Sudan // Current

Wave of violence threatens Darfur camps

This is so sad. Why do we continue to kill each other for petty problems?? * * * After four years' violence that has... more

ashcatash
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Arrests at Sudan censorship rally

Many of us Americans take our freedoms for granted. If we don't fight to protect these freedoms, we will lose them. * *... more

ashcatash
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24 hours for Darfur

Can you sit and watch genocide happen again? Watching people be displaced, and violently killed, and doing nothing about it ... ... more

ash_theory
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Darfur Ceasefire

Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has announced an immediate ceasefire in the Darfur region of western Sudan. He... more

Sumiboom
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A ceasefire for Darfur!

Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has announced an immediate ceasefire in the Darfur region of western Sudan. He... more

InformedTexan
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The Bush Interview With Trevor McDonald | World news | guardian.co.uk

BUSH ON AFRICA

TONIGHT: You recently helped, Mr President, to scrap the debt burden on some of Africa's poorest countries - and you've won some praise for that. But shouldn't a country as rich as yours be giving much more in direct aid to these poverty stricken countries of Africa?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, we've tripled the budget on direct aid to the countries in Africa since I've been the president - tripled it. We have got a great trade agreement with the African nations called AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and that is working. I just announced a $674 million food relief package. We're spending $15 billion on HIV/Aids. No, we're leading the world when it comes to helping Africa.

But we've done something else that I think is smart and I think our taxpayers appreciate. And that is that we're saying, 'Now, for increased aid, you, the leaders of Africa, must have transparency in your government, you must fight corruption, you must invest in the health and education of your people.' In other words, we're not going to invest in governments that are corrupt.

TONIGHT: So this is aid with strings attached?

PRESIDENT BUSH: No, this is aid - this is partnership. This is saying to nations we want to work with you as partners, partners in alleviating poverty, partners in helping fight HIV/Aids. But you've got a role to play - you, the leaders of African nations, you've got a role to play to make good governance decisions. That's what the taxpayers of my country expect. And I hope that's what the taxpayers of Great Britain expect, is expect us to, when we make investments in countries, that they work. And they don't work if a nation doesn't invest in its people.

TONIGHT: I hear what you say about tripling the aid to Africa, but it's still only - it's less than 0.2% of gross domestic national product. And that is less than what the United Nations talks about, of having 0.7%. Some European countries are moving towards that. Why can't America?

PRESIDENT BUSH: You know, there's all kinds of ways to calculate how generous we are. Let me just tell you this: if you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous. But when you add on our private contributions - see, our tax system encourages private citizens to donate to organisations that, for example, help the folks in Africa. And when you take the combined effort of US taxpayers' money plus US citizens' donations, we're very generous. And we'll do more. And I look forward to talking about doing more at the G8.

But I've got to tell you, I'm very proud of the generosity of the United States.BUSH ON AFRICA TONIGHT: You recently helped, Mr President, to scrap the debt burden on some of Africa's poorest countries... more

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12 days ago

Sudan Urges Condemnation of Darfur Rebel Group for Oil Worker Deaths

Sudan has urged the international community to strongly condemn the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group from Darfur, which... more

Apocalipstick
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20 days ago

Hostages killed when kidnappers panick

Nine Chinese oil workers have been kidnapped in Sudan, with three now dead. The kidnappers reportedly killed the three when they... more

nazbags
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21 days ago

Kidnappers kill Chinese hostages in Sudan

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Kidnappers killed five Chinese oil workers on Monday out of nine they had been holding hostage in central... more

riffhard98
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22 days ago

China hostages 'killed in Sudan'

Five Chinese oil workers kidnapped in Sudan nine days ago have been killed, Sudan's foreign ministry has said. The five... more

riffhard98
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22 days ago

10 Ways the International Community Must Help Africa

10. Address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic According to the 2008 UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic, an estimated 1.5 million... more

goldenways
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4 responses

28 days ago

Internews Radio for Darfur Refugees and Displaced Chadians

Three community radio stations have been established in Chad to serve refugees from Darfur and displaced Chadians. Local Chadian... more

goldenways
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2 responses

29 days ago

UN says 40,000 displaced in Darfur in the last 2 months

Some 40,000 civilians have been displaced in Darfur in the last two months by fighting between Sudanese government forces and rebels in the northern and central parts of the wartorn region, said the U.N. on Saturday.

The estimate is based on witness accounts, a brief assessment mission and reports by the Sudanese government and aid agencies working in the area, said Gregory Alex, the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in North Darfur.

"No emergency assistance has gotten to these people," said Alex. "For the last five or six weeks, they have been living off assistance they are getting from other people ... or what they can scrounge for."

Most of the newly displaced are living in the desert rather than in refugee camps, said Alex. Many of them had been displaced by fighting before but had returned ahead of the recent attacks, he added.

More than 2.5 million people have been displaced in Darfur and up to 300,000 killed since ethnic African groups rebelled against the Arab-dominated national government early in 2003.

A recent round of fighting began in August when government troops attacked rebel-held areas along the border with Libya in northern Darfur — sometimes accompanied by aircraft and Arab militias.

In September, the fighting moved south toward more populated areas. But the U.N. and aid workers said they have had little access to the areas because of the continued tension.

Some villages in the Jebel Marrah area in central Darfur were totally emptied by the September fighting, said an international aid worker, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of government harassment.

The locals in the area were warned ahead of the fighting and about 10,000 of them fled before it broke out, said the aid worker. Some of the villagers have begun to return to their farms for the harvest season, he added.

Government officials have said the recent offensive in August and September was targeted at bandits that had increased attacks against U.N. agencies and aid convoys.

But rebel groups have said the government was trying to clear them out of strategic areas to change the balance of power on the ground ahead of peace negotiations.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir recently launched a new peace initiative at a conference attended by international supporters. But the rebels boycotted the meeting, saying it was a sham intended to rally support for the president, who is facing charges of genocide in Darfur by the International Criminal Court.Some 40,000 civilians have been displaced in Darfur in the last two months by fighting between Sudanese government forces and... more