English Wikinews RSS feed.

Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:35:07 GMT

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Mali

Sister links [edit]

In Amenas hostage crisis

Sources [edit]

"Islamist militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed in Mali'" — BBC News Online, March 3, 2013
"Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'" — Sky News, March 3, 2013
AFP. "Belmokhtar death would be blow to terrorism: Britain" — Global Post, March 3, 2013
Ruth Sherlock. "Mokhtar Belmokhtar's death 'could have repercussions for French hostages'" — The Sunday Telegraph, March 3, 2013
Krista Larson (AP). "French, Malian troops regain control of Gao" — Yahoo! News, February 11, 2013

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:02:17 GMT

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Health

Sources [edit]

"Africa united in fight against polio outbreak" — The Botswana Gazette, 5 March 2010
"85 Million Children To Be Immunized Against Polio In West And Central Africa" — Voice of America, 5 March 2010

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:36:01 GMT

Friday, January 29, 2010

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

Diplomats have said that Chad called on the United Nations' peacekeeping force to withdraw its civilians and soldiers from the country, and wants a timetable for the withdrawal.

"There is a [Chadian] political imperative for a withdrawal. It doesn't matter how long it takes, it will be a withdrawal," said an unnamed diplomat to the Reuters news agency; diplomats say that the deployment of UN personnel was never fully accepted by the government, and that Chadian president Idriss Deby views their presence as an encroachment on their sovereign territory.

The UN has sent out a high-level team to Chad, for talks, although diplomats noted there wasn't any scope to renegotiate the organisation's mandate, which is due to expire on March 15. Chadian authorities said they had asked the UN not to renew the mandate. Some concerns have been raised that aid agencies would not be able to operate in Chad should the withdrawal take place.

	There is no question of that [changing the mandate]. The Chadians are demanding a calendar for the retreat. It will not be long.
—Anonymous diplomat

"There is no question of that [changing the mandate]. The Chadians are demanding a calendar for the retreat. It will not be long," said another diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous.

The UN is mandated to have approximately 5,000 soldiers in Chad, although at the moment there are only 3,000, as the force is still deploying; it took over the peacekeeping role in the country from the European Union in 2009. Human rights groups say that about 200,000 refugees from Darfur in neighbouring Sudan are in the eastern part of the country, where they have faced violence from fighters. The UN was tasked with protecting those refugees.

UN peacekeeping forces are also present in the northern Central African Republic (CAR), as civilians there came under violence from local rebellions, as well as the larger regional conflict. According to a diplomat, the UN would have to withdraw from the CAR if it pulled out of Chad. "The UN can't operate in a country that doesn't want them. But it also means a withdrawal from CAR," he noted.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Chad calls for UN troop withdrawal" — Al Jazeera, January 28, 2010
"Chad wants timetable for U.N. withdrawal -diplomats" — Reuters UK, January 28, 2010

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:31:54 GMT

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Red Cross in Chad
Image: Mark Knobil.

Médecins Sans Frontières in Chad
Image: Mark Knobil.

Six aid groups have suspended work in Chad today after the killing of one aid worker, a rash of banditry, and a kidnapping, according to the United Nations. The UN says about 37,000 people will be affected in some way by the move.

UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs noted that the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) are among those to halt operations. "To date, five NGOs [non-governmental organisations] and the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] have temporarily suspended their activities in the east," Byrs said. "Serious acts of banditry in eastern Chad over the last two weeks jeopardise the continuity of humanitarian operations."

This comes soon after a worker for the Red Cross, Laurent Maurice, was kidnapped earlier in the week and another local aid worker for the Solidarités agency was killed.

Over fifty attacks on humanitarian aid workers in Chad have been made this year by bandits. Relief workers are targeted by criminals because they have valuables and vehicles.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Aid groups suspend work in Chad" — Al Jazeera, November 13, 2009
"Six groups suspend Chad aid after killing, kidnap" — Reuters, November 13, 2009

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:38:06 GMT

Share this:

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Sudan

Sources [edit]

"Sudan attacks blamed on Chad" — The Times, May 17, 2009
"Sudan: Chad 'launches fresh raid'" — Al Jazeera, May 17, 2009

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

"Darfur a powder keg" says UN Head of Humanitarian Affairs

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:53:08 GMT

Darfur region in western Sudan

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Speaking in Khartoum today, Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations, said “this is the moment of truth. We are playing with a powder keg”. This followed disagreement about the role that UN would play in providing a force to help deal with the crisis in Darfur.

