Arabic Media

December, 7, 2007

Source: Al Rai (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)
Headline: Ban Ki-Moon Sends Envoys to Urge Al Bashir to Allow Darfur Hybrid Force Deployment

• United Nations Deputy Spokesperson Mary Okabi said Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Edmond Mulet and the Secretary’s Chief of Staff Kim Won-Soo would go to Lisbon to press Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir to accept non-African troops
• Sudan objected to non-African units from Thailand, Nepal, and the Nordic counties
• Sudan was also under a lot of pressure for not arresting two officials - Ahemd Harun and Ali Kushaib – who are accused of committing war crimes
• Sudan’s UN Ambassador Abdul Mahmoud Abdul Haleem accused ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo of politicizing the case, and insisted Sudan would not handover any of its citizens to be tried outside Sudan

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Khartoum Criticizes Ban Ki-Moon’s Call for Negotiations on Hybrid Force

• Ruling party official Kamal Abeed described UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s decision to send his assistants to pressure President Omar Al Bashir on Darfur hybrid force as puzzling and disappointing
• Abeed denied that Sudan was responsible for delaying the Darfur hybrid force deployment and warned that Sudan would not accept non-African participation other than that of China and Pakistan

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Khartoum Accuses Certain Countries of Using the ICC
By: Rania Azzughbi

• Sudan’s UN Ambassador Abdul Mahmoud Abdul Haleem accused influential countries of fueling confrontation between Sudan and International Criminal Court
• He said each time there is a problem, “some influential countries that are permanent members of UN Security Council” use the ICC to put addition pressure on Sudan
• ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo accused Sudan of protecting war criminals and refusing to hand them over to the ICC.  Ocampo added that Sudan also failed to provide protection to peacekeepers and civilians in Darfur

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Sudan Seals Its Borders with Chad as Fighting between Chad and Rebels Resumes

• Sudan said it sealed its borders with Chad and ordered its army to stop any force bent on destabilization and chaos to enter Chad via its borders
• This news comes as both Chadian government and rebels announced they defeated the other side with each claiming they killed hundred of the “enemy’s forces”
• Because of the ongoing fighting, the United Nations warned that aid operations would be impacted causing the suffering of thousand of refugees in eastern Chad

Read the above in Arabic.