Arab media

February 22 , 2008

Source: Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)
Headline: Ban Ki-Moon Worried about Situation in Darfur and Urges Speedy UNAMID Deployment

• In his report to UN Security Council, the secretary general voiced concern over deteriorating situation in Darfur and stressed the need to speed up UNAMID force deployment
• JEM rebels accused government forces of indiscriminate air raids that killed 15 civilians in the border area between Chad and Sudan
• Meanwhile, the government said that its forces attacked the mountainous area to drive Chadian and Darfur rebels away, and allow humanitarian aid to reach to cut off villages
• The secretary general indicated in his report that the situation on the ground has deteriorated to an alarming point following intense fighting between JEM and government forces, which affected aid flow
• He described the recent violence as vicious and “represents a serious violation of international human right laws.”  Ki-Moon added that recent violence has killed close to 200 and displaced over 10,000 people

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Chad Accuses Sudan of Meddling and Chadian Rebels Deny Talking with Government

• Chadian rebels denied holding talk with Idriss Deby’s government and described Ahmed Allami, Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as an attempt to “brain wash the international community”
• Allami told European official during his visit to Brussels that “his government wants to give the rebels confidence in their country so that they do not allow another country to use them to advance its agenda”
• Meanwhile, Amnesty International accused Chadian government of using declared state of emergency to terrorize the opposition and arrest many of the opposition leaders
• The international organization called on France to release information it obtained from Deby’s government about the fate of many arrested opposition leaders

Source: Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: President Bush’s Envoy to Khartoum to Bring Specific Answers to Outstanding Issues between the Two Countries
By: Ismail Adam

• Deng Alor, Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, indicated that US Special Envoy to Sudan Richard S. Williamson, who is expected in Khartoum in the next couple of days, will carry “detailed responses to outstanding issues between the two countries”
• Alor just returned from a week-long visit to Washington where he and his accompanying team met with high-ranking State Department officials to discuss ways to improve bilateral relations
• Alor said the envoy will visit Darfur and South Sudan and will meet with President Al Bashir and First Vice President Silva Kiir to discuss the situation in Darfur, peace agreement between North and South Sudan, and bilateral relations