Arab media

January 12 , 2008

Source: Addustour (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)
Headline: Chad: New Darfur Refugees Not Welcome

• Chad announced that it would not allow any new Darfur refugees and would be forced to expel them if the international community did not return them to their home country or find another host country for them
• This warning comes after thousands of new Darfur refugees crossed into Chad following Sudanese army attack on three villages in West Darfur
• Chad hosts over 280,000 Darfur refugees, but complained that last Chadian rebel attack started from Sudan

Source: Al Khaleej (UAE daily, with over 80,000 in circulation)
Headline: Paris Worried about Military Action in Darfur

• France complained about the humanitarian toll arising from Sudanese military’s action in Darfur
• It warned the attack would destabilize the whole region and called for an immediate end to military action and for civilian population protection
• French government demanded that the Sudanese government allow humanitarian groups free access to the affected area and stressed the need for speedy deployment of Darfur hybrid and EUFOR forces
• The Sudanese army indicated that the military operation was necessary to drive rebel fighters from west Darfur

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Chadian Rebels Reject Deployment of EUFOR 

• Chadian rebels warned European Union against sending peacekeepers to Chad and Central African Republic
• They accused France of supporting Deby’s regime, and complained EUFOR force would not be neutral especially given France’s leading role in the force
• The rebels charged that the French forces based in eastern Chad intervened against them during their last campaign to topple Deby’s regime
• France denied any involvement in the fighting even though it acknowledged firing on rebel forces to protect its evacuation of foreign nationals during their siege of presidential palace

Source: Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Minnawi Calls for “International Investigation” into Darfur “Massacre” and Khartoum Rejects Condemnation of Its Actions in West Darfur
By: Annour Ahmed Annour

• Minnawi, President Al Bashir’s assistant, called for “international investigation” of government force’s actions in three villages in West Darfur
• He described the military’s campaign as “a horrible massacre” and asserted that there were no rebels in the three villages during the government’s attack
• Meanwhile, Sudanese government accused the international community of double standards as it turned a blind eye to JEM rebels’ use of force to wrestle control of the villages but condemned the government’s attempt to restore peace and order over its national territory
• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and France condemned the government’s attack and warned of its toll on the civilian population