Arabic Media

July 23, 2023

Source:Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)

Headline: Chad to Deploy European Troops

By: Bashir Al Bakir

Chadian President Idriss Deby was under pressure to tell his hosts whether he would accept European troop deployment in his country before arriving in Paris:

• European troops will be deployed in Chad’s eastern borders with Darfur
• The troop will protect 200,000 Darfur refugees and 170,000 Chadian refugees
• European troops will be built around a French core of about 1,000 troops currently in Chad as security experts
• France has military bases in Chad and its troops started securing humanitarian aid to refugee camps in eastern Chad
• European troops will provide security to refugee camps and will monitor the border
• European troops are expected to be deployed around the same time as hybrid troops in Darfur

Source:Al Ahram (government-friendly, Egyptian daily with over 1 million in circulation)

Headline: Al Bashir Inaugurates New Projects in North Darfur

By: Abdul Wahid Libini

President Omar Al Bashir started a two-day visit to north Darfur where he will:

• Inaugurate new facilities and projects, including installing the heads of police and court system
• Inaugurate numerous economic projects
• Address a popular rally at Al Fashir stadium
• Preside over his government’s first ministerial meeting to discuss the performance of the three states of Darfur

Meanwhile, the ministry of foreign affairs criticized Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s sanction threats because:

• Efforts to get rebel groups to the negotiating table were succeeding
• Such threats emboldened rebel groups to demand more and resist calls for peace
• The ministry urged the international community to help the peace process by encouraging all parties to seek peace

Source:Al Rai (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)

Headline: Al Bashir Issues a Call for Peace while in Darfur

President Al Bashir started a visit to Darfur to showcase the importance his government gives the region and improved security:

• He called for peace during an address at Niyala, the capital of South Darfur
• He urged economic development in the region to encourage people to stay
• He encouraged rebel groups to opt for peace as people in the region seek security and prosperity

During this rare visit, Al Bashir is expected to:

• Inaugurate numerous economic projects and government facilities
• Build roads and hospitals
• Preside over ministerial meeting in Al Fashir to discuss development projects and progress achieved by local governments in Darfur’s three states

Source:Addustour (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)

Headline: United Nations Calls for Troop Deployment in Chad and Republic of Central Africa

John Holmes, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, called for deployment of European Union and United Nations troops in Chad and the Republic of Central Africa to:

• Prevent further destabilization because of Darfur crisis
• Protect refugees and aid workers
• To deter armed groups from raiding refugee camps

International organization estimate the number of refugees in Chad to be 220,000 from Darfur and 170,000 from Chad itself while in the Republic of Central Africa, it is more than 280,000.

Source:Al Riyadh (Government-friendly Saudi daily with wide circulation)

Headline: Arab Villages in Chad Torched by Murderous Militias

By: Stephanie Hancock

The sight that greets visitors to Goz Amir is grimly familiar in eastern Chad:

• Every single house has been burnt to the ground
• Giant clay urns used as grain stores are smashed
• Charred grass marks where homes once stood
• It is completely deserted

Like other villages in this Dar Sila district that borders Sudan's violent Darfur region, Goz Amir was destroyed during a wave of inter-ethnic fighting since last year that has made east Chad a macabre mirror of the neighboring Sudanese conflict, except for one difference: Goz Amir is an Arab village that was destroyed by African 'Toroboro' militia according to eyewitnesses.

Source:Asharq Al Awsat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)

Headline: To Show Security Improvement, Al Bashir and all Government Visit Al Fashir

By: Ismail Adam and Abdullah Mustapha

President Al Bashir started a visit to Darfur to show the importance his government gives the region:

• He said peace tops the list of the population in Darfur
• He urged economic development in the region to encourage people to stay
• He encouraged rebel groups to opt for peace as people in the region seek security and prosperity

Meanwhile, John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, called for deployment of European Union and United Nations troops in Chad and the Republic of Central Africa to:

• Prevent further destabilization because of Darfur crisis
• Protect refugees and aid workers
• To deter armed groups from raiding refugee camps

Source:Al Ahram (government-friendly, Egyptian daily with over 1 million in circulation)

Headline: President Al Bashir and his Government in Al Fashir

By: Abdul Wahid Libini

President Al Bashir Told his minister during it’s meeting in Al Fashir that national unity government:

• Makes peace and security in Darfur top priority
• Will work diligently to resolve the conflict
• Seeks to implement Abuja peace agreement
• Wants refugees to return to their homes voluntarily
• To work with rebel groups to achieve peace
• Will work to finish infrastructure projects

And during an address to a popular rally at Al Fashir Stadium, Al Bashir criticized President Bush and Prime Minister Brown’s call for more sanctions against Sudan. He also accused humanitarian groups of using Darfur crisis to collect money but not spend it to assist Darfur refugees

Source:Al Rai (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)

Headline: Egyptian Police Kills a Sudanese Woman and Wounds 4 near Israeli Border

In an attempt to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing into Israel, Egyptian police:

• Killed a 28 year old women
• Wounded 4 people including an 11 year old girl
• Arrested 22 people

This is the second time this month that Egyptian police opens fire on illegal African immigrants. This incident comes in the midst of heightened security by Egyptian forces to prevent illegal entry into Israel.

Source:Addustour (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)

Headline: Al Bashir Accuses Bush and Brown of Exaggerating Darfur Situation and Promises to Resolve the Crisis by Year End

By: Islam Abdul Rahman

President Al Bashir told his government, which meets in Al Fashir for the first time in Darfur, that he expects to sign an agreement with a rebel groups in Al Genaina – capital of Central Darfur – and will work to resolve the crisis by the end of the year at the latest. He said the government will focus on three areas:

• Security: to implement Abuja security measures in Darfur
• Refugee return: encourage the voluntary return of refugees to their homes
• Achieve peace with rebel groups who did not yet sign Abuja agreement

And during an address to a popular rally at Al Fashir Stadium, Al Bashir charged that President Bush and Prime Minister Brown exaggerate how bad the situation in Darfur is and challenged either of them to hold a popular rally anywhere in Baghdad. He also accused humanitarian groups of using Darfur crisis to collect money but not spend it to assist Darfur refugees.

Source:Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)

Headline: Al Bashir Promises to End Darfur Crisis by End of Year in Attempt to Preempt International Pressure

By: Annour Ahmed Annour

In an effort to preempt the need to deploy hybrid force in Darfur, President Al Bashir seems to take mattes in his own hands and push ahead with peace efforts.

• He is said to be afraid of a scenario similar to that of northern Iraq after the first Gulf war
• He expected the West to soften its position after he agreed to the hybrid force, but
• UN Security Council draft resolution submitted by Britain and supported by the United States convinced him otherwise and led to the much publicized trip to Darfur with all his government
• To oversee closely talks with different rebel groups to end the violence and achieve permanent peace in Darfur

And during a popular rally in Al Fashir, capital of North Darfur, President Al Bashir charged that President Bush and Prime Minister Brown exaggerate how bad the situation in Darfur is to cover their failure in Iraq and challenged either of them to hold a rally similar to the one he held in Al Fashir anywhere in Baghdad.

Read the above in Arabic.