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Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan Djibouti and Somalia are still Volatile
Sudan
Leader Accuses West of Targeting Islam Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir says international pressure over the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region is actually aimed at the status of Islam in the country. Sudanese media reported Saturday that President Bashir made the comment to supporters outside Khartoum after Friday prayers. He is quoted as saying his government will stick to the application of Islamic law or Sharia. The international community has been increasing pressure on Sudan to disarm pro-government Arab militias accused of atrocities against black Sudanese in Darfur. Saturday, the European Union added to the pressure by urging the Khartoum government to disarm the militias, known as Janjaweed, and arrest their leaders. Britain said it could send thousands of troops to Darfur if needed. Australia also said it is considering a U.N. request to contribute troops for a possible peacekeeping force. UN to broker Sudan troops deal A UN resolution could soon determine whether Australia will send a small contingent of troops to the Horn of Africa.
Pro-government Arab militias called Janjaweed have killed up to 50,000 people, most of them black Africans, and driven more than a million from their homes, creating a humanitarian disaster in the Darfur region. The UN Security Council is expected to consider resolutions that would stop the flow of weapons to Darfur, impose sanctions on the Sudanese government and support the planned deployment of African Union monitors. Mr Downer said Australia would probably have a role to play in implementing the UN resolutions. "There's a good chance that we will send some troops to Sudan, a small number of course, a very small number," he said. The government has already announced $8 million in aid. But Labor believes more is needed considering the seriousness of the situation. "This is deeply disturbing and I'm calling again on Mr Downer to put his hand in his pocket on behalf of all Australians to do what we can to keep as many of these poor, unfortunate people and kids alive," ALP foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said. Labor and minor parties have backed the deployment of troops. Somalia The U.N. resident coordinator for Somalia says much of the failed state remains extremely volatile, although he does see progress. Max Gaylard told reporters at U.N. World Headquarters in New York the situation is so bad he lives in nearby Nairobi, Kenya, spending about 50 percent of his time in Somalia. While there were areas of relative stability in the country, including Somaliland in the northwest, much of the territory remains extremely volatile, he said. Emergency assistance to Somalia must be provided with a view to promoting long-term development. The capital, Mogadishu, has functioning schools and factories, "but in the streets it's another story: too many young men with guns, too many militias, and too much potential conflict and tension," he said. Health and education is "abysmal," with only one-fifth of children between 6-13 years of age in school, with even fewer attending the secondary level. Ethiopian Somali mom whose boy, 6, nearly starved to death praises CCF When the Rev. John Schultz met Abdo Hussein four years ago, the child was starving to death. At that time, Abdo was 6 and weighed only 11 pounds. His ribs poked against his skin and his hair had fallen out. "I didn't think he would survive," said Schultz, president of Christian Children's Fund Inc., a Richmond-based worldwide child-development agency. Imagine Schultz's surprise when he saw Abdo during a visit this month to the child's village near Shashemene in southern Ethiopia. "I was quite shocked when he ran up and hugged me," Schultz said. Abdo now weighs 42 pounds and attends grade school. The child's mother, Fatuma Hussein, gave Schultz credit for saving her son's life. "I've had to steel my nerves and my emotions countless times as part of my work, which regularly places me in the midst of massive human suffering, but I could not help choking back a tear when she said to me, 'Thank you for saving my son,'" Schultz said. Abdo lives in Jello Dida, dubbed the "forgotten village" in 2000. When Ethiopian government officials had counted the villages that would need extra food because of drought and famine, somehow Jello Dida was missed. Many villagers were suffering from starvation. A story about Abdo and his forgotten village appeared in The Times-Dispatch in May 2000. The article initiated an appeal for donations that raised $1.8 million. During the 2000 visit, Schultz and CCF's national director in Ethiopia arranged for emergency food to be delivered to Jello Dida, which saved the lives of many villagers. After just a week receiving nutritious food, Abdo began to improve. CCF also helped the boy's family with wheat seed and fertilizer. Christian Children's Fund helped the family again this year. The organization provided wheat seed, fertilizer, a plow and oxen, blankets and additional food. Abdo's father also learned to weave so he does not have to rely solely on agriculture for income. Schultz was struck by how different the Shashemene area looked during his recent visit. "Now everything around me was as prolific green as it had been desolate brown" in 2000, he said. Generally a rich agricultural region, this year's crops are flourishing. Rural life in a country like Ethiopia, where 90 percent of the people depend on agriculture and rainfall, can be brutal, Schultz said. "If it doesn't rain, or rain enough, you perish. There are no redundancies, no fallback plans. If your food crop from one harvest does not last you through the next, your family, your animals, your livelihood is in jeopardy," he said. "It doesn't take that much to get people back on track. I've seen communities that have come back from almost total devastation if they get help in time." Meeting Abdo as a healthy child was a powerful experience, Schultz said. "I never expected to see him [alive] again." TIMESSTAFF WRITER
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