Stories related to: Darfur

Rice Set for Historic Meet With Gadhafi

Voice of America  |  Sep 3, 08 3:13 AM CDT

(Newser) - Condoleezza Rice will become  first US secretary of state to visit Libya since the Eisenhower administration when she meets Friday with leader Moammar Gadhafi, reports the Voice of America. The meeting demonstrates the radical improvement in relations between the two nations since Gadhafi turned away from terrorism and scrapped Libya's weapons of mass destruction program in 2003. More »

Sudanese Hijackers Surrender

Reuters  |  Aug 27, 08 11:45 AM CDT

(Newser) - The hijackers of a Sudanese flight from Darfur surrendered to authorities in Libya today after releasing all 95 passengers. The two men gave no motive, but asked for refugee status in France, Reuters reports. The pilot said the suspects are from the Sudanese Liberation Movement, a charge the group's leader denies. An SLM member on the plane said, "Last night we felt terrorized." More »

Hijacked Sudan Airliner on the Ground in Libya

AFP  |  Aug 26, 08 3:14 PM CDT

(Newser) - A Sudanese flight hijacked today after lifting off from a Darfur airport has landed in Libya, the AFP reports. Authorities are still negotiating with hijackers; three former members of a rebel group are said to be among 102 on board. Yesterday, the UN reported 33 dead after a clash between the Sudanese military and refugees in the region. “I’m not sure if it’s connected,” a rebel leader said, “but it’s related to that.” More »

Why No Arab Rage Over Darfur?

New Republic  |  Aug 15, 08 7:45 PM CDT

(Newser) - Israel's wrongs against Palestine are "minor" compared to other modern conflicts—yet Arab leaders continue to cry bloody murder over Palestine while ignoring and covering up atrocities in Darfur, writes Martin Peretz, editor-in-chief of The New Republic . Darfur "does not trouble the conscience of Islam," Peretz writes. "They are otherwise engaged in the hyper-drama of Palestine." More »

As Darfur Starves, Sudan Exports Staples

New York Times  |  Aug 10, 08 12:35 PM CDT

(Newser) - As the UN trucks in food to millions of starving people in Darfur, Sudan is exporting important staple crops to other nations, the New York Times reports. Critics charge the government profits on big agribusiness while receiving more free food in aid than any other nation in the world. But Sudanese officials claim it marks a move away from an oil-based economy toward agricultural self-sufficiency. More »

China Revokes Visa of Olympian Darfur Activist

Boston Globe  |  Aug 6, 08 8:56 AM CDT

(Newser) - Hours before he was due to leave for Beijing today, US gold-medalist and Darfur activist Joey Cheek got a call from Chinese authorities revoking his visa, the Boston Globe reports. A retired speedskater, Cheek is the founder of Team Darfur, a global group of athletes devoted to bringing peace to the area of Sudan torn by violence. He was headed to China as a human rights activist. More »

Sudan Rallies Behind Leader, Despite Darfur

New York Times  |  Jul 28, 08 8:35 AM CDT

(Newser) - Omar al-Bashir is reviled across the world for presiding over the mass murder of his own people in Darfur, and now the Sudanese president has been accused of genocide by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. But within Sudan his rule has become more secure than ever, as opponent after opponent has rallied behind him. The New York Times reports on a political transformation in Khartoum. More »

Sudanese Leader Shows 'Soft' Side in Darfur

New York Times  |  Jul 24, 08 8:19 AM CDT

(Newser) - Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president allegedly behind one of the world's worst campaigns of genocide and rape, traveled to Darfur yesterday to begin an uncharacteristic charm offensive. "We are with you, Darfur!", the president said, as he danced at a rally packed with thousands who appeared to have been forced to attend. The spectacle is part of Bashir's effort to head off an arrest warrant sought by prosecutors in The Hague, reports the New York Times . More »

In Sudan War Crimes Case, Peace Must Take Priority

Los Angeles Times  |  Jul 21, 08 1:20 PM CDT

(Newser) - The genocide and war crimes charges against the Sudanese president are a solid moral victory, but to actually prosecute Omar al-Bashir would derail realistic chances of peace in the war-torn nation, argues author David Rieff in the LA Times . Indeed, the African Union today called for the Security Council to stall on the war crimes charges for exactly that reason, AFP reports. More »

China's New Artist Policy Could Ban Spielberg

Hollywood Reporter  |  Jul 18, 08 4:33 PM CDT

(Newser) - Steven Spielberg or his films could be banned from China under the new rules barring artists seen as a threat to national sovereignty, the Hollywood Reporter notes. Spielberg rankled Chinese leadership when he publicly withdrew from an artistic advisory board for the Beijing Olympics in protest of the nation’s trade arrangements with Sudan. More »

Sudan President Accused of War Crimes

BBC  |  Jul 14, 08 7:21 AM CDT

(Newser) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was officially accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity today in International Criminal Court, the BBC reports. The court must now decide whether to issue a warrant for Bashir’s arrest. If it does, Sudan’s government says it will disrupt the peace process in Darfur, and cause mayhem throughout the country. More »

Sudan's President to Face