Kofi Annan, retiring UN Secretary General, yesterday announced agreement of African, Arab and European leaders to provide a 20,000 force to supplement the 7,000 African Union peacekeepers trying to cope with the situation that had resulted in 240,000 being killed and 2.5 million being displaced during three years of conflict in the western region.

Annan—disagreement over joint peacekeeping force

However, Lam Akol, the Sudanese foreign minister, said: "What we agreed upon in Addis Ababa was the African Union (AU) force assuming full command, while the UN role would be confined to providing technical and logistical assistance to the AU mission." No dates had been agreed for the deployment of the UN forces.

Egeland said that the delay would cause the situation to become infinitely worse and would prevent the ingress of humanitarian aid to the millions affected.

1 New violence
2 Darfur conflict threatens to spread
3 Sister links
4 Sources

New violence [edit]

The African Union is reported as saying that Birmaza, a northern village, has been attacked by the Sudanese government troops and Janjaweed militia with air support. 70 dead are reported. The Sudan government has denied that it supports the Janjaweed.

Darfur conflict threatens to spread [edit]

Chad Prime Minister Pascal Yoadimnadji says that “mercenaries in the pay of the Sudanese” have invaded towns in northeast Central African Republic. He said troops would be sent to help the Republic resist these incursions. Sudan continues to deny supporting the mercenaries.

Sister links [edit]

Darfur conflict

Sources [edit]

Rob Crilly and Stephanie Hancock. "Can UN stop the killing?" — Scotsman, November 19, 2006
"UN sounds Darfur crisis alarm" — Al Jazeera, November 18, 2006
"Sudan 'begins new Darfur attacks'" — BBC, November 18, 2006
Paul Koring. "Hopes dashed for diplomats to resolve Darfur crisis" — Globe and Mail, November 18, 2006
"Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict" — BBC, November 16, 2006
"Joint peace force for Darfur mooted" — Al Jazeera, November, 17, 2006

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Former Chadian leader receives death sentence

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:00:21 GMT

Friday, August 15, 2008

Share this:

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

Hissen Habre, the former President of Chad, has received a death sentence for plotting to overthrow the Chadian government. He is currently in exile and is living in Senegal.

In addition, the head of Rally of Forces for Change, Timane Erdimi, was sentenced to death in absentia as well as 10 other individuals. Erdimi is related to the current President of Chad, Idriss Déby. 32 other people were penalized with hard labor.

The inquiry said that Habre's government was responsible for 40,000 politically motivated murders and 200,000 torture cases.

The trial, which began on Tuesday, lasted for three days. The individuals tried in the hearing, received no legal defence throughout the period. El Hadj Diouf, Habre's lawyer in Senegal, stated that "this is a manipulation ... I'm not taking this seriously." Habre is expected to be tried in Senegal per the request of the African Union. The trial could potentially be years away, as no official date has been set.

Since being forced out of power in 1990, Habre has fought in a rebellion against the Chadian government along the eastern border of the country.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Chad ex-leader sentenced to death" — BBC News Online, August 15, 2008
Moumine Ngarmbassa. "Chad court sentences ex-leader Habre, rebels to death" — Thomson Reuters, August 15, 2008
Associated Press. "Chad sentences exiled former president Habre to death along with 11 others" — South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 15, 2008

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Over 60 members of Chadian sect killed by troops after violence

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:18:16 GMT

Friday, July 4, 2008

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

Over 60 members of a Chadian sect have been killed in fighting with police that started after the group's leader announced his wish to start a holy war. The government security minister, Mahamat Bachir, said that the death toll is "a regrettable toll, but we think we now control the situation caused by the actions carried out by these terrorists, these extremists."

Ahmat Ismael Bichara, who led the sect and claimed to follow the religion of Islam, ordered his followers to attack villagers as part of the start of a holy war. As a result of this, he was arrested.

Members of the security forces were also wounded in the attack. There were ten injuries, four of which resulted in fatalities. In addition to the deaths from the sect, over 50 members of the group were also injured.

Government officials also claimed that the sect wanted the war to spread as far as Europe. "Since June 3, he [the leader of the group] has been calling on all Muslims to prepare to engage in a holy war against Christians and atheists, saying that the war would be launched from Chad to as far as Denmark," said the official.

