Unamid, the hybrid military force (see the editorial) got off the ground with the changing of headgear: the AU green beret for the UN blue beret. Jordan had promised 260 helicopters for Darfur , but after a visit on the spot the Jordianian authorities came back on their promise.

Protection of the camps for Displaced Persons is one of the main tasks of the hybri d military Force. But its mandate to protect civil rights is nevertheless “hedged in by the responsibilities of the Sudanese Government.” The Force is preparing a plan for the creation, in the camps, of a community police force (which already exists in Kalma) that would work hand in glove with the Sudanese Police. T his hybrid military force would provide officers counsellors whose main task would be to that both sides reach international standards. Those counsellors would be expected to stress on strategics that would insure protection of women and children (ST 15 01).

Exactions. The UN Counsel for Human Rights dismissed, last December, a group of eight experts whose task was to watch over Human Rights abuses in Darfur; in their December report, they h ad accused Sudan of not protecting the civil populations from acts of rape, torture, other acts of violence and in addition, bombarding thcm: "From June 20 th to mid-November, at least fifteen attacks civilian populations were conducted on land and in the air, by militia and Minni Minawi faction” (former rebel who had signed the Abuja Agreement). Not enough information wa s available on all the incidents that took place because of "restrictions on travelling inside the country, on logistics constraints, and because of insecurity” Egypt , o n behalf of the African Group, had strongly demanded to reduce political pressure on Sudan , which could then proceed to use torture against civilians without fear of intervention from outside. True, Simar Samar, the Human Rights Counsel special envoy to Sudan is assigned their job, but what can she do alone in a country that is five times the size of France ? This compromise is unacceptable.

Extensive Agriculture in Darfur . Douglas Johnson wrote that one of the aims of the war in the South was the exploitation of resources by the populations of the periphery as temporary labourers ; their land and their water became Go vernment assets. That is clear from the investments the Arab League consented in Darfur for extensive mechanised agriculture, a method where land is State property and is hired in large exploitations among a privileged class of people without taking into account at all the property rights according to Darfuri law (Ashwotth).

The Humanitarian Aspect. The man of the UN in charge of the humanitarian questions, John Holmes, was severely criticised by the Governor of Southern Darfur. John Holmes had said that insecurity had worsened in Darfur , but the Govcrnor pointcd out that the humanitarian workers could go wherever they liked. The Governor, however, does not seem to know the map we reproduced in the last bulletin. Eleven humanitarian workers were expelled this year (Reuters 01 12). According to the U.N. the malnutrition rate among children went from 12.9% in 2006 to 16.1% in 2007. The break-even point of emergency is 15%. One billion dollars is spent every year on malnutrition, but there is insecurity,too many places that cannot be reachcd, an increase in displacements. ( New York Times 12 12 ).

According to WFP, in the last. three months of 2007, thirteen of their trucks, transporting supplies of the Organisation, were stolen or ambushed, three drivers were murdered, and only three of the lorries were recovered. From January 1 st to January 22nd, twenty-three trucks were stolen and nineteen of the drivers could not be traced . The transport companies, therefore, refuse to lend their trucks at a time when WFP transports 40.000 tons of good by month, half of them by lorry. WFP fears to interrupt their distribution in some areas before mid-February (UN 23 01 08).

Bradol, President of MSF France, underlines that the NGO's are submitted to attacks in places under the Central Government control and mo st of the time with the support of the authorities.

Conflicts. - On 25 th December, according to JEM; many Arabs have allegedly joined them, including seven Ermirs and twenty-two important officers, amongst them, janjawid or boarder-guards. The JEM has become the greatest threat to the Sudanese Army. In Decernber the JEM launched an attack against the Chinese petrol station at Al Defra (Kordofan) and forced it to close down its pumping station. The idea is to force the Chinese to leave the country because the money they bring in is used for war purposes. In Wcst Darfur the JEM boast that they have cut the road Geneina-Zalingei, taken prisoners 29 soldiers, and captured 32 vehicles and some heavy gun; moreover they claim to have shot down an Antonov military plane near Nyala (Reuters 16 12 /0 12). The Sudanese Army denied this last piece of information but did not make any comment on the rest of the communiqué. The MJE have warned all planes:, to ask them permission to fly over the land 24 hours in advance, the Sudanese military planes are painted white and therefore are difficult to differentiate from other planes (ST AFP Reuter 27 Dzczlber ). The JEM pretend to have captured the garrison of Silaina near Geneina on Decelnber 20 th and to have shot down a Mig 29 while il was dropping bombs on the Gebel Moon; a piece of information denicd, by the Sudanese Governmnt (ST January 1 st )

Position of the rebels in the negotiations .

