U.S. and European media

December 1, 2022

Reuters: Millions Could Miss Sudan Elections-Observers.  Millions of voters could be left out of Sudan's first elections in 24 years because of a failure of authorities to persuade more people to register for the poll, international observers said on Tuesday.  The Carter Centre urged Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) to increase publicity and funding for teams signing up voters across Africa's largest country, saying current figures showed most states might miss registration targets.  It said there were concerns over the turnout for registration in western Darfur territory as well as the east, south and the central Kordofan regions.  Registration was due to end after a 30-day period on November 30 but was extended for one week following concerns about low turnout and public awareness.  The presence of government intelligence agents at registration centres in Darfur might intimidate voters there, it said.

Reuters: U.S. Blasts Sudan Over Darfur Peacekeeper Harassment.  The U.S. envoy to the United Nations sharply criticized Khartoum Monday over a U.N. report that accused the Sudanese army of harassing and threatening international peacekeepers in Darfur.  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his latest report on the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, known as UNAMID, that limits on the freedom of movement of UNAMID personnel violated an agreement with Khartoum on their deployment and made it difficult to protect civilians.  "The United States is particularly concerned about ... the secretary-general's report of some 42 instances in which UNAMID personnel and patrols have been denied freedom of movement and access," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters after a meeting of the Security Council on Sudan.  "It impedes UNAMID's ability to protect civilians and do its vital work. It is utterly unacceptable, as are the threats by the government of Sudan against UNAMID."

Sudan Tribune: Peace mediator calls for truce in Darfur.  The Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur peace process urged today all the parties to the six-year conflict to agree to a cessation of hostilities and to work for the improvement of security on the ground.  Mr Djibrill Bassole, briefed on Monday the United Nation Security Council about the state of the "Darfur peace process and the Doha peace talks, as well as the short and medium term vision of the Mediation."  The Joint African Union United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur, in his update about the peace process to the 15 members of the UN Security Council, urged the Sudanese government and rebel groups to engage a cessation of hostilities in order to build confidence between the warring parties but also to improve the security and the humanitarian situations.  Bassole stressed in his remarks that the current lack of confidence between the parties "makes for slow progress in the peace talks and for an end to military hostilities."

Institute for War and Peace Reporting: Land Rights Confusion Hinders Darfur IDP Returns.  As pressure mounts to send IDPs home, little is being said about the crucial issue of land rights.  IDPs would like to leave the camps and return to their former villages, once the situation improves, but fear that they no longer have land to go back to. Nor are they confident the government will ensure they return safely or protect them once they return.  The dispute over land rights in Darfur has long fanned the flames of the conflict, which broke out in 2003, and many observers are baffled by the international community's apparent reluctance to do anything to address the problem.  Since land ownership is such an integral part of the conflict in Darfur, many believe that, unless steps are taken to address the problem, it will be difficult to achieve a lasting peace in the region.

The Darfur Daily News is a service of the Save Darfur Coalition. To subscribe to the Daily News, please email [email protected]. For media inquiries, please contact Ashley Roberts at (202) 478-6181, or [email protected].