My apologies

Dear all,

Sorry about the extended delay in posting. I returned to Sudan in the middle of February and simply found picking up the strings of my job, as well as a whole raft of other work took the energy I had been dedicating to blogging. This hopefully won't happen again.

I think their is another reason why I am blogging again - frustration.

When I first returned everything seemed possible and probable. Plans were made, next steps scheduled and strategies put into motion. I was enthusiastic and optimistic. A month and a half later I find that despite the paper created, the workshops attended and the flip chart/white boards filled nothing has changed. Even if our project had the impact on the ground that I would like, still this would not essentially change anything. People would still by dying or living destitute in Darfur. The rebels would still be criminally incompetent, and the government would still be intent on the destruction of all potential challengers to its own hypocritical authority.

I am beginning to believe that the naivety required to be a humanitarian, is in fact a deeply cynical adventure. By pretending that good actions in a bad world can make a difference we are in fact avoiding the much starker and darker reality that if we really want to stop events like Darfur we must be political, partisan and involved.

The problem with recognising this, is that I am confident that we cannot maintain our own moral purity if we do this.

The Iron Fist closes around the Throat of the Humanitarian Sector

Below are three extracts from the government of Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission’s (HAC) draft procedures manual. I have put the most disturbing passages in italics.

This document constitutes the final legal stripping of almost all autonomy from both NGOs and INGOs, the main humanitarian actors in Sudan. HAC officials, many of which are believed to be internal security agents, will now be involved in the vetting of all reports, programming, and hiring. They will even be providing the maintenance engineers for humanitarian communications equipment.

There is supposedly a workshop held by HAC in Khartoum to discuss these procedures tomorrow 13 Feb. But this discussion will be pointless - no NGO can object forcibly to these procedures without risking their programming, staff and registration.

8.1 Recruiting Procedures of National Staff:
- Approval of HAC.
- Approval of Labor Dept. (LD) to advertise for the position in local newspapers.
- Payment of the advertisement fees.

N.B.:
All the above mentioned steps take only one day time.

Advertisement time limit takes 10 to 15 days.
The advertisement should specify clearly position’s duties, responsibilities, qualifications and the necessary logical experience etc).
- Applications should be only received by the Labor Dept. (LD) at HAC.
- Preparation of preliminary short list jointly by both Labor Dept. and the organization within one day time.
- Written test within two days time.
- Oral interview and determination of both the successful candidate and the reserve candidate if there any through a joint panel including one member from each of the following:
1. Labor Dept.
2. NGO general Directorate.
3. The concerned NGO.
4. Procedures Technical Dept.
The selection process takes only one day time based on the readiness of the organization to follow the above mentioned steps unless agreed by the joint panel for going into any further steps.

16. Procedures for Conduction of Surveys and Field Assessments:
All NGOS who are going to carry out any Surveys or field Assessments at either federal or state levels should apply the following procedures:
• The surveys/ field Assessments must be directly related to the nature and field(s) of the NGO work
• Involvement of the related technical Governmental department at federal and state levels within the whole process.
• Involvement of the related Governmental Bodies in writing of the survey final reports results and findings
• Unless approved by HAC, release of the survey findings and results is totally prohibited.

13. Procedures of Media Delegation and Media
Coverage:
· A letter from the organization which includes details and purpose of Media
Delegation.
· The organization shall undertake in writing that the Media Documentary Materials shall be only for humanitarian purposes and not for commercial or any other purposes.
· Approval by the External Information Department, Ministry of Information.
· Submission of copy of the concerned document to HAC prior to any release for approval.
· Written approval of the documentary material by HAC before any further step for the release.

The Coming Storm?

UN staff warned against high risk of terrorist attack in Sudan

UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Sudan has issued last Wednesday 31 January an alert of imminent attack against western interest from an extremist group in Sudan.

The U.S. embassy in Khartoum has warned Americans in Sudan of an imminent insurgency strike by an Islamist group. In a warden message on Thursday, the embassy said it was informed by the United Nations Mission in Sudan that an "extremist group based in the country is likely to target Western interests."

The UN alert indicated that threats of this nature must always be taken seriously and staff are therefore requested to remain vigilant and alert.

"Given the focus of extremists on the UN presence in Sudan, it is possible that the primary target of this threat is the UN," the US embassy n message said.

The Sudanese government does not confirm the threat cited in the warden message. But UN diplomats have warned of increasing threats by al-Qaeda and other Islamic fighters against the Western presence in the country. (ST)

It is sad to say but most analysts have been waiting for this warning. The first signs of a growing terrorist threat in Sudan came in September 2006 when Mohammed Taha, the editor of al-Wifaq newspaper, was decapitated by an unknown Islamist group. The Sudan government used to be very effective at monitoring and controlling Islamist groups (those that adopted positions more extreme than their own I mean). Its Islamist credentials gave it access to the information and sympathisers necessary for this kind of work. In recent years their ability to do this has been eroded.

What is worrying is that any terrorist attack is likely to be only a precursor of a wave. After fifteen years of government-sanctioned radicalisation extremist Islamist networks have a fertile recruitment ground amongst fringe elements in Sudan. Sudanese nationals have been detained in Afghanistan, crossing into Israel and other frontline states.

At the moment very few international organisations have protection - the UN and World Bank both have Bremer blocks and walls guarding compounds but many NGOs are vulnerable. These defences a double edged sword - whilst they provide protection, they also really do alienate the population. It is hard to convince the Sudanese that the the West does not seek to recolonise the country when all of our offices are surrounded by barbed wire, security gates, and heavy concrete blocks.