Blood Diamonds and Famine

[Mr Director]

Internal

 

The SKRC, as well as the Sudanese government, would agree with IndoPetrol's proposal to have the refinery produce a variety of fuels. The SKRC would begin editing its plans accordingly.

 

The Sudanese military would work to provide security for the personnel sent over by Maharaja Holdings. There would be some areas in the deep south of Sudan which were still too dangerous for surveys, and these would be off limits for the time being. Additionally, badly damaged and often non-existent road systems would generally made it difficult to conduct any surveys South of Juba. For these situations, however, the government was always more than willing to provide a few helicopters for transport. The rest of the country would, for the most part, be open.

 

Classified

 

 

To: Maratha

From: Sudan

 

We are very grateful for your assistance in this matter. Should any additional information be needed by Maratha concerning the Eritrean shipments, you need only ask.

[Mr Director]

Classified

 

Somewhere in Darfur, a sniper peered through his scope. It was a scene that had been repeated quite often throughout Sudan over the past years, and despite the recent treaty, it would be repeated once more.

 

The sniper was positioned on a small hill. Not too far in front of him was a small, dangerous looking bridge, over a smaller stream. This unimpressive location would serve as the location for a gathering of al-Sharia militiamen, and Sudanese army soldiers, backed by IFVs. The militiamen would bring with them the three hundred hostages they had taken, while the soldiers would bring one man: Muhammed al-Zawahi. It appeared as though the prisoner exchange would be going ahead as planned.

 

The 300 hostages would go first. Emaciated and weak, even the badly damaged bridge would be able to hold their weights as they crossed the the stream. Then, Zawahi would be sent over.

 

That was the sniper's cue.

 

As soon as Zawahi reached the other side of the bridge, the sniper would fire a single shot into him. The man went down in a spray of blood. Meanwhile, three Sudanese BMP-2s opened fire with their auto-cannons, raking the militia's lines with bullets. Somewhere in the distance, and Mi-24 helicopter would begin flying to the scene of the battle, clearing out any enemy forces that were stashed nearby.

 

It was a pretty good plan, all around. Unfortunately, it hadn't taken into account the fact that there would be some 300 children caught in the crossfire. Most of them had managed to escape behind the Sudanese lines, but some 25 of them would lie dead, and another 50 would be wounded.

 

The Islamists would no doubt have a fit on the media. After all, Khartoum had just gone back on its agreement to exchange the hostages. But they could complain all they wanted. After all, they had no evidence, as all of the militiamen sent to the hostage exchange were either dead, or in the process of becoming so. The children might talk about what had happened, but to whom? They lived in a town in Darfur, where most people never traveled more than a day's walk from where they were born. It was hardly the sort of place where one could go to the press, or post on social media. Most of them didn't have electricity, let alone cell-phones.

 

And really, who would believe a bunch of addled militiamen who were in the business of raiding schools?

 

Public

 

Government Rescues Hostages, Zawahi Executed as Planned

 

A military spokesman announced today that the army has successfully freed the hostages taken by Ansar al-Sharia in a special forces raid in Darfur. It is reported that some 25 of the children died over the past month due to a lack of food and medical care during their time as hostages.

 

A number of Ansar al-Sharia's leaders have taken to social media, accusing the government of betraying them and going back on a deal to exchange the hostages for the militia leader Muhammed al-Zawahi. The government denies this claim, and the Islamists became subject to much mockery when they called the government "A band of immoral cat eaters who murdered children in their sleep."

 

In related news, the government released a statement this morning that made it clear that Zawahi had been executed as planned.

 

- Khartoum Daily

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Security Increased Ahead of Christmas

 

Security has been greatly increased in the South in the lead up to to Christmas holidays. Thousands of soldiers, many of them former militiamen, have been deployed around the area due to recent threats from Islamist groups active in nearby Chad.

 

- Khartoum Daily

 

Governor Says Area Hard Hit by Crop Failure

 

The governor of North Bahr el Ghazal state has said that the region is still grappling with widespread crop failures this year.The failures are attributed to unreliable and late rainfall, floods, internal displacements, and continued insecurity the region.

 

- Khartoum Daily

 

Three Killed in Tribal Conflict

 

At least three people have been reported killed in a revenge attack in West Bahr el Ghazal state. Gunshots can still be heard in the area, and the death toll may rise higher. About a hundred Sudanese troops could be seen deploying to the area in armored personnel carriers.

