Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

25 Dec 2011 20:45

tags

World: Sudan state radio: Khalil Ibrahim, top rebel army leader, killed

Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement in the country, was considered one of the strongest rebel leaders in Darfur, and his death complicates an ongoing civil war in the region. source

10 Nov 2011 10:57

tags

World: Sudanese military attacks refugee camp in newly-formed South Sudan

  • 12 killed after a Sudanese military plane bombed South Sudan source
  • » A bad harbinger? Months after Sudan split in two, the attack on a South Sudanese refugee camp — filled with many fleeing from Sudan proper — could prove dangerous to the fragile new nation. The two countries have a long, troubled history together, with the most recent civil war (which led to the split earlier this year) ending in 2005 after 22 years. “Whatever allegations Khartoum labels against the Republic of South Sudan are baseless, but intended to justify his pending invasion of the south,” said Salva Kiir, South Sudan’s first president, who says that while peaceful solutions are best, “we will never allow our sovereignty to be violated by anybody.”

08 Feb 2011 09:53

tags

World: Dividing Sudan: Forgive us of our foreign debt. Please?

  • $38B the amount Sudan owes in foreign debt – $30 billion in debt arrears
  • 1993 the last time the country could get a loan from the World Bank
  • 75% the amount the country hopes to get forgiven before it splits source
  • » The spit has something to do with it: The size of Sudan’s debt could effectively limit the region’s ability to get a fresh start as it splits into two. Southern Sudanese official Gabriel Changson Chang is making a hard push for the changes before the countries divide. “We want both the north and south to be economically viable,” he says. Current president Omar al-Bashir has made similar claims as well, and with good reason: Half of the country’s population currently lives on less than $1 a day and need some sort of food aid.

07 Feb 2011 10:19

tags

World: Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir: We’re OK with the secession vote

  • We will announce today in front of the world our acceptance and respect for the choice of the people of the south.
  • Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir • Revealing that his country would accept the results of a country-splitting referendum between the north and south. The south chose, by a wide margin, to secede, a result that cuts back Bashir’s clout but could help stabilize the entire region. source

06 Feb 2011 11:50

tags

World: Quickly-dividing Sudanese military turns on itself

  • 50+ died in a military mutiny in the oil-rich Upper Nile region source
  • » Is the separation behind it? The Northern and Southern armies are set to split from one another as part of a larger breaking up of the country. It appears that the violence was rooted in a conflict over redeployment that would’ve sent soliders from the southern part of the country north, along with other soldiers in the unit.

09 Jan 2011 11:17

tags

World: Hey everybody! Think good thoughts for Sudan today

  • Today, southern Sudan votes for independence: In potentially heartwarming news, Southern Sudan could be placed in charge of its own destiny if the vote in the country favors an independent state. As we noted last night, Obama has been pushing for this. Considering the recent electoral strife in the African continent (looking at you, Ivory Coast), it would be great news if this particular election went well. source

08 Jan 2011 22:59

tags

World: Obama to Sudan: Please keep voting process peaceful. Please?

  • As the referendum proceeds, voters must be allowed access to polling stations; they must be able to cast their ballots free from intimidation and coercion. All sides should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric or provocative actions that could raise tensions or prevent voters from expressing their will.
  • President Barack Obama • In an editorial, published in the New York Times, emphasizing the need for an honest vote in Sudan tomorrow, where they’ll be deciding whether to split the southern part of the country from the main country – a vote that Obama has long pushed for diplomatically. Obama suggests that if Sudan follows through with the vote without incident, the Khartoum region’s government could be taken off a list of state sponsors of terrorism. He also emphasizes that Darfur is also important to this peace process: “There can be no lasting peace in Sudan without lasting peace in the western Sudan region of Darfur.” We’re totally with him on this. source
 

27 Nov 2010 19:06

tags

World: We’re very glad not to be in this fiery inferno in Pakistan

This insanely dramatic scene was caused by a cargo plane crashing into a residential neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan. At least eight people on the plane died. source

17 Jul 2010 11:41

tags

World: Sudan: Darfur has looked especially violent this week, guys

  • 375 people, including over 300 rebels, have been killed source

19 Jun 2010 17:36

tags

Culture: RIP Manute Bol: A noble soul who had a couple of feet on you

  • You know, a lot of people feel sorry for him, because he’s so tall and awkward. But I’ll tell you this – if everyone in the world was a Manute Bol, it’s a world I’d want to live in.
  • Charles Barkley • Noting how great a person Manute Bol, who died today at 47, was. Bol, a Sudanese-born NBA player whose 7’7″ rail-thin frame made him one of the most unique basketball stars in history, was suffering from long-standing kidney and skin problems. He was something of an ambassador to Sudan and spent much of his personal fortune trying to help the war-torn country. He went broke doing it. This is a man who cared so much about helping the people of his country that he would rather use his fame and freak-show status to help them than live comfortably. A huge loss. source