Photos from Sudan

One recently freed South Darfur slave boy helps another open his sack of hope - these sacks will provide for the former slaves for months

Click "Read more" to see more photos. Note: some photos are graphic depictions of injuries.




President of South Sudan Salva Kiir


Quant: just arrived from northern Sudan, mother taken into slavery when community was burned in Southern Sudan, without medical treatment and surgery he will die, his mother was beaten, she had other children


Close-up of Quant's leg wound: the white is chalk used by the Sudanese to 'prevent' infection. CSI will help him, but without treatment he will die


Recently Freed South Darfur Former Slaves Line Up For Sacks of Hope


Boys now in late teens freed 24 hrs before trns arrived in exchange for cow vaccine: opening "sacks of hope" in South Darfur - sacks will allow them to survive for months.


Leg wound of recent Returnee: girl was unsure of how she received wound, but must have immediate treatment


Akec Mou: Arrived one day before TRNS people - Christian, husband had two wives, first wife was enslaved, she was caught in Darfur because she was trying to find her enslaved children - never found them - she was gone for years.


Arms raised of people who have witnessed someone they know killed - Majang Kar: these people were returned to this village in last 4 days - many of these women were slaves taken from the village forcibly years ago


Face of Newly Freed Former Slave Boy in South Darfur


Abook taken when she was 5 years old: North Arabs converted her to Islam, changed her name, forced her to do everything around the house, gang raped, freed within the last 24 hrs, constantly insulted, never plate of food for her, given leftovers to eat like a dog, refused female circumcision, has no children.


Leg wound of slave boy - boy was beaten and stabbed


Acatch's wound from a different angle: beaten with bamboo and also stabbed


Group of Recently Freed 24 hrs before TRNS arrived: Group of Recently Freed 24 hrs before TRNS arrived - brought out to field by local cattlemen under a local agreement - local peace agreement signed in 1991 and 92 between Arabs and Dinka on Darfur / South Sudan border - boys did not know they would be freed - many were enslaved for up to 15 years - each in mid to late teens - each slave traded for cow vaccine


Leg wound of recently freed South Darfur slave: Acatch (all name spellings are phonetic) was forced to be Muslim - can understand his own language - had to call his master "Master" or else he would be beaten - beaten when a goat would not return - beaten with Bamboo - does not remember mother's name - often hungry


Red, rusty tint in these boys hair is due to malnutrition - unsure of eye problems - in town we flew in to and landed on dirt field - Gok Machar (phonetic)

Today at Talk Radio News Service

Bureau Chief Ellen Ratner and our New York and UN correspondent Dan Patterson are currently in Sudan.

Legal Correspondent Jay Tamboli is on the look outs for upcoming FISA discussions.

Our Washington Bureau will cover the Foreign Education and Labor Committee hearing on “Insuring the Availability of Federal Student Loans” and it will also attend the House Armed Services Committee hearing on “Mental Health Overview.”

The President is out of town.

Talking Points: American Enterprise Institute event on bloggers in the Middle East

Speaking were:

Arash Sigarchi, an Iranian blogger who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison for espionage and insulting the country's leaders, speaking through an interpretter

Mohammed Ali, an Iraqi blogger (http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/)

Tony Badran, a Lebanese blogger (http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/)

Arash in his opening statement described how he was forced into blogging by the pervasive censorship of the media in Iran. Publishing anything critical of the government results in beatings, fines, and jail. When Arash began blogging, the government was largely unaware of the Internet, so he was free to publish whatever he wanted. In recent years, though, it has begun monitoring the Internet. Arash said that western funds to promote democracy in Iraq allows the government to brand bloggers and others as mouthpieces of the US, so a better form of aid would be to help people get Internet access. Responding to a question from Paul Wolfowitz about the reach of Voice of America and other media, Arash also said that access to western media is more limited than access to drugs. He also noted that Ahmadinejad is still quite popular, and the general people don't know about economic sanctions against Iran.

Ali, an Iraqi blogger, said that he had spoken with other bloggers, in both Iraq and Sudan, who had been inspired by him to begin blogging. Arab media outlets are heavily government funded, but blogging allows independent people to express themselves cheaply. Blogging can be difficult, though, because Internet access is scarce.

Tony Badran said that in Lebanon, where Internet access and access to western media are much more common, blogging presents other difficulties. Blogs are being used for propaganda and conspiracy theories by Syria, and it can be difficult to distinguish genuine citizen blogs from Syrian "info ops."

United Nations News 29.1.08

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon took a tour of the genocide memorial in Kigali, Rwanda yesterday. In address to the Rwandan parliament, the SG expressed that the genocide was a terrible atrocity, and that the UN would work to increase global awareness of the tragedy. Mr. Ban also pledged to personally donate ten thousand dollars to a newly-created relief fund. He also stress the importance of the UN's Millennium Development Goals in establishing stability in Rwanda.

The United Nations is reporting that violence in Kenya continues, and that the political situation in the country is quickly deteriorating. In addition to the increased violence, UNICEF is concerned with reports of increased cases of sexual violence.

The Security Council will resume discussions this week on the ongoing situation in Gaza. All border crossings with Israel remain closed. The UN reports that only 30 truck loads of supplies have been allowed into Gaza since Israel closed borders last week. UNICEF reports that malnutrition is on the rise, and the World Health Organization says that only 40% of the population has access to potable drinking water. A fuel distributer strike has compounded the situation.

In the Sudan, UNAU negotiators continue to speak with opposing tribal factions; the Security Council will be briefed next week.

- Dan Patterson

White House Gaggle with Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto

The president had his normal briefings and will meet this morning with Ambassador Richard Williamson, special envoy to Sudan. Fratto said that the White House continues to push for movement of peace keeping troops in Sudan and is firmly committed to working with the United Nations on the peace process in Sudan. Fratto said that the president was pleased with his trip to the Middle East and might give some kind of recap or briefing to that effect early next week.

This afternoon the president will have a conference call with congressional leaders about the "economic landscape." The meeting will include Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen. The participants are expected to talk about economic data and the possibility of an economic stimulus package. Fratto was quick to point out that no matter what short term measures might be decided on, the White House supports making permanent the Bush tax cuts as they believe they will be beneficial in the long term. "The president does believe that in the short term some boost is necessary," Fratto said.

Fratto referred to the economic data the president has been examining for week "mixed."

"Most economists in the private sector are not predicting a recession," he said. He said that the president wants to work together with congressional leaders on what should be done about this "soft patch in the economy." He said the White House sees this as an economic slowdown in the short term, but would not elaborate on what kinds of components the administration support in a solution. Fratto said that the call was an opportunity for the president to listen to the congressional leadership and what their advisors are saying about economic conditions.

"We would like to see Congress act quickly on the housing issue," Fratto said. He pointed out several factors the White House believes to be contributing to the slowdown and mentioned the housing and mortgage problems and rising energy costs. In terms of a possible legislative solution, Fratto said that President Bush is leaving all options on the table.

On the NIE on Iran, Fratto said that the president stands by the "full scope of the NIE findings, including the fact that Iran had a weapons program."