Arabic Media

December 10, 2022

Source: Addustour (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)
Headline: UN World Food Program: Fighting in Chad Hamper Aid Operations

• UN World Food Program indicated that ongoing clashes in eastern Chad hamper aid operations and prevent delivery of food to some refugee camps
• Meanwhile, French minister of defense stated that deployment of European peacekeeping force in eastern Chad and Northern Central African Republic is a matter of “credibility " for the European Union
• The EU agreed to deploy 3,500 troops to protect Darfur refugees and internal displaced Chadians and provide safe passage of humanitarian aid

Source: Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)
Headline: Ban Ki-Moon Says Lack of Helicopters Could Doom Hybrid Force

• UN Secretary General urged UN members to provide 24 helicopters to ensure the success of Darfur hybrid force
• Ki-Moon told journalists his efforts to convince all industrialized and some developing members to provide these helicopters were “unsuccessful”
• In addition to logistical difficulties, Darfur hybrid force faces administrative obstacles caused by Sudanese government according to some sources
• Hybrid force leader complained these difficulties would delay the force’s deployment

Source: Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Washington Wants Nigeria to Send More Troops to Darfur and Somalia
By: Talha Jibril

• President Bush is expected to urge Nigeria to send more troops to Darfur and Somalia during his meeting with Nigerian president on Thursday
• Nigerian forces sustained heavy losses during a recent attack on African troops in Darfur but indicated it would not withdraw its troops from the troubled region
• This meeting comes weeks ahead of a visit by President Bush to Africa at the beginning of 2008

Source: Al Masry Al Youm (Independent Egyptian Daily with increasing circulation)
Headline: International Experts Accuse Sudanese Army of Killing Hundreds of Civilians in Darfur

• A group of international experts indicated that Sudanese army continues to kill hundreds of Darfur civilians and accused all involved parties of violating human rights
• The group stated that according to UN reports, Sudanese army and its allied militia attacked civilians in Darfur’s three states killing over 170 people between June and mid November 2007
• Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged members to provide 24 helicopters in order to ensure the success of Darfur hybrid force mission
• As for Sudan, it rejected accusations that it hampered and delayed the force’s deployment

Source: Al Ahram (government-friendly, Egyptian daily with over 1 million in circulation)
Headline: Al Bashir Not to Meet with Ban Ki-Moon Representatives in Lisbon
By: Abdul wahid Libini

• Dr. Mustapha Othman Ismail, President Omar Al Bashir’s Advisor, said UN secretary general could send any representative to Khartoum or could phone the president directly, but the president would not meet with any envoy or representative in Lisbon
• Dr. Ismail indicated that President Omar Al Bashir was expected to meet with Chadian President Idriss Deby to discuss the situation in eastern Chad
• Meanwhile, UN envoy Jan Eliasson warned that renewed fighting in Darfur would doom upcoming peace talks

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Arrested Members of L’Arche de Zoe on Hunger Strike

• French source indicated L’Arche de Zoe’s six arrested officials, who are accused of attempting to kidnap 103 children, started a hunger strike on Saturday to protest their arrest
• According to the source, the six suspects do not feel they did anything wrong and complained the judge was biased against them
• L’Arche de Zoe insisted they were trying to help Darfur orphans, but other aid organizations active in Darfur said most of these children had at least one parent and that not all of them were from Darfur

Source: Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Sudan Closes Its Borders with Chad
By: Mustapha Sirri and Ismail Adam

• Sudanese authorities indicated that orders were given for their borders with Chad to be closed and for the army to prevent armed groups from crossing into Chad
• Sudanese ambassador in Chad indicated that disturbances in eastern Chad impacted the situation in Darfur and denied Sudan was involved in the ongoing violence in Chad
• Meanwhile, high-ranking official in N’Djamena questioned Sudan’s intentions and indicated that Chad did not close its borders with Sudan. 
• The official added that the borders would be closed and diplomatic relations would frozen if Sudan continued to provide support to Chadian rebel groups

Read the above in Arabic.