Podcasts about south kordofan

Here's the latest news from the world of Omniglot. New language pages: Ghulfan (Wuncu), an Eastern Sudanic language spoken mainly in the Nuba Mountains in the south of Sudan. Kadaru (Kodhin), a Northern Luo language spoken in the state of South Kordofan in the south of Sudan. Ponosakan, a Greater Central Philippine language spoken in […]

Some Sudanese nationals say the comprehensive peace agreement marks a new beginning for the people of South Kordofan, Darfur, and the Blue Nile State; hundreds of Sudanese citizens in West Darfur State protest against the comprehensive peace agreement; and in South Sudan, thousands of Juba residents ignore coronavirus prevention guidelines.

Sudan’s 31 August peace deal between the government and an alliance of rebel groups from Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile was welcomed with enthusiasm by the international community. But in the Jebel Marra mountains of Darfur, controlled by a faction of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), a rebel group that refused to sign the agreement, it was met with raised eyebrows. In early 2020, Vice News correspondent Julia Steers became the first foreign journalist to set foot in the Jebel Marra in five years. She witnessed first-hand why mistrust toward the government flies high in this remote area traumatised by seventeen years of war, even after former President Omar al-Bashir’s ousting in 2019. Steers explains how the rebels want justice for the crimes committed in Darfur and a significant improvement of the situation on the ground, where gunshots ring out daily and humanitarian services are absent. High on their list of concerns is also the fact that the process that led to the August agreement involves a general they consider as one of the masterminds of the genocide committed against them. Elsewhere in Darfur, Steers notes, challenges standing in the way of peace also abound. One obstacle is a surge in what the United Nations calls “tribal clashes”, where civilians displaced by the conflict are attacked in and outside the camps they live in. Explore our Sudan page to learn more about Crisis Group’s analysis on the country: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/sudan To watch Vice News’ feature “Inside the Forgotten War in Darfur, Where the Killing Never Stopped”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NlgaXrMTc4

Today on The Leaders' Brief - Sudan's government put an end to 17 years of conflict by signing a peace treaty with the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), a coalition of rebel groups from Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile. Over 36,000 people had gathered in solidarity against Germany's COVID preventive measures, all of whom hit the streets without wearing masks. Later a group of protestors reportedly tried to storm the Reichstag, forcing police intervention. LG's new product, PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, aims to resolve the dilemma of homemade masks being of inconsistent quality and disposal masks being in short supply. About egomonk: Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedInegomonk is a global intelligence platform delivering asymmetric outcomes by bringing organizations closer to the communities they want to serve and the leaders they wish to influence. If you wish to collaborate with us then email us at contact@egomonk.com.

