Arabic Media

January 4 , 2008

Source: Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Ban Ki-Moon Appeals for Darfur Hybrid Force Support
By: Salah Awwad

• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon expressed grave concern about difficulties faced by hybrid force in Darfur
• He urged member states to accelerate deployment of selected units and filling outstanding gaps in the force’s compositions
• The secretary general considered deployment of effective police force key to the success of the hybrid force in Darfur
• He also complained about Sudanese government’s lack of cooperation with the hybrid force

Source: Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Rebels Claim Control of Town near West Darfur Capital and Sudanese Government Accuses Chadian Government of Supporting them
By: Annour Ahmed Annour

• Sudanese army vehemently denied Justice and Equality Rebels’ claims they took control of Sirba region in West Darfur
• Meanwhile, UN secretary general expressed concern over renewed violence between the rebels and Khartoum government
• The secretary general was also concerned about JEM threats to resort to armed resistance in Darfur
• He was equally worried about the arrest and the fate of 6 JEM monitors who worked with African union to monitor the ceasefire

Source: Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: George Clooney Condemns International Community’s Silence about Darfur Genocide
By: Irfan Rasheed

• Hollywood star actor George Clooney blasted the international community’s “guilty silence” about Darfur crisis and considered it as guilty as Khartoum government and United Nations in the deteriorated situation in Darfur
• He complained bitterly about the international community’s lack of concern about the suffering of innocent people, adding that he and other actors’ efforts to expose the suffering and raise awareness about the genocide are not enough