APPENDIX E: Current military activities in Sudan and their humanitarian consequences

Eric Reeves | May 23, 2016 | http://wp.me/p45rOG-1TI

(My commentary, where it is provided, is always in blue italics, in [brackets], followed by my initials)

JEBEL MARRA AND THOSE WHO HAVE FLED

People continue to flee the Jebel Marra area in Darfur due to fighting between government forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – Abdel Wahid (SPLA-AW). A variety of estimates from aid organisations and authorities indicate that there were about 133,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Jebel Marra in North, Central and South Darfur States by March 2015 (UN OCHA | Sudan Humanitarian Bulletin, March 7, 2016). The figure is now in the range of 200,000.

Jebel Marra activists: 150 villages torched | March 18, 2016 | JEBEL MARRA (Radio Dabanga)

Entire village plundered, torched in Tawila, North Darfur | March 30, 2016 | TAWILA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Sudanese army seizes last rebel stronghold in Jebel Marra | Sudan Tribune | April 12, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Tuesday said its forces captured the last rebel stronghold area in Darfur located north-west of the Jebel Marra…

Clashes continue to take place in Darfur’s Jebel Marra: UN | Sudan Tribune | April 6, 2016 (NEW YORK) – Clashes and bombing continue to take place in Darfur area of Jebel Marra between the government forces and the fighters of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement…

Villagers flee attack, abductions in Darfur’s Jebel Marra | April 1, 2016 | EAST JEBEL MARRA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

AERIAL BOMBARDMENT BY ANTONOV DROPPING HIGHLY INACCURATE SHRAPNEL-LOADED BARREL BOMBS (for a history of this barbarism, see www.sudanbombing.org)

Sudan continues to bomb empty villages | March 4, 2016 | GOLO (Jebel Marra) (Radio Dabanga)

Barrel bombs kill 13, deserted villages torched in Jebel Marra, Darfur | March 2, 2016 | GOLO (Radio Dabanga)

Thousands flee renewed Jebel Marra shelling | March 29, 2016 | KABKABIYA (North Darfur) / NIERTETI (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Darfur’s East Jebel Marra: Surviving under siege | March 28, 2016 | EAST JEBEL MARRA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Surviving the Antonovs in Darfur | March 22, 2016 | EAST JEBEL MARRA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Two children die, Sortony strafed in Darfur air raids | March 20, 2016 | SUNI / SORTONY (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

[Sortony is the site of the major concentration of those fleeing the fighting in Jebel Marra—ER]

Pregnant woman killed, two injured in air raid on Darfur’s Jebel Marra | March 16, 2016 | DERIBAT (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Thousands flee renewed Jebel Marra shelling | March 29, 2016 | KABKABIYA (North Darfur) / NIERTETI (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Three dead, many injured in attacks in Darfur’s Jebel Marra | March 25, 2016 | KERNEY (Radio Dabanga)

Air raids: Four dead in Darfur, parts of Blue Nile hit | March 27, 2016 | MALAM / BAU (Radio Dabanga)

Extensive aerial bombardment on Darfur’s Jebel Marra | April 14, 2016 | JEBEL MARRA (Radio Dabanga)

Mother and sons killed in Jebel Marra air raid | March 15, 2016 | KALOKITING / GULDO (Radio Dabanga)

Bombs, detentions in west Jebel Marra | April 11, 2016 | GULDO / NIERTETI (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

UN experts reveal cluster munitions and gold smuggling in Darfur | April 6, 2016 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Darfur has underlined presence of cluster bombs in Darfur region in violation of a UN arms embargo and (Sudan Tribune)

RAPE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AS A CONTINUING WEAPON OF WAR IN DARFUR

Women activists ‘silenced with rape’ in Sudan: Human Rights Watch | March 24, 2016 | NAIROBI (Radio Dabanga)

‘Mass rape in Guldo in Darfur’s Jebel Marra’ | March 30, 2016 | GULDO (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Minor raped in North Darfur | April 14, 2016 | KUTUM (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Two raped at well in Darfur’s Jebel Marra | April 13, 2016 | JEBEL MARRA (Radio Dabanga)

Darfur: Four young firewood collectors raped | April 8 – 2016 TAWILA (North Darfur) / MERSHING (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Nine raped, including minors, near North Darfur camp | March 1, 2016 | EL FASHER (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Two girls raped, others held in Tabit, North Darfur | March 31, 2016 TABIT (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

One killed, farmer raped in North Darfur | March 29, 2016 | TAWILA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Water collector raped in Tawila, North Darfur | March 28, 2016 | TAWILA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

