Arabic Media

December 13, 2022

Source: Al Akhbar (Independent Lebanese daily with strong circulation)
Headline: Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to Rejoin the Government
By: Peter Stephen

• The ruling partners announced they resolved their differences setting the stage for the movement’s ministers to end their boycott  
• Sudan People’s Liberation Movement announced that the agreement reached with the its ruling partner allowed it to resume it functions inside the coalition government

Source: Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)
Headline: Eliasson Said Peace Negotiations Not Stalled

• After a week-long visit to Darfur region and South Sudan, UN envoy Jan Eliasson declared peace negotiations to be ongoing despite lack of visible progress
• Eliasson met with tribe and rebel leaders in Darfur except for Khalil Ibrahim of Justice and Equality Movement, who was engaged in “field operations,” and Abdul Wahid Nour, who lives in Paris.  He reached both leaders via the phone
• Despite lack of progress in Libya peace talks, Eliasson refused to describe peace efforts a “failure”
• Meanwhile, the future of Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Sudan Sima Samar’s work in Darfur became unclear after some African and Muslim countries voiced their opposition to extending the mandate of the special investigation
• These countries told UN human rights office that the situation in Darfur improved and were satisfied with Sudan’s cooperation with UN special investigating team and the United Nations

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Competing Interests Hamper Darfur Hybrid Force Deployment
By: Emad Abdul Hadi

• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s worst fears over Darfur crisis might become a reality
• The secretary general’s concern over Darfur hybrid force deployment led him to accuse the Sudanese government of sabotage and delaying tactics, as it objected to Nordic states’ participation in the force
• Meanwhile, the Sudanese government criticized the international organization’s inefficiency and weakness because it failed to secure much needed funding and equipment to ensure the operation’s success
• This exchange of accusations prompted experts to call on all involved parties – Sudanese government, United Nations, and rebel groups - to revise their vision and plot a new course to save the peace talks and speed up the hybrid force deployment
• Some experts became convinced that the United Nations would refer the case back to the Security Council in order to force Sudan to drop its opposition to non-African nations’ participation in the hybrid force