The incident occurred in an area near the town of Kouno, which is 300 kilometres away from Ndjamena, the Chadian capital.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Chad troops kill sect disciples" — BBC News Online, June 2, 2008
Moumine Ngarmbassa. "Chad halts "holy war" by Muslim leader, 70 killed" — Reuters, June 2, 2008

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

3000 homeless after fire breaks out in Chad refugee camp

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:57:13 GMT

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

A fire broke out in a refugee camp in eastern Chad Friday, leaving 3,000 people homeless and injuring 10, according to the United Nations (UN) refugee agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Refugees have been living in the camp as a result of the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

A Darfur refugee camp in Chad in 2005.
Image: Mark Knobil.

The fire started in the Goz Amer camp triggered by a cooking fire that had gone unwatched. The fire moved quickly through the camp due to high winds. Many of the refugees lost all of their belongings and food rations in the blaze. After receiving tents from the UNHCR in 2004, many of the refugees built traditional dwellings out of sticks and mud, and these shelters burned rapidly in the fire.

In a UNHCR press release, Emmanuel Uwurukundo, acting UNHCR head in Koukou-Angarana said: "Everybody around, refugees and all our partners alike, rushed to the spot and tried to extinguish the fire with whatever they had: clothes, extinguishers and water. The teamwork was outstanding."

	The refugees have already suffered so much tragedy and now face yet another trauma.
—António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

In Geneva the UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres commented on the situation: "The refugees have already suffered so much tragedy and now face yet another trauma. I am deeply relieved that there was no loss of life in this devastating fire. We will do everything we can to help and to get shelter and food supplies to them as quickly as possible."

Families affected by the fire were housed at three area schools, and the UNHCR announced on Friday that it planned to deliver aid supplies including sleeping mats, blankets and kitchen sets. The World Food Programme was also asked by the UNHCR for an extra monthly food ration to be delivered to the families whose homes were destroyed in the blaze.

The Goz Amer camp houses about 20,500 refugees, and is located approximately 70 kilometers from the Sudanese border. Goz Amer is one of 12 UNHCR-run camps along the Chad-Sudan which all told contain over 240,000 refugees from Darfur.

Chad and Sudan signed a peace agreement on March 13 in an attempt to end a five-year conflict, and the leaders of both countries agreed not to back rebel groups that are active near their borders.

Approximately 2.2 million people from the Darfur region have left their homes since the beginning of the violence in 2003. The UN puts the number of deaths due to the Darfur conflict at over 200,000, and the Sudanese government has said that only 9,000 have died.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

War in Darfur

"Thousands of Darfur refugees homeless after camp fire: UN" — Agence France-Presse, April 12, 2008
Thomas Atkins. "Fire leaves 3,000 homeless in Chad refugee camp - U.N." — Reuters, April 11, 2008
UNHCR News Stories. "Press Release: Fire sweeps through refugee camp in eastern Chad, 3,000 homeless" — United Nations High Commission for Refugees, April 11, 2008

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Chad court sentences six French aid workers to eight years of hard labour

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:23:41 GMT

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

A Chadian court today sentenced six French aid workers to eight years of hard labour for their role in a plot to kidnap 103 African children and fly them to France. The four men and two women have been in custody since October 25. They were also ordered to pay damages for each of the 103 children totaling the equivalent of US$9 million.

Two others, a Chadian and a Sudenese national, were each sentenced to four years, while two other Chadians were found not guilty.

The six French aid workers just sentenced belong to Zoe's Ark, a French charity, which had arranged for 103 children to be flown out of Chad, in what the charity described as an attempt to rescue them from the humanitarian crisis created as a result of the neighbouring Darfur conflict. However, on Wednesday a Chadian court found the six aid workers guilty of attempting to kidnap the children. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had earlier revealed that many of the children involved were not orphans.

On November 4, seven associates of the aid workers were set free, having been exonerated of any wrongdoing in the affair.

