All-Sudan:
On Saturday, the Government of Sudan (GoS) attacked two rebel strongholds in Northern Darfur. The attack involved heavy fighting between the two sides, with many military dead and several civilian dead being reported. The GoS denies this, and the rebels claim that the GoS was trying to capture a lot of territory before peace talks start again, and it is after the oil in North Darfur.
There is also still insecurity around last week’s attacks in Kalma camp as there have been reports of the Sudanese army building up its troops surrounding the camp.
Attacks on aid workers continue in Darfur, which has caused the UN to warn that it will stop all emergency food delivery if security doesn’t improve. Food has already been cut so much that a riot broke out in a refugee camp over lack of food in which one woman was killed.
Burma:
The Burmese police chief denies the claims of the National League for Democracy that Aung San Suu Kyi is on a hunger strike in protest of her treatment.
The World Health Organization has come under fire for their seemingly lauditory stance of the Burmese governments aid response to the areas still devastated by Cyclone Nargis.
Congo:
The DRC government closed a section of the border with Uganda this week, in an attempt to cut off supply lines to ethnic Tutsi rebels lead by General Laurent Nkunda. Fighting between the Congolese army and Nkunda’s forces began late last week in North Kivu province, prompting fears that eastern DRC will return to all-out war.
Anti-UN protests erupted in North Kivu province following efforts by MONUC, the UN mission in DRC, to stem fighting between the Congolese army and Nkunda’s forces. Citizens of the district particularly objected to MONUC’s calls for the Congolese army to return territory taken from Nkunda in the fighting, in an attempt to enforce the ceasefire agreement.
The International Criminal Court declined to lift a stay on proceedings in the trial of former DRC rebel leader Thomas Lubanga. Lubanga will remain in ICC custody until a final decision is made on the appeal to have his case dismissed.
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