Arabic Media

February 1 , 2008

Source: Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)
Headline: Everyone Is Guilty of Atrocities in Darfur

• Human Rights Watch’s 2007 Annual Report accused all parties involved in Darfur crisis of committing atrocities against Darfur civilians
• The report considered Khartoum government the chief responsible for the situation in Darfur
• But at the same time, it did not spare Darfur rebels.  For, it indicated that rebel actions did not only jeopardizes peace in the region, but also created a hostile environment for civilians, aid workers, and peacekeepers

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Ban Ki-Moon Urges Chad and Sudan to Show Restraint

• UN secretary general called on Chad and Sudan to exercise maximum restraint, as the Chadian government said Sudanese-backed Chadian rebels were advancing on N’Djamena
• The rising tensions came as European peacekeepers prepared to deploy in east Chad and North Central African Republic to protect Darfur refugees
• Meanwhile, Sudanese official and former rebel, Arko Minnawi, is said to arrive in N’Djamena for a two-day visit in an effort to ease tensions between the two countries

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Chadian Rebels Close in on N’Djamena

• Rebel leader Timan Erdimi told French News Agency that rebel forces were “closing in on capital N’Djamena,” explaining that his rebel forces split into smaller groups to surround the capital
• Chadian army, which initially sought to stop the rebels before they got close to N’Djamena, readjusted their strategy by forming a ring around the capital to prevent them from entering
• This chaotic situation forced UN agencies to evacuate positions in eastern Chad and French and American embassies to urge their citizens to limit their activities in the capital N’Djamena