 

The conflict was sparked by last Friday’s killing of Chau Ucu Chau, the paramount chief of the Alel-Thony, by sections of Tuba communities from the Kangi payam.

 

This is the first time violence has broken out in the relatively peaceful Jur River county, and it appears to have taken security force by surprise.

 

- Khartoum Daily

Edited December 22, 2014 by Mr Director

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Army Clears Militant Camps in Eastern Equatoria

 

An army spokesman has announced that the Sudanese military has cleared 3 militant camps in Eastern Equatoria state. The camps are believed to have belonged to pro-Christian militias operating in the Ilemi Triangle on the border with Kenya and Ethiopia. The militia refused to take part in the negotiations that ended the recent civil war, and the military has sworn to flush them out. An estimates 75 militiamen were captured or killed when the Army stormed the camps, and weapons and ammunition were captured. No information about Sudanese losses has been made public.

 

Economic Indicators Positive, Says Finance Minister

 

Sudanese Finance Minister Badr al-Din Mahmoud declared to today that the country is steering away from recession and economic shock caused by the war. According to latest reports, unemployment and inflation are falling, and revenues have risen. However, many analysts say that this is not enough to solve the countries economic woes, which stem from a lack of infrastructure, poor education, and continued conflict.

 

Eritrean Rebels Kill Seven Soldiers

 

Communist rebels in Eritrea have killed seven Sudanese soldiers in a cross-border raid on a military camp near the border. The attack took place in the early hours of Monday, and killed seven soldiers and wounded fifteen more. There were no Eritrean casualties, and no immediate comment from Khartoum.

 

Militias in Eritrea have vowed to increase their attacks in the coming year, and to continue their fight to overthrow General al-Bashir's regime and to carve out a socialist state in East Africa.

 

Two Killed in Lakes State Revenge Attack

 

Two people have been reported dead in a revenge attack in Lakes State. The clash occurred between the Thuyiic and Gony clans.

 

The Lakes state has been blighted by cattle raiding, and disputes over property and land have lead to a cycle inter-clan clashes.

 

Governor of East Equatoria Visits Nimule to Quell Fears of Violence

 

Louis Lobong Lojore visited Nimule, an important town near the Ugandan border, in order to brief locals on the security situation following violence in the area. He urged local leaders to remain calm and work with the authorities to quell the militias operating in the Ilemi Triangle, who have launched several attacks on Sudan.

 

- Khartoum Daily

 

Classified

 

The Sudanese government would begin drawing up plans for the construction of hardened aircraft shelters and new air bases in order to protect the Air Force from attacks.

[TheShammySocialist]

[b]Internal[/b]

 

IndoPetrol began ramping up talks to discuss its contributions in investment to the Port Sudan facility, with the Marathi company requesting SKRC to submit some preliminary designs and sources for building materials. Other plans that would be requested would include logistics, specifically the transit of oil to Port Sudan, and the site location of the refinery itself.

 

Meanwhile, Maharaja Holdings personnel would continue their work, heeding government warnings during their surveys, and not attempting to "go off the grid", and survey any off limit areas on their own. The company would be appreciative of any helicopter support provided, and the company would appropriate sufficient funding for aviation fuel and maintenance time spent on the helicopters transporting their personnel around. The company would take the time to also speak with local citizenry, many of them being able to speak Arabic and English, making inroads with prominent local elite and businessmen, in an attempt to help leave a positive imprint.

 

[b]Classified[/b]

 

A secure cable dispatch would be sent to Khartoum, detailing that the Royal Marathi Navy had intercepted as many as three Eritrean vessels that had tried to round the southern subcontinent. To effect a transfer of these vessels back to Sudan, the newly-commissioned aviation support cruiser, [i]Restless[/i], would escort the three vessels back to Port Sudan. The crews and passengers of the vessels had been searched, processed through the Armed Services Inter-Intelligence Agency, and interned at RMS Trincomalee, once a few modifications were made to three RMAF Transports, the prisoners would be loaded aboard, and flown non-stop to Khartoum under heavy guard which included an air-to-air refueling over the Central Arabian Sea.

 

The three vessels being taken to Port Sudan would be sailed by contract civilian crews, with Royal Marine detachments assigned to each for obvious reasons, all cargo on the vessels would be kept there for the Sudanese officials to impound as contraband. The [i]Restless[/i] would have four medium utility helicopters and two light utility helicopters on board, as well as two light UAVs that could be fitted with lightweight missiles; with two helicopters in the air at all times to provide continuing air support for the convoy of ships that the cruiser headed.