After more than a decade evading charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, a Sudanese suspect, Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, widely known as Ali Kushayb, finally appeared in court. On Monday, the 70-year-old could be seen via video link from an International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center, where he had been transferred last week after surrendering himself in the Central African Republic.The prosecution in The Hague spent 30 minutes reading out more than 50 charges against Kushayb, an alleged senior leader of the Janjaweed, a government-supported Arab militia responsible for atrocities in the Darfur region of western Sudan.The conflict, which the United States later called a genocide against Indigenous Africans, left an estimated 300,00 people dead and more than 2 million displaced. In his initial pretrial appearance, Kushayb dismissed the charges as “untrue,” signaling what would become a lengthy, drawn-out trial.Still, for some Darfuris, Kushayb’s arrest is a sign that justice, long-elusive, could be on the horizon.Related: Sudanese women seek justice one year after pro-democracy crackdown“I was very happy because Ali Kushayb surrender[ing] himself to ICC is an important step to satisfy the victims of genocide."Mutasim Ali, Darfuri activist living in Washington, DC“I was very happy because Ali Kushayb surrender[ing] himself to ICC is an important step to satisfy the victims of genocide,” said Mutasim Ali, a 33-year-old activist who recently graduated from George Washington University with a degree in comparative law. Ali was 16 years old when the conflict in Darfur broke out in 2003, disrupting his otherwise peaceful rural childhood.“When the war broke out, my family and I were separated because the village was destroyed by the Sudanese government — the militia.”His village, Daba Neira, lies in the mountainous Jebel Marra region, which for years was besieged by government-linked militias and “scorched-earth” attacks, according to Amnesty International.“They’re now living in displaced person camps in North Darfur State,” said Ali, who fled Sudan in 2007 after being arrested for criticizing the government.Sudan at a crossroadsKushayb’s arrest comes at a transformative moment in Sudan, where a transitional, civilian-led government is tasked with moving the country toward democracy after 30 years of dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted last year following months of massive protests. While the government has made social and political breakthroughs in a short time —  recovering billions in stolen assets, expanding religious freedoms and normalizing relations with the US — it has been slow to deliver justice to victims of the Bashir regime.Related: A year after revolution, Sudan celebrates but still faces squeeze of sanctionsThat’s especially true in Darfur, which has yet to feel the promise of transformation.“For me, the situation in Darfur is still in bad condition,” said Yahia Shogar, a doctor working in West Darfur, who is part of the rapid response team trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus.  As Sudan struggles to fight the coronavirus with limited resources, Kushayb’s arrest has renewed attention to the unique challenges in Darfur, where thousands remain in displacement camps supported mostly by international humanitarian aid.Insecurity and violence persist, propelled by intercommunal clashes and attacks on civilians by armed militias.“These conflicts have a direct correlation with health impact. Sometimes we have no way to reach areas far from us." Yahia Shogar, doctor, West Darfur, Sudan“These conflicts have a direct correlation with health impact. Sometimes, we have no way to reach areas far from us,” said Shogar, who notes there is also distrust toward the transitional government. Some members are linked to crimes in Darfur, notably Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo, deputy head of the sovereign council — and former Janjaweed leader.“People deny there’s coronavirus in Sudan or in Darfur,” said Shogar, who contracted COVID-19 himself.“People say that it’s a political issue,” he continued, explaining he and other medical professionals are trying to educate distrustful communities. Related: Coronavirus exposes Sudan's broken health care system“The change that is happening in [other parts of] Sudan is not seen in Darfur,” said Ali, the student.Sitting in his apartment in Washington, DC, where Black Lives Matter protests have erupted in recent weeks, Ali compares the experience of black Americans to what is happening at home.“They way they are being treated from slavery until this day. That’s exactly how the people of Darfur are being treated,” he explained. He worries that unless the problems in Darfur are addressed, the situation could become “explosive” — especially given the continued proliferation of arms in the region, and the anticipated drawdown of United Nations peacekeepers.Attempts at peaceSudan’s new government is now responsible for making peace with rebel movements on the country’s margins, including South Kordofan, Blue Nile — and Darfur.“Our main problem in Sudan is to address the root cause of the political problems. That is what we Darfuris demand."Nimir Abdelrahman, chief negotiator for the Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council, a Darfuri rebel group“Our main problem in Sudan is to address the root cause of the political problems. That is what we Darfuris demand,” said Nimir Abdelrahman, a chief negotiator for the Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council, a Darfuri rebel group. This week, Darfuri armed and unarmed rebel groups are negotiating with the Sudanese government in neighboring Juba, South Sudan, with hopes of reaching a peace deal by June 20, which will officially end the conflict in Darfur.“The security situation in Darfur has deteriorated, it is very bad,” Abdelrahman said. “We are trying for the Darfur [groups] and the government forces to establish a joint military command to help the people on the ground.”Other Darfuri demands include disarming armed militias responsible for attacking civilians and bringing justice to all those responsible for crimes in Darfur.“The government in Khartoum should hand over those wanted by the International Criminal Court,” said Abdelrahman. “For those who are not indicted — we agree to establish a Darfur criminal court.”There are four remaining Sudanese suspects wanted by the ICC for crimes in Darfur, including former President Bashir, who is currently in Kober prison in Khartoum.  It’s unclear whether those suspects will be extradited to the ICC, or tried jointly in Sudan.

Burundi has ordered four key staff members of the World Health Organisation to leave the country. Clashes in Sudan’s South Kordofan region leave at least 26 dead. Our listeners share their experiences of life under lockdown.