Due to a 1976 agreement between France and Chad regarding judicial affairs, France has indicated it will press for the transfer of its nationals back to France to serve out their time in a French prison. "France, after obtaining the agreement of the members of Zoe's Ark, and examining the implementation of the judicial co-operation accord between France and Chad, in particular article 29, will ask the Chadian authorities for the transfer of the prisoners to France," said Pascale Andreani, spokesperson for the French foreign ministry.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Chad sentences French to hard labour" — Reuters, December 26, 2007
"French aid workers get hard labour" — Al Jazeera, December 26, 2007

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Chad releases seven Europeans held in alleged kidnap plan

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:13:02 GMT

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Chad

Other stories from Chad

5 March 2013: Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali
7 March 2010: Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children
29 January 2010: Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw
14 November 2009: Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing
18 May 2009: Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

...More articles here

Location of Chad

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Chad, see the Chad Portal

Earlier today, the government of Chad set free three French journalists and four Spanish flight attendants, who had been held since October 25. Chadian authorities had been investigating the role of the seven and 14 other suspects with regard to an attempt to fly 103 African children to Europe for placement with host families.

The release of the seven came as French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Chad to hold talks on the case with Chadian officials. The lawyer for the seven, Jean-Bernard Padare, told Reuters that the seven were free to collect their belongings from the courthouse. "They are happy, they are free," said Padare. "It's the end."

A French charity, Zoe's Ark, had arranged for the 103 children to be flown out of Chad in an attempt to rescue them from the humanitarian crisis created as a result of the neighbouring Darfur conflict. However, Chadian officials have since described the operation as "kidnapping" and "extortion", while the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees revealed that many of the children involved were not orphans.

According to Radio France, Eric Breteau, the founder of Zoe's Ark charity, spoke at a pretrial hearing in N'Djamena, Chad and stated that the seven released Europeans had not been involved with the charity's plans.

Ten other Europeans are still being held in Chad and are facing child abduction and fraud charges.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Chad frees 3 French journalists, 4 Spanish crew" — Reuters, November 4, 2007
AP. "7 Europeans released in Chad after more than a week in detention, lawyer says" — International Herald Tribune, November 4, 2007

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Nine French nationals face kidnapping charges in Chad

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:52:18 GMT

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Darfur refugee camp in Chad.
Image: Mark Knobil.

Nine French nationals, that were arrested after they were caught trying to airlift over a hundred children from the country, will face charges of kidnapping, officials in Chad say. Seven Spanish nationals, who were the crew of the plane, will face charges of being complicit. Two Chadians were also charged.

The French, six of whom are members of a charity by the name of "Zoe's Ark," say that they were trying to rescue the children from the humanitarian crisis that is resulting from the Darfur conflict. The other three are journalists, there to cover the "rescue."

The prosecutor in Abéché, Ahmat Daoud, said: "For the nine French people it is a matter of kidnapping of minors...as well as extortion." They face 20 years in prison if convicted.

"Zoe's Ark" describes the children as orphans and says that they would have a better life in Europe. "The team is made up of firemen, doctors and journalists," said spokesperson, Christophe Letien, at a news conference. "It's unimaginable that doubts are being cast on these people of good faith, who volunteered to save children from Darfur." However, French news agency CAPA published an interview in which a "Zoe's Ark" member said they could not be completely sure the children were orphans in need of help.

According to Annette Rehrl, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, few of the children appear to actually be orphans. "They keep saying that they want to return to their parents. Most of them are between three and six years old. It’s very difficult to ask three-year-olds their names and where they come from. Also, some children have already changed their names and stories," Rehrl said.

French officials say that they warned the group against this operation for months. "Zoe's Ark" offices in France were searched to see if the group broke French adoption law by promising families that they could adopt and not just host the children.

The President of Chad, Idriss Déby, says that it is a case of "kidnap, pure and simple." He further suggested that "Zoe's Ark" may have sought to supply the children to pedophile rings or use them as donors for organ transplant.

The European Union is about to deploy a peacekeeping force, which includes French soldiers, along the border between Chad and Sudan. Déby has assured his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, he will not attempt to block the EU troops.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

Adam Sage. "Charity workers and reporters face 20 years for ‘kidnap’ of 103 orphans" — The Times, October 30, 2007
"French aid workers on kidnap charge" — Al Jazeera, October 30, 2007
Mark Tran. "Chad charges 'adoption' workers with kidnapping" — Guardian Unlimited, October 30, 2007

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

With pressure from France, Chad and Sudan open door to possible troop deployment

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:18:59 GMT

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

President Idriss Déby of Chad.
Image: Brian Smithson.
(Image missing from commons: image; log)

After meeting Sunday with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Chadian President Idriss Déby opened the door to the possible deployment of United Nations (UN) or European Union (EU) troops to Chad's volatile eastern region. Yesterday, Kouchner met with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.

