2008 Woodie Awards
World & Nation
David Simon and Henoch Derbew
Issue date: 10/14/05 Section: News
Rebel Group Releases Aid Workers in Sudan
Darfur, Sudan - While peace between Northern and Southern Sudan is being maintained, tensions are running high in the troubled Darfur region of Western Sudan.
A dissident faction of one of the main rebel groups in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) recently released some of the 18 African Union (AU) peacekeepers it captured on Sunday from a small border town between Sudan and Chad. Some of the original captives included military observers, civilian police, a U.S. envoy and a JEM representative. A correspondent for BBC has said that violence against AU peacekeepers has been increasing: three civilian workers and two AU peacekeepers were killed during the attack on Sunday.
The AU peacekeeping force of 6,000 troops is charged with helping to keep the peace between rebel groups and the Khartoum government, but their job has not been an easy one. The Khartoum government refuses to allow the AU to bring armored personnel carriers into the country, leaving the troops vulnerable. Also, negotiations in Darfur are unlike those between the Northern and Southern Sudanese because there is not a clear head of the rebel movement, instead, the Khartoum government has to negotiate with many splinter groups in Darfur.
Liberian Elections
Proceed
Monrovia, Liberia - Upcoming elections in Liberia have drawn Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to meet with the 22 presidential candidates. Obasanjo has granted Charles Taylor, the former warlord and ruler of Liberia, asylum in Nigeria.
Many Liberians are still calling for him to be tried for his war crimes. Obasanjo also claims that by leading Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) troops into Liberia, he was able to stop the violence in the country while the world stood by.
Among the more popular candidates are George Weah, the 39-year old former soccer player and 66-year old Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Taylor's former party, the National Patriotic Party (NPP), is also fielding a candidate, but he is not seen as a favorite.
Darfur, Sudan - While peace between Northern and Southern Sudan is being maintained, tensions are running high in the troubled Darfur region of Western Sudan.
A dissident faction of one of the main rebel groups in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) recently released some of the 18 African Union (AU) peacekeepers it captured on Sunday from a small border town between Sudan and Chad. Some of the original captives included military observers, civilian police, a U.S. envoy and a JEM representative. A correspondent for BBC has said that violence against AU peacekeepers has been increasing: three civilian workers and two AU peacekeepers were killed during the attack on Sunday.
The AU peacekeeping force of 6,000 troops is charged with helping to keep the peace between rebel groups and the Khartoum government, but their job has not been an easy one. The Khartoum government refuses to allow the AU to bring armored personnel carriers into the country, leaving the troops vulnerable. Also, negotiations in Darfur are unlike those between the Northern and Southern Sudanese because there is not a clear head of the rebel movement, instead, the Khartoum government has to negotiate with many splinter groups in Darfur.
Liberian Elections
Proceed
Monrovia, Liberia - Upcoming elections in Liberia have drawn Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to meet with the 22 presidential candidates. Obasanjo has granted Charles Taylor, the former warlord and ruler of Liberia, asylum in Nigeria.
Many Liberians are still calling for him to be tried for his war crimes. Obasanjo also claims that by leading Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) troops into Liberia, he was able to stop the violence in the country while the world stood by.
Among the more popular candidates are George Weah, the 39-year old former soccer player and 66-year old Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Taylor's former party, the National Patriotic Party (NPP), is also fielding a candidate, but he is not seen as a favorite.