Black Kush: my next 100 days

What should I be doing in the next 100 days?

I believe it is good practice to set goals, objectives and way to achieving (activities) those aims. So here I go at Black Kush. I want to set my path for the next 100 days. It will be much easier to monitor progress and later evaluate at the end whether there were achievements.

OK, I don't want to sound like a CEO with all SMART objectives and things like that. Plainly stated sentences will do here. After mulling over several ideas and ways of improvements for my blog, I have settled for the following:

• To represent my opinion as best as I can on issues of interest to South Sudan in particular and Sudan in general
• To balance different points of view and represent them accordingly
• To criticize objectively, giving alternative solution where necessary

Wow, that was quiet a mouthful! Believe me, I couldn't even explain all of them if ask. I probably want to show how smart I am! (lol). How do I go about achieving all that? Let me try:

• By following news coverage about the Sudan and the realationship with the rest of the world
• By stimulating debate through regular podcast on issues of interests and relevance
• By revealing some good aspects of our society (Sudan is not only Darfur! There are lots of good things happening here too!)
• By spicing my posts with anecdotes and lively commentary
• And lastly, by continuously interacting with other Sudanese bloggers out there!

Phew, that was serious! Am I gonna achieve all that? By the look of things it is not going to be easy.

So 100 days from today, I will invite you to vote whether I have achieved my objectives.

Let the show begin.

Black Kush: my first 100 days!

Black Kush is 100 days today! Hurrah!

It was on August 10th, 2006 that I started my blog. I guess it is time to make some analysis of my work in the last hundred days. Have I achieved what I had set out to do in the first place?

I had posted 50 posts in 100 days, an average of one post every other day. Looking at the toughness of my work and time in working on the net, I guess this is an acceptable target. Considering that there were days or weeks that had gone without a single post before, I consider it an achievement!

I have set also to cover my part of the world or South Sudan to be more precise. I have seen how my world was under represented in the media, or misrepresented too. I covered comments on the Government of South Sudan, criticising and applauding when the need arises. I have checked their activities and what needs to be done. Have I succeeded?

I appreciated the efforts of GOSS to bring peace in South Sudan by supporting peace talks between the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) of Uganda and its government. There will not be peace in the South if the LRA continue to operate.

I had a heart for Darfur, and felt that the world must act to avoid a hunamnitarian disaster of unimaginable scale. I was standing for a UN force in Darfur, knowing that my government is against that. I know AU were underfunded and small force in an area twice the size of Europe. I felt I had too add my voice to the call for sanity. Has it any effect?

Lastly, I want to thank those guys out there who visited my site, posted comments and encourage me by just dropping by. I owe you big, guys.

I especially like to acknowledge the support of Drima, the Sudanese Thinker who always had a word or two. He is one hell of a guy who likes to see Sudanese folks blogging! And I admit am his fun.

I want to go out and celebrate. Tomorrow, I will set out my policy for the next hundred days! Please do come around again! Love to see you here.

Sudan accepts UN's aid in Darfur

Now we are getting some where. President Omar El Bashir had accepted the new hybrid AU-UN force for Darfur.

Let us see where it will take us now. sigh

Annan opens Darfur conference

The pressure is on. And the mecury is rising.

The AU conference in Addis Ababa on the current situation in Darfur is a welcomed step to solve the carnage. The world is not going to rest until sense is brought back to Darfur. Why should people continue to suffer like this, in world where there is plenty for all. I hope the conference comes up with strong mandates.

The UN force for Darfur is still on the agenda:

"We have not given up the idea of strengthening the force in Darfur," Annan said. "We need to continue our efforts to calm Darfur ... the border area between Chad and Sudan is very fragile and volatile."

A hybrid force, that is. Let them come.

Juba old faithful bridge collapses

What a shame!

The lifeline bridge into Juba collapses under the strain of heavy traffic streaming into the town on 5th November 2006. This old bridge had served the town for many years, resilient to change and tough to the core. But alas, it can take no more.

Pic source: Bente

The fears of Vice President Kir

Salva Kir fears war returns to South Sudan if Darfur crisis continues! Interesting.

This is not news to me. I have already warned here ( BLACK KUSH: Can Darfur undo the CPA? ) that Darfur threatens the fragile peace in South Sudan.

Now the big guy is adding his voice. Let us get a solution quick before all hell break loose again.

Jan Egeland and the LRA

What will it take to bring the Lords Resistance Army rebels of Joseph Kony to drop their guns and go home in peace? The ICC indictment don't seem to work, with the only hope now pitched on the fragile peace talks taking place in Juba.

The UN Head of Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland is putting hope where all else had failed. His meeting today with the elusive rebel leaders showed his commitment to see the carnage in northern Uganda and South Sudan end.

LRA is threatening the peace in South Sudan. The ICC must choose between peace in the Uganda and the workings of international law. If peace in Acholi means forgiving Kony, be it. It maybe hard to bury the hatchet, but the people who suffered most are ready to do anything for the sake of peace. I hope the world is listening.

Who is distabilizing South Sudan?

The situation is worrying in South Sudan. The news circulating that a "New LRA" is functioning in the South is not to be brushed under the carpet. The groups have been carrying out copy-cat killings of civilians similar to the notorious LRA of Joseph Kony.

True, if the government in Khartoum happens to be behind the killings of innocent´civilians, that will be the worse violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Why will they do such a thing?

There has always been suspicion about Khartoum. Although the CPA was signed, a number of militias remain loyal to Khartoum. These are the groups which are threatening the peace in South Sudan. These groups must be reined in for stability to prevail.

GOSS must exercise its authority over the whole South Sudan. No rag tag militias must be allowed. A thorough investigation must be carried out. If Khartoum is implicated, the evidence must be made known. All the perpetrators must be brought to justice as soon as possible.

SPLA must improve security in South Sudan

What is happening in South Sudan? It saddens to hear that yet another group of civilians has been killed.

The security situation in South Sudan is getting worse by the day. The recent spate of killings of innocent civilians travelling the roads around Juba is a big setback in the fragile peace. The SPLM must do something now and urgent. The South Sudan army must be mobilized to rid the bushes of South Sudan of these murderous bundits.

South Sudan has come out of a violent 21 years of war. There is no reason to go back to that horrible past. Those bundits attacking civilians must be rounded up as soon as possible. The SPLA ows the people of South Sudan some protection.

Al Jazeera TV: ten years on

Happy Birthday Al Jazeera TV!

The Arab World's most popular old news TV Channel turns ten years today. This "Arab CNN" was hated by Arab governments, bombed by the USA but loved by over 40 million ordinary Arabs. The channel had seen its reporters killed in crossfire or charged for being members of Al Qaeda (eg. Tayseer Alouni in Spain)

Wherever you stand, you will agree that Al Jazeera is the most popular channel. It had brought the Israeli-Palestine conflict into homes, the gruesome faces of the war in Iraq and Afghanistant and the unpopularity of US policy in the Middle East.

It has also been accused of biasness and fueling anti-West propaganda in the ME. I have watched it for years, and loved and hated it at the sametime too!

We wait and see what their English channel will bring.

Read their english profile here.