North Darfur straw collectors raped, beaten in Tabit | March 23, 2016 | TABIT (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Girl raped and cattle stolen in North Darfur | March 18, 2016 | TAWILA (North Darfur) / GARSILA (Radio Dabanga)

Attacks in Darfur: Four killed, students beaten | April 5, 2016 | ASSALAYA / DELEIG / EAST JEBEL MARRA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Woman, child injured in South Darfur inferno | March 17, 2016 | ABU AJURA (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Two Darfur children injured in govt. attack on Jebel Marra | March 21, 2016 | GOLO (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Murder, assault, robbery in Jebel Marra, North Darfur | March 21, 2016 | GOLO / KABKABIYA / TABIT (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

VIOLENCE IN SOUTH KORDOFAN AND BLUE NILE

Sudanese army vows to carry out more attack on S. Kordofan rebels | May 5, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) said it will continue military operations to on the positions of the rebel Sudan People Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N) in South Kordofan. (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM-N fighters repel new attacks in South Kordofan: Lodi | April 24, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N) spokesperson Sunday said they repelled an attack by the government forces on their positions west of Kadugli (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM-N rebels claim destroying army garrison in South Kordofan | April 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Friday said its fighters have destroyed the government army garrison in Zalataya area, 3 kilometres north (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM-N accuses Sudanese army of indiscriminate bombardments in S. Kordofan | April 10, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The spokesperson of the Sudan people’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Sunday has accused the Sudan Air Force of bombarding areas inhabited by civilian population (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM-N counter-arracks government forces in S. Kordofan | April 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement -North (SPLM-N) indicated Saturday the continuation of fighting in South Kordofan state, saying they attacked four positions (Sudan Tribune)

South Kordofan: Rebels ‘destroy’ military garrison | April 15, 2016 | DELLING (Radio Dabanga)

Rebels seize materiel in battle with Sudanese army | April 6, 2016 | MUFU (Radio Dabanga)

South Kordofan: SPLM-N kills ‘dozens’ of soldiers | April 10, 2016 KADUGLI / HEIBAN / RASHAD / KOLOGI (Radio Dabanga)

‘Largest defeat of Sudan army in years’: Arman, SPLM-N | April 26, 2016 | DABANGA SUDAN (Radio Dabanga)

‘Fighting continues in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile’: SPLM-N | April 4, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

Civilians killed in heavy shelling, bombing in South Kordofan | April 5, 2016 KADUGLI / NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

Rebels ‘besiege Sudanese Govt. forces’ in Nuba mountains | March 31, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

SPLM-N areas ‘liberated’ by Sudan army | March 29, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

Sudanese warplanes carry out intensified air attacks in Southern Kordofan: SPLM-N | April 4, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan people’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) Monday said the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes continue to carry out air attacks on the rebel controlled (Sudan Tribune)

SOUTH KORODOFAN/ BLUE NILE Flash update #14 – 19th May 2016
Bombing of Kauda on 17th May

16 bombs dropped on high density civilian population

The CU monitoring team has confirmed that 16 bombs were dropped on Kauda town on Tuesday. Some of the bombs landed in the Kauda market, three injured civilians were rushed to the Gidel hospital.

Aerial attacks continue in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains | May 4, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

Six kids dead as Sudanese MiG jets strafe Nuba Mountains | May 2, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

South Kordofan rebels repulse military convoy | April 26, 2016 | KADUGLI (Radio Dabanga)

‘541 civilians killed in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains’: NGO | April 25 – 2016 NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

Sudanese army resumes air attacks in South Kordofan: SPLM-N | April 29, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The spokesperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) said the Sudanese army has resumed its airstrikes against Um Serdiba area and several villages (Sudan Tribune)

Sudan: Barrel bombs rain on South Kordofan | April 24, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS / SOUTH KORDOFAN (Radio Dabanga)

“SUDAN, REBEL FORCES CLASH IN FIGHTING SEASON’S BIGGEST BATTLES YET“ (March 31, 2016) | Sudan government forces attacked at least six rebel-held locations across the Nuba Mountains this week, sparking the largest battles the region has seen in more than a year. (Nuba Reports | www.NubaReports.org/)

South Kordofan: SPLM-N kills ‘dozens’ of soldiers | April 10, 2016 KADUGLI / HEIBAN / RASHAD / KOLOGI (Radio Dabanga)

Rebels seize materiel in battle with Sudanese army | April 6, 2016 | MUFU (Radio Dabanga)

