January10, 2007:
The UN said it is meeting with potential "contributor nations" that
will supply troops for the hybrid UN-African Union (AU) force destined for
Darfur. At the moment the UN has "several dozen" uniformed personnel in Darfur
operating as observers and as liaison personnel.
January
9, 2007: The military said that it begun sending "army escorts" along with
convoys in south Sudan. An attack on a convoy outside the town of Juba on
January 7 killed ten people. The attack was attributed to "Ugandan rebels"
though at this time that is an unsubstantiated claim. The Ugandan Lord's
Resistance Army has denied that its fighters are launching attacks. What is
clear is that the situation in south Sudan is deteriorating once again. Salva
Kiir, who is a Sudan national vice-president, as well as a former southern
rebel, issued a statement that said the peace agreement has "serious problems."
The Sudan government has accused former SPLA members of resisting efforts to
demilitarize. The southerners are accusing the northerners of supporting local
"Muslim" militias. The Sudan government has repeatedly said it stands by the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The CPA was signed in January 2005.
January
8, 2007: The UN reported another influx of refugees into t the South Darfur
town of Gereida. One estimate said that there are 120,000 refugees in the
Gereida area.
January
5, 2007: The AU said that it had received reports that Sudan Air Force aircraft
had attacked the town of Bamina and Gadir in North Darfur state. There was no
other information on the attacks. Typically, the Sudan Air Force uses ex-Soviet
propeller transports as improvised (bombs pushed out the cargo door)
bombers. The Sudan government, in a statement on January 9, said that it had
attacked National Resistance Front (NRF) rebels in the area (ie, Bamina and
Gadir). The NRF did not sign the May 5 Darfur peace agreement.