Between nine and eleven factions of rebels have for med a new united SLA movement at Juba , under the leadership of Abd el Shafi. They approached Abd el Wahid without success. Khartoum sees in this meeting an indication that South Sudan and Darfur have joined forces against the government . The mediators, submissive to the government, are trying to organise negotiations somewhere else under their aegis. Abd el Shafi rejects it, he is nevertheless worried by the partisan attitude adopted by the international community as regards Khartoum's obstruction to the Hybrid Force; he would like the rebels to be treated on a footing of equality with the Sudanese Government (ST 19 th January).

Let us turn to the most important rebels.The six representatives at the Cease fire Commissionof the JEM were arrested by the Sudanesc Security Forces in Decembcr in spite of an AU intervention (ST 30 th December). The JEM flatly refused to speak about negotiations with mediator Eliasson as long as they were not released. They were, but Khartoum denied thosc men access to the Commission.

Once those MJE representatives had been released, the United Nations forbade Eliasson to meet with Khalil Ibrahim on the ground that the Sudanese Air Force had, two days before, bombarded a place close to their headquarters. Khalil lbrahim informed Eliasson over the phone that he would take part in the negotiations only if the United Nations were to sign an agreement on the part to be played by the mediation; on the place and date of the negotiations, and on the names of the groups to be invited. He keeps repeating every day that the mediation team are trying all they can to marginalise him by inviting all the rebels to take part in the negotiations. Khalil Ibrahim is taking his distances from the SLA / AWN by proposing the division of the Darfur in ordcr to throw anger amongst the Fur.

Abd el Wahis el Nour (AWN), SLA had required, prior to all negotiations, the creation of the Hybrid Force, the latter do not have the right or the power to disarm the janjawid. AWN is now demanding a suspension of the conflict . He points out that, if the mediation aims at taking the Abuja agreement as a basis for negotiation with a view to broaden its field, the meeting should be restricted to the participants in the Abuja negotiations (SLM/ AWN and JEM). The splinter groups will be bound to join them and accept their leadership. If some of those splinter groups refuse to participate, it will be possible for them to wait for the following period and join the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue, which was foreseen at Abuja . AWN like the JEM, accuses the mediation of trying to marginalise their movements in o rder to punish them for having refused to sign the Abuja agreement. He expressed his indignation at the attempts that were made to mislead their leaders by deceitful declarations (sec the editorial).

On Jan. 18th, in Juba, mediator Eliasson underlined that the revival of fighting is ill-omened for the negotiations, and on 19, in Khartoum , showed a cautious optimism.

Musa Hilal, chief Janjaweed, racist criminal, becomes Advisor in Khartoum

Musa Hilal is the leader of the Arab clan Muhamid, which his father installed on African soil (the Amu region) through falsities and corruption. Arrested in 1997 for having killed 17 Africans, Musa was not condemned. He was emprisoned in 1998 for an armed attack against the central bank of Nyala, where a police officer was killed. In 2003 the government released him so that he could aid them in quashing the rebellion. Innumerable wittnesses say that he called for the death of Africans. In 2004 he gave the American chargé d'affaires precise information on Khartoum 's support of the Janjaweed (VS n ? 124). His confessions to Human Rights Watch (HRW) followed in 2005. In 2006 the Security Council imposed travel restrictions and financial sanctions upon him. He threatened to combat anyone who would want to take him before the International Criminal Court, which mentioned him in 2007 (ST).

After a tour of the Darfur region by the chief of Security and the Interior Minister, Beshir named Hilal Advisor to the minister of Federal affairs, who coordinates regional administration with the federal government. Is this to stop defections such as that of Muhamid, which Hilal himself would have envisioned? This nomination gave rise to the indignation of AWN, Khalil Ibrahim, Minni Minawi, the United States , HRW, and the SOAT, for whom “his nomination undermines the peace process. Those who are suspected of having played a role in the atrocities should be the object of a criminal investigation.” According to Bechir, “he greatly contributed to the security and stability of Darfur .”