Until Sunday, Chad had rejected the idea of allowing military troops in to assist with security at its border with Sudan. In Chad's eastern region, the government has been fighting an insurgency, which it claims has been supported by Sudan. While dealing with the insurgency, Chad had been amenable to an international police presence, but not a military force.

An estimated 234,000 Sudanese refugees have fled the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan and crossed the border into Chad. In addition, Chad is coping with an estimated 150,000 internally displaced persons. The conditions in the camps set up to deal with the refugees have been criticised as inadequate by the aid group, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Refugee camp in Chad.
Image: Mark Knobil.

France's newly appointed foreign minister, and co-founder of MSF, Bernard Kouchner, and Chad's President Déby were able to work out some concessions on the use of foreign troops. Following the meeting, Déby was asked by reporters whether he would allow UN or EU military troops to take a role in security and stabilization measures for a humanitarian mission. "Why not," Déby replied.

Déby revealed that plans for an international force for Chad would be made public by the end of June. "We are agreed on the principle of deploying a force, but there are still some points to resolve, on which we must agree," said Déby. "The results of the discussions will be made public before the 25th of this month."

"We have been proposing this to the international community since 2004," said Déby. But Chad's Prime Minister, Delwa Kassiré Koumakoye, commented recently that neighbouring countries may take the use of foreign troops as a threat.

On June 9, MSF issued a press release warning of a humanitarian crisis developing in Chad. "It is imperative that the emergency in eastern Chad be fully recognised, that aid organisations provide massive, immediate aid to the IDPs and that the Chadian authorities facilitate humanitarian aid," said Isabelle Defourny, manager of MSF programmes in Chad.

Progress in Sudan [edit]

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Image: Photographic Dept. of the Prime Minister.
(Image missing from commons: image; log)

Following his visit to Chad, Foreign Minister Kouchner traveled to Sudan where he met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Sudan has, in the past, rejected the deployment of an international force, and has resisted the use of a UN-African Union (AU) force. During their meeting Monday, al-Bashir told Kouchner that he would only accept troops from Africa.

Kouchner indicated that his meetings with al-Bashir and other officials had been productive and would "lift a certain number of complications" in obtaining agreements with Sudan. He and al-Bashir also discussed the unilateral sanctions imposed on Sudan by the United States. Kouchner felt that the sanctions haven't been useful and that the Sudanese "seem clearly affected by this issue, considering how much they raised it."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed some optimism on the issue of troop deployment and acknowledged he received a letter recently from al-Bashir on the matter. As stated in the letter, al-Bashir has accepted in principal the idea of a UN-AU force of 23,000 troops to be stationed in Darfur. "I sincerely hope that we will be able to have early resolution of this issue," said Ban.

One roadblock may be al-Bashir's refusal to accept any force other than African. The UN and AU stated they would attempt to use only African troops, but indicated that non-African troops may be used if that were not possible.

"Darfur cannot be only an African problem," said Kouchner. "At a certain level, the respect for human rights concerns the whole world."

Sources [edit]

Betel Miarom. "Chad opens door to possible foreign military force" — Reuters, June 10, 2007
Alfred de Montesquiou, AP. "France Pushes Sudan on Darfur Force" — Guardian Unlimited, June 11, 2007

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Belgium indicts former Chad dictator accused of humanitarian crimes

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 23:32:56 GMT

Friday, September 30, 2005 Human Rights groups have welcomed the indictment in Belgium of Hissène Habré, former dictator of Chad. Habré, described by the organisation Human Rights Watch as "the African Pinochet", ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990. He now stands accused of "crimes against humanity" over a series of abuses allegedly committed during his tenure.

A 1992 "Truth Commission" in Chad heard evidence of systematic torture by Habré's government, and accused the regime of more than 40,000 killings. But the government of Chad, which until very recently, according to Human Rights Watch, included many of Habré's former associates, has never made any attempt to prosecute him.

Habré, who currently lives in Senegal, was arrested by the authorities there in 2000, charged with torture and crimes against humanity. But the following year the Senegalese high court ruled that Habré could not be prosecuted for crimes committed in another country.

Every state has the right under international law, to prosecute the alleged perpetrators of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, wherever those crimes were committed.

In practice, Belgium is one of the few countries in the world to have enacted legislation enabling their domestic courts to exercise this right.