Sudan has been involved in ongoing civil wars since 1983. The wars were about religion, culture and resources. By 2005, approximately two million civilians had died. In 2011, the southern part of the country voted to secede from the north, creating the new country of South Sudan.  But there were still three regions that were claimed by both north and south: Abyei, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan. These regions are rich in oil and have fertile farmlands, so politicians and humanitarians predicted there would be violence following the secession. Civilians in these regions, mostly farmers and shepherds, would be caught in the middle.Content Note:Discussion of genocideNathaniel Raymond is a human rights investigator. He was looking into an alleged massacre in Afghanistan when he was introduced to the idea of using satellite imagery for humanitarian purposes. At that time, satellite images were sometimes used for documenting force swells and finding the locations of mass graves. But Nathaniel wondered if he could figure out a way to use satellite imagery proactively; what if he could figure out a way to see an attack coming and sound an alarm before anyone got hurt?Nathaniel wasn’t the only one who had this idea. Actor George Clooney had also been researching ways to use satellites as “anti-genocide paparazzi” in Sudan through an organization he co-founded called The Enough Project. The Enough Project and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and others sponsored the project. The Satellite Sentinel Project partnered with the private satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe, who gave the SSP permission to point some of their satellites where they pleased and take pictures. By December 2010, the Satellite Sentinel Project was in full swing, inventing a new methodology for analyzing satellite imagery of active conflict in real time. The mission of the Satellite Sentinel Project was threefold: Warn civilians of impending attacks,document the destruction in order to corroborate witness testimony in later investigations, and potentially dissuade the governments in both Sudan and South Sudan from returning to war in the first place. “We wanted to see if being under surveillance would change the calculus… If they knew we were watching, would they not attack?” The Satellite Sentinel Project would release their reports at midnight so that they would be available in time for morning news in East Africa. Critics of Satellite Sentinel Project say that South Sudan shouldn’t be a playground for experimental humanitarian efforts bankrolled by a foreign movie star. And Nathaniel says the critiques are valid. “It was always a Hail Mary pass. And, we must be clear, it was always an experiment, which in and of itself is problematic. But… what else are we going to do, sit on our hands?” Satellite Sentinel Project released a total of 28 reports over 18 months. The methodology Nathaniel and his team developed is still being taught at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Today Nathaniel Raymond is a lecturer on Global Affairs at Yale’s Jackson Institute. Special thanks to Ziad al Achkar, one of Nathaniel’s colleagues from Satellite Sentinel Project that helped us with this episode. Producer: Garrett TiedemannEditors: Bethany Denton and Jeff EmtmanMusic: Garrett Tiedemann

Sudan has been involved in ongoing civil wars since 1983. The wars were about religion, culture and resources. By 2005, approximately two million civilians had died. In 2011, the southern part of the country voted to secede from the north, creating the new country of South Sudan. But there were still three regions that were claimed by both north and south: Abyei, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan. These regions are rich in oil and have fertile farmlands, so politicians and humanitarians predicted there would be violence following the secession. Civilians in these regions, mostly farmers and shepherds, would be caught in the middle.Content Note:Discussion of genocideNathaniel Raymond is a human rights investigator. He was looking into an alleged massacre in Afghanistan when he was introduced to the idea of using satellite imagery for humanitarian purposes. At that time, satellite images were sometimes used for documenting force swells and finding the locations of mass graves. But Nathaniel wondered if he could figure out a way to use satellite imagery proactively; what if he could figure out a way to see an attack coming and sound an alarm before anyone got hurt?Nathaniel wasn't the only one who had this idea. Actor George Clooney had also been researching ways to use satellites as “anti-genocide paparazzi” in Sudan through an organization he co-founded called The Enough Project. The Enough Project and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and others sponsored the project. The Satellite Sentinel Project partnered with the private satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe, who gave the SSP permission to point some of their satellites where they pleased and take pictures. By December 2010, the Satellite Sentinel Project was in full swing, inventing a new methodology for analyzing satellite imagery of active conflict in real time. The mission of the Satellite Sentinel Project was threefold: Warn civilians of impending attacks,document the destruction in order to corroborate witness testimony in later investigations, and potentially dissuade the governments in both Sudan and South Sudan from returning to war in the first place. “We wanted to see if being under surveillance would change the calculus… If they knew we were watching, would they not attack?” The Satellite Sentinel Project would release their reports at midnight so that they would be available in time for morning news in East Africa. Critics of Satellite Sentinel Project say that South Sudan shouldn't be a playground for experimental humanitarian efforts bankrolled by a foreign movie star. And Nathaniel says the critiques are valid. “It was always a Hail Mary pass. And, we must be clear, it was always an experiment, which in and of itself is problematic. But… what else are we going to do, sit on our hands?” Satellite Sentinel Project released a total of 28 reports over 18 months. The methodology Nathaniel and his team developed is still being taught at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Today Nathaniel Raymond is a lecturer on Global Affairs at Yale's Jackson Institute. Special thanks to Ziad al Achkar, one of Nathaniel's colleagues from Satellite Sentinel Project that helped us with this episode. Producer: Garrett TiedemannEditors: Bethany Denton and Jeff EmtmanMusic: Garrett Tiedemann

