Thursday, September 13, 2007

Away

Am taking a leave off for a month on important business. Sorry.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

SPLM vs NCP: the standoff

Is the Sudan government really serious about peace in the country? Events happening these days in Khartoum cast a lot of doubt. Am not talking about Darfur. Not yet. Am referring to the CPA with the SPLM.

It seems the junior partner in the so called Government of National Unity is being ignored and harrased at will. The NCP government plays as if they don't care whether the CPA survives or not. Otherwise, what does their action mean?

The NCP security raided the offices of the SPLM in Khartoum in search of what they call illegal weapons. Whatever their motives, it will surely backfire oneday and war will come to Khartoum. It is an unfortunate incident and breach of trust, the little that was their.

It casts a lot of doubt on a lot of things. I think it is time the SPLM stand their ground as partners in the government, not just being accommodated for the sake of peace. Salva Kiir should show the leadership the South Sudanese want at this time.

No one wants to go back to war in Sudan these days but it seems the NCP wants to drag people of South Sudan back into one. Too bad.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

A minute in remembrance . . .

I pause one minute for the victims of September 11. Six years on, the tragedy still fresh. And the world is not any more safer than it was before.

No killing is justifiable. I add another minute for all the viictims of injustice around the world, in Africa and Sudan: a minute for victims of the genocide in Rwanda, Darfur. A minute for the innocent dying in Iraq. A minute for the Israelis dying under Palestinian rocket fire. A minute for the Palestinians suffering the brunt of Israeli repression.

A minute for the victims of apatheid in South Africa. A minute for the Zimbabweans dying while fleeing in search of food. A minute for the Somalis being killed everyday in Mogadishu. A minute for the thousands of Africans who died trying to cross the oceans and seas to reach Europe. A minute for the Afghanis dying to safe their country. A minute for those who died in Guantanamo prison.

A minute for those who disappeared in Sudan, South Sudan without trace. A minute for the fallen heroes of the struggle for freedom.

And ofcourse, a minute for Dr. John Garang de Mabior, founder and leader of the SPLM/A and Vice President of the Republic of the Sudan, liberator, hero and freedom fighter.

Do you have a minute you want to share? Feel free to add in the comments.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Ban Ki Moon press conference

Source

Another round of Darfur peace talks

After reassuring Southern Sudanese of his support for the complete implementation of the CPA, Ban Ki Moon announced the resumption of peace talks with the rebels on 27th October in Libya.

What had exactly been agreed in the meetings remain to be seen. Which of the rebel movements are attending? How about SLM leader Abdel Wahid el Nur? It seems the talks will start without him. This guy is playing on the huge support he has in the refugee camps in Darfur to wait his time out. He considers himself the champion of the Darfuris.

Will his strategy work? Nur wants peace keepers on the ground and the disarmament of the Janjaweed first before talks. Is it reasonable or delaying tactics? Maybe, they should change the meaning of the UN force in Darfur from Peace Keeping Force to Peace Making/Enforcing! The former means there has to be peace for the forces to keep first, not the other way round!

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

What's in a kiss?

Don't hiss, just read on!

The first kiss can make or break a couple’s relationship, suggests a new study. This study says a kiss may contain potentially important information about your kissing partner. Uhm . . .

Is that why the Europeans and Americans go around kissing each other in the streets? In my part of the world, it can only be done in the dark when nobody else is looking, just the cuddly couple. I remember my first was at 2:00 AM after escaping from a party. Boy it was really tantalizing. Then the effect just goes down and the excitement with it.

Too bad, I broke up with my first kisser . . .

"The complicated exchange of information that occurs during a kiss may inform evolved, unconscious mechanisms about instances of possible genetic incompatibility"

Maybe that was it! ;*>

Ban Ki Moon in Sudan

The presence of the UN Secretary General in the Sudan is very important for two reasons: the fragile North-Peace Agreement is in need of support and importantly peace in Darfur. Everyone knows that.

The failure of CPA in the South will surely hamper any progress in Darfur. How can you believe Khartoum about any agreement in Darfur if they don't honour another in the South? The government in Khartoum don't seem to see this or they are just playing a game of wait and see.

Ban Ki Moon has a big task in his hands. If he failed the people of Darfur in his first year in office, he will be remembered for it years from now, no matter what he does again for the world. Now, everyone is giving him the benefit of the doubt.

I pray he succeeds.