In June 2001, four Rwandans were convicted by a Belgian court, under the country's "universal jurisdiction" law, of participating in the 1994 genocide (recently portrayed in the film "Hotel Rwanda").

Belgium recently amended the law to reduce its scope, after a series of highly-controversial attempts to bring cases against serving world leaders, including the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. But a number of cases that had already begun were allowed to continue, including the case against Habré.

The government of Senegal recently detained Habré to prevent him from fleeing, following pressure from the United Nations. Belgium has now issued an extradition request.

Sources [edit]

Human Rights Watch. "Ex-Chad Dictator Indicted in Belgium" — Human Rights Watch, Sept 30, 2005

BBC News. "Rwanda trial opens Belgians' eyes" — BBC News, Sept 30, 2005
Amnesty International. "Universal Jurisdiction" — Amnesty Internationl, March 5, 2000

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

West African cholera claims more than 500 lives, more deaths feared

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 01:27:11 GMT

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Mural in West Africa depicting the effects of cholera.

An outbreak of cholera in West Africa has resulted in the deaths of more than 500 people, and United Nations (UN) health officials are concerned that inadequate health services in the region could result in many more deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that over 31,250 cases of cholera have been reported so far this year in nine West African countries. It has claimed 488 lives at this point. "If we look at this year's trends, the figures are still going up in many countries," said John Mulangu, a senior regional advisor for the WHO. "If cholera is not brought under control in certain regions, we will soon be talking of... 100,000 cases," he said. "And hospitals and health centres will be overwhelmed. Last year we were not on this scale. The problem is getting worse," Mulangu said.

The UN says that the increase could also be related to the fact that due to poverty, many West Africans move around, sometimes out of the country, in order to receive higher wages for their work, and the region has been hit with heavy rains. This helps spread the disease, according to the UN.

"We are about to enter the harvest season where people will be moving around," said Herve Ludovic de Lys, the head of OCHA's West Africa office. "The main goal is to halt the transmission of this disease," he said. "It's not business as usual. This crisis needs a rapid response."

The following West African nations have all been hit by cholera epidemics: Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. The WHO issued a statement on Thursday that more countries were at risk. "Outbreaks are likely to spread to Central Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad - in the next weeks," it said.

Sources [edit]

"Cholera epidemic 'needs attention'" — Associated Press, September 2, 2005
"WEST AFRICA: Cholera kills nearly 500 people, more deaths feared" — IRIN, September 1, 2005

Share this:

The text of this article has been released into the public domain. In the event that this is not legally possible, this article may be used for any purpose, without any condition, unless such conditions are required by law. This applies worldwide. Copyright terms on images, however, may vary, so please check individual image pages prior to duplication.
Please note that this only applies to Wikinews content created prior to September 25, 2005. All content created after that date is released under a Creative Commons license which is mentioned at the bottom of each article. This is currently the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

	[His death] would be a blow to terrorism and to the criminal network around this man and other people
—William Hague, British Foreign Secretary

English Wikinews RSS feed.

Chadian army: Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed' in Mali

Related news [edit]

Sister links [edit]

Sources [edit]

Polio vaccination campaign targets 85 million African children

Sources [edit]

Chad calls for UN troops to withdraw

Sources [edit]

Six aid groups suspend work in Chad after killing

Sources [edit]

Sudan accuses Chad of air strikes

Sources [edit]

"Darfur a powder keg" says UN Head of Humanitarian Affairs

Contents

New violence [edit]

Darfur conflict threatens to spread [edit]

Sister links [edit]

Sources [edit]

Former Chadian leader receives death sentence

Sources [edit]

Over 60 members of Chadian sect killed by troops after violence

Sources [edit]

3000 homeless after fire breaks out in Chad refugee camp

Related news [edit]

Sources [edit]

Chad court sentences six French aid workers to eight years of hard labour

Related news [edit]

Sources [edit]

Chad releases seven Europeans held in alleged kidnap plan

Related news [edit]

Sources [edit]

Nine French nationals face kidnapping charges in Chad

Sources [edit]

With pressure from France, Chad and Sudan open door to possible troop deployment

Progress in Sudan [edit]

Related news [edit]

Sources [edit]

Belgium indicts former Chad dictator accused of humanitarian crimes

Sources [edit]

West African cholera claims more than 500 lives, more deaths feared

Sources [edit]