Darfur refugees and internally displaced civilians
• Chadian government announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew in eastern and central Chad, as well as the capital N’Djamena
• Chadian officials also announced that rebel groups have gathered to the east of the capital and might be preparing to mount another attack
• Meanwhile, Sudanese media sources indicated that the government there is trying to broker a truce between the Chadian government and rebel forces

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: France to Request the Release of L’Arche de Zoe’s Aid Workers

• French president’s office announced that it will submit a request to Chadian president to pardon L’Arche de Zoe’s six aid workers
• Chadian President Idriss Deby announced he was ready to pardon the aid workers if French government asked
• France managed to transfer the aid workers to France but respected the Chadian court’s 8-year sentence

Source: Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Sara Al Fadhil, Al Mahdi’s Wife, Passed Away
By: Ismail Adam

• Thousands, including President Al Bashir and other high ranking officials, participated in the funeral of Sara Al Fadhil, Sadiq Al Mahdi’s wife
• Al Fadhil was leading Al Umma party delegation during a meeting with Sudan People’s Liberation Movement when she fell ill and quickly passed away an hour later
• She was eulogized as an important leader of the Umma Party and Sudan in addition to being the wife and mother of influential leaders

Source: Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Dutch Ministers Tell Khartoum that Darfur Rebels Want Peace Talks in the Netherlands
By: Annour Ahmed Annour

• Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir met with Dutch ministers and discussed situation in Darfur and hybrid force deployment
• The Dutch ministers raised Sudan’s objection to Swedish and Norwegian participation in the hybrid force and urged Sudan’s full cooperation in order to speed up the force’s deployment
• The two ministers also told Sudanese officials that Darfur rebels suggested transferring peace talks to the Netherlands instead of Libya