SPLM-N retakes Ugab area in South Kordofan: spokesperson | March 30, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) said it has recaptured the town of Ugab in Heiban County in South Kordofan state. (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM rebels claim new victories against gov’t troops in Sudan’s Two Areas | April 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) Thursday said its fighters have achieved new victories against the Sudan Armed Force (SAF) troops in the South Kordofan (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM-N claims more victories in S. Kordofan and Blue Nile | April 3, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) said its forces have defeated the government troops in Al-Azrag area in South Kordofan state. (Sudan Tribune)

SPLM-N forces defeat government troops in fresh clashes: spokesperson | March 31, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) Thursday said its fighters repulsed an attack on their position in eastern Kadugli area of Um Dorain ( Sudan Tribune)

Sudan reports new victories in S Kordofan, “false propaganda” says SPLM-N | March 29, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army Tuesday said that its troops have recaptured a strategic area in Kadugli sector, adding that they take the lead on the ground, but the SPLM-N said (Sudan Tribune)

Rebels: Three dead, ongoing air raids in South Kordofan, Blue Nile | April 14, 2016 | KADUGLI (South Kordofan) / BLUE NILE (Radio Dabanga)

Civilians killed in heavy shelling, bombing in South Kordofan | April 5, 2016 | KADUGLI (South Kordofan) / NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

‘Fighting continues in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile’: SPLM-N | April 4, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

Rebels ‘besiege Sudanese Govt. forces’ in Nuba mountains | March 31, 2016 NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

One killed, two injured as fighting continues in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains | March 2, 2016| NUBA MOUNTAINS / KURMUK (Radio Dabanga)

SPLM-N areas ‘liberated’ by Sudan army | March 29, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS (Radio Dabanga)

SPLM-N claims killing of 40 govt. troops in Blue Nile’s Kilgo | March 14, 2016 | KILGO (Radio Dabanga)

Thousands flee fighting in northern South Kordofan | March 14, 2016 | EL OBEID (Radio Dabanga)

Heavy bombing in Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains | March 11, 2016 | NUBA MOUNTAINS / KILGO (Radio Dabanga)

THE HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF KHARTOUM’S SCORCHED-EARTH, CIVILIAN-FOCUSED MILITARY CAMPAIGNS

With perhaps as many as 200,000 civilians newly displaced from Jebel Marra as of late May 2016, there are now more than 3 million Darfuris uprooted from their homes—the greatest number since conflict began in 2003, thirteen years ago. Privations of all sorts—lack of water and food, lack of primary medical care, horrific sanitary conditions, lack of educational opportunities—define the lives of the vast majority of these people. Camps for the displaced are increasingly dangerous and subject to militia attacks, extortion, and other forms of violence.

The suffering of camp residents is largely invisible, as UN agencies and International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) are silenced by Khartoum’s threats of expulsion. The regime also refuses to allow meaningful human rights investigations—by UNAMID, the weak UN Special Rapporteur, and by independent human rights organizations.

What we know, we know through the reporting of Sudanese news sources, particularly Radio Dabanga and Sudan Tribune. What they report—just from the last past months—makes clear just how disgraceful the international embrace of the Khartoum regime is:

More than 240 Nuba starve to death in South Kordofan | March 7, 2016 | KHARTOUM (Radio Dabanga)

Disease kills five children in East Darfur | April 14, 2016 | EAST DARFUR (Radio Dabanga)

Lack of health care: Children, mother die in Darfur’s Jebel Marra | April 7, 2016 | JEBEL MARRA (Radio Dabanga)

‘More than 130,000 Darfuris now displaced from Jebel Marra’: UN OCHA | April 3, 2016 | DARFUR (Radio Dabanga)

Two killed in raid on North Darfur camp market | March 30, 2016 | KABKABIYA (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Rising tensions in North Darfur’s Sortony camp | April 1, 2016 | SORTONY (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Murder threats in North Darfur camp | March 31, 2016 SORTONY (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

‘Jebel Marra paramilitaries’ raid Central Darfur market | March 28, 2016 | NIERTETI (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Malnutrition, fear cause Darfur women to miscarry in Jebel Marra | March 25, 2016 | JEBEL MARRA (Radio Dabanga)

Conjunctivitis, bad sanitation in North Darfur camps | March 18, 2016 | KABKABIYA / SORTONY (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

North Darfur medics continue strike in El Fasher | March 16, 2016 | EL FASHER (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Hunger deepens in South Darfur’s Kalma camp | March 9, 2016 | KALMA CAMP (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Animals die of thirst in Tabit, North Darfur | March 3, 2016 | TABIT (North Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Ringworm spreads in Otash camp, South Darfur | March 3, 2016 | OTASH CAMP (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

