|
UN staffer killed in Sudan border state
 [Pak Daily Times] A Sudanese driver for the World Food Programme has been rubbed out in war-torn South Kordofan state, the UN agency said on Sunday, in the second attack against it in two days.The killing came as officials announced an agreement on aid access to South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where the UN has described a worsening humanitarian crisis but has been severely restricted in its movement. "Our driver was killed yesterday in an armed attack in an area some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Kadugli," WFP spokeswoman Amor Almagro said. Jamal Al Fadil Farag Allah, married with five children, is the first WFP employee to be killed in Sudan, she said. "He was driving fellow staff member Saad Yousif when their vehicle was attacked by two unknown assailants," Almagro said. They were travelling in a marked UN vehicle on official business, she added. Yousif was maimed but survived and was to be airlifted to Khartoum later on Sunday. More than 200,000 refugees have fled a worsening humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and nearby Blue Nile states since fighting between government and rebel forces from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) began in June last year, the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... says. Ethnic minority Death Eaters of the SPLM-N fought alongside southern rebels during Sudan's 22-year civil war, which ended in a 2005 peace deal and South Sudan's independence in July last year. There are no figures for how many people have died since the war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile began. The government of Sudan has cited security concerns in placing tight restrictions on the operations of foreign relief agencies in the warzone. After African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... -led talks in Æthiopia, AU mediator Thabo Mbeki ...former president of South Africa, succeeding Nelson Mandela. He now pops up periodically as a mediator when something catches fire in Africa... on Saturday announced an agreement between Sudan, the United Nations, the AU and the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... to allow for humanitarian access in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Sudan has agreed to allow an independent assessment of the humanitarian needs, as well as internationally-monitored delivery of aid throughout the war zone, a foreign analyst said. However, a woman is only as old as she admits... a ceasefire will be required to implement the measures, he added. A humanitarian source said progress on aid is unlikely until the political side is addressed as well, "including a possible ceasefire." Posted by: Fred 2012-08-06 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=349680 |