Susan Howell is a long time member of First Baptist Church in Lincoln, NE. Susan was born in Lincoln, Nebraska and grew up in New York. She returned to Nebraska 25 years ago to care for aging parents and has been here ever since. She joined First Baptist Church Lincoln in 1994. Susan has been active with the Karen community at First Baptist Church for the past 10 years, teaching Sunday school, attending events and serving on the Karen Society of Nebraska Board of Directors. She has also been active at MCCC with retreats and Music and Drama camp. She lives in Lincoln with her husband Bob. They just celebrated their 23rd anniversary. Susan was an accountant in her professional life and is now retired. Further information: Conflict in Burma and Karen People: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_people Conflict in Sudan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudanese_conflict_in_South_Kordofan_and_Blue_Nile First Baptist Church, Lincoln: http://fbclincoln.org/  

The Nuba Mountains are a remote region of northern Sudan, in South Kordofan. The Nuba are various Indigenous tribes who inhabit the region.   Abyei lies further to the south and was also part of South Kordofan. It is just north of the border with South Sudan. Abyei Area, rich in oil, is disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan. I remember being in Nimule in 2007, listening to troop carriers in the night driving north to Abyei, when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was allegedly in place.   Five women, Muslim and Christian, who arrived in Australia as refugees from these two areas talk to Jodie Heterick and I about their homeland. Jodie and I learn about the 99 mountains of Nuba, about building your home, scarification, dance, and war.   These are beautiful, strong women. From hiding in the rocks from aeroplanes dropping bombs on schools, to adapting to modern life in Khartoum where you must pay for things and are looked down on for your traditional practices, to building a new life in western Sydney, this is a fascinating insight into the tumult of seeking refuge.   Apologies, however, for the quality of the sound. With the number of children and number of languages* that the seven of us had between us, it is amazing that we got such a coherent conversation.   The Sudanese politicians referred to when the women are describing the topics of songs are: Omar Al-Bashir - the President of Sudan; Yousif Kuwa – the leader of Nuba; Salva Kirr – the President of South Sudan; John Garang – who led the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in the 2nd Sudanese Civil War, and then was the First Vice President of Sudan until his death in a helicopter crash in 2005. He is considered a hero in Sudan.   * I only had one of those languages. I am in awe of these women with their 3 or 4 languages. 

Yasir Arman is leading Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), a politico-military movement advocating for a just, democratic and secular Sudan. Arman joined SPLM in 1986 and has spent virtually his whole adult life fighting for a Sudan for all Sudanese irrespective of their ethnicity, race or religion. Some say it’s the most forgotten of all forgotten conflicts. Blue Nile and South Kordofan, the areas that were left out when South Sudan gained independence, are in their 6th year of civil war with the Sudanese regime in Khartoum. Every day, civilians are subjected to the government’s aerial bombardments, terrorizing the civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee. The people are suffering severe hunger, and aid organizations are not allowed access by the Sudanese regime. The humanitarian situation in the areas of South Kordofan (Nuba Mountains), South Blue Nile and Darfur is as bad as in Syria, Iraq and South Sudan. Still, the conflict is often overseen by journalists, diplomats and the international community. The event was hosted by the Norwegian People's Aid- Norsk Folkehjelp, Støttegruppe for Sudan og Sør-Sudan (SFS), Fellesrådet for Afrika - Norwegian Council for Africa, the Oslo Center, and documentary film festival Human Rights Human Wrongs.

Operation Blessing is delivering food, medicine, clean water, tents, and other supplies to refugees in South Sudan that have fled the Nuba mountains in South Kordofan. Read the press release: http://bit.ly/oq9JmZ Learn more about our projects: www.operationblessing.org