Disease among displaced in Jebel Marra, air raids unabated | February 28, 2016 | GOLO (Jebel Marra) (Radio Dabanga)

‘Lower success rate caused by classroom shortage’: Darfur governor | April 11, 2016 | NYALA (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

More displaced in Central Darfur need aid | February 23, 2016 | NIERTETI (Central Darfur) (Radio Dabanga)

‘New Central Darfur displaced denied aid’: camp coordinator | February 22, 2016 | ZALINGEI (Radio Dabanga)

Displaced call for UNSC pressure on Khartoum: Still no access to Central Darfur | February 25, 2016 | ZALINGEI / KHARTOUM (Radio Dabanga)

Concern in South Darfur, Govt. to dismantle camps | February 23, 2016 | KASS (South Darfur) (Radio Dabanga) – The dismantling of the camps for displaced persons, an ambition aggressively announced by Second Vice President Hasabo Mohamed Abdelrahman late last year, is the ultimate threat to the African tribal populations of rural Darfur (see “A Massive Catastrophe Looming in Darfur: Forcing displaced persons from camps in Darfur is a prelude to camp dismantling,” | January 5, 2016 | http://wp.me/p45rOG-1Qo/).

Sudan says UNOCHA report about famine in Sudan is inaccurate | March 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese government Tuesday questioned the accuracy of a presentation by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNCHA) of a report about food insecurity in Sudan and wondered about its purpose.

[The regime of course has itself conducted no meaningful assessment of food insecurity during its entire time in power—ER]

Sudan questions accuracy of reports on Darfur IDPs number | February 29, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s foreign minister has dismissed reports on the number of persons fleeing the recent clashes between the Sudanese army and the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) in Darfur area of Jebel Marra. (Sudan Tribune)

‘UN displacement figures inaccurate’: Sudan Foreign Ministry | March 1, 2016 | GOLO / KHARTOUM (Radio Dabanga) The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed reports by the UN on the number of people who have been displaced by the fighting between the army and rebel forces in Darfur’s Jebel Marra since 15 January. An official stressed the operations have ended (Sudan Tribune)

Sudan criticizes UN report on the situation in Darfur | January 27, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s foreign ministry Wednesday has criticized the latest report of the UN chief to the UN Security Council on the situation in Darfur saying it contained in Darfur saying it contained false information. (Sudan Tribune)

The very notion of international humanitarian assistance is viewed with cruel suspicion by the regime:

Sudan Committee urges review of foreign aid | February 10, 2016 | KHARTOUM (Radio Dabanga) The Sudanese Foreign Aid Supreme Committee has called for a review of foreign aid to the country. The Minister of International Cooperation, El Fateh Ali Siddig, said in a press conference held by the Foreign Aid Technical Committee on Monday that the size of foreign aid provided to Sudan in all fields needs to be re-determined.

[This is a prelude to further reductions in the presence of INGOs in Sudan—ER]

This hostility to humanitarian assistance and assessment ensures that much critical information, especially about acute and severe malnutrition, never is published or promulgated. A glaring example is UNICEF’s refusal to publish the results of a 2014 study that found, inter alia, that in North Darfur 28 percent of children under five were acutely malnourished; that in Central Darfur, where fighting now rages, the chronic malnutrition rate among children under five was 45 percent; this report is the original source for our figure for the population of severely or moderately malnourished children: more than 2 million (see “Internal UNICEF Malnutrition Report on Sudan and Darfur: Why have these data been withheld?” | 5 September 2014 | http://wp.me/p45rOG-1pL/).

Again we learn most about the gross shortcomings within the country from Radio Dabanga and Sudan Tribune, news sources largely dismissed by the international news reporting world, even as the quality, accuracy, and resourcefulness of both has grown tremendously in recent years. Radio Dabanga has offered a series of dispatches that in aggregate make clear the consequences, within Sudan, of gross economic mismanagement, serving only to enrich an increasingly militarized junta—a military dominance that seems not to trouble or even catch the attention of the international community:

One medical assistant for 100,000 villagers in Abu Ajura, South Darfur | January 27, 201 | ABU AJURA (Radio Dabanga)

Health services deteriorating in Port Sudan | January 27, 2016 | PORT SUDAN (Radio Dabanga)

“Sudan runs short on medicines”: pharmacy director | January 22, 2016 | KHARTOUM (Radio Dabanga)