 

Ninety marine commandos, a mixture from two detachments would be assigned to the [i]Restless[/i] as part of the escort mission. The Maratha government would indicate their intention for the cruiser to stay in Port Sudan for a week following the journey, as part of a courtesy visit.

[Mr Director]

Internal

 

The SKRC had already drawn up its preliminary plans for the refinery,and these would be shared with IndoPatrol. Sources for the materials had also been arranged. Logistics were a bit trickier, due to the security situation in parts of the countryside, but the SKRC was working with security forces to ensure that is routes remained secure.

 

Maharaja Holdings would find that the local elite were usually willing to work with them. After all, any foreign investment that could be secured would greatly boost the position of local leaders, and ensure the economic well being of their communities.

 

Classified

 

The Sudanese government would be very happy to hear of the capture of the Eritreans. The recent attacks launched from Eritrea against Sudan hadn't exactly improved relations between the two groups.

 

The Maratha aircraft would be directed to land not at Khartoum International Airport, but at a smaller airport nearby. The main reason for this was in order to maintain discretion. At the airport, the Maratha and their prisoners would be met by two men from the National Intelligence and Security Service(NISS), as well as a security detail.

 

The Maratha at Port Sudan would also be met by a similar grouping, and the Maratha cruiser would be welcome to remain at Port Sudan

Edited December 24, 2014 by Mr Director

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Three People Killed in Western Equatoria Skirmish

 

Three people were killed in a skirmish in Western Equatoria, state officials say. One of them was identified as a member of the Mundari tribe from Central Eqatoria state. The other was the brother of Taban Gode, a Sudanese businessman who runs a nearby lodge.

 

A local government official also reported that the attackers, who's identity remains unknown, went on to vandalize farms, burned houses, and raped women before a government assault helicopter arrived and forced them to flee.

 

The incident has been attributed to ongoing disputes over farmland and grazing areas.

 

40 Dead in Lakes State Inter-clan Battle

 

At least 44 people were killed and 31 wounded in an inter-clan clash in Lakes state, an official there said.

 

Separate clashes between the Kok-Awac and Kok-Keer clans killed five people nearby.

 

The Army attempted to separate the two sides, and five Sudanese soldiers were killed.

 

Eritrean Rebels Claim to Shoot Down Government Fighter Jet

 

Communist militants in Eritrea have claimed to have shot down a Sudanese Su-25 over Eritrean airspace. The pilot was supposedly killed.

 

Government sources report that the Eritrean forces have fired Katyusha rockets over the border. Sudanese forces have also clashed with the militants 10 km from the border, in Sudanese territory.

 

The militants claimed that the jet that was shot down had bombed their positions, killing two militiamen and destroying five BMP-1 armored vehicles. They went on to repeat earlier calls to the Sudanese people to overthrow the Sudanese government.

 

It is reported that the Eritreans used a Strela-10 launcher to down the jet.

 

- Khartoum Daily

Edited December 28, 2014 by Mr Director

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Southern ex-Rebels Release POWs

 

Rebels in the South have released 20 captured Sudanese soldiers, as a part of the peace deal signed to end the war. The move has been hailed as a sign of the peace deal's viability. Implementation of the deal is still underway, but is expected to enter its final stages soon.

 

West Bahr el Ghazal Governor Sacks Three Commissioners

 

The governor of Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Zackaria Hassan on Saturday relieved three of this commissioners. Wau county commissioner, Angelo Taban, Hassan Jalab of Raga county and John Arop Apia of Jur River county have been removed along with the mayor of Wau municipality, Arkangelo Anyar.

 

The former officials had been suspected of corruption, and their names appeared in the list of officials the government was expected to remove as a part of the peace deal signed to end the civil war.

 

Livio Buhara, a former militia leader has been appointed mayor of the Wau municipality council. Buhara's appointment to the post had also been stipulated by the peace deal.

 

Prices Rise in Jonglei State

 

Prices have risen in Jonglei state, with traders attributing it to the scarcity of foreign currency. The poor state of the transportation system in the region has also negatively affected prices.

 

Lake State Death Toll Rises

 

Some 53 people have now been confirmed dead in inter-clan clashes taking place in the Lakes state. Regular police forces have vacated the area, and army soldiers have moved in to restore order.

 

The Lakes state has been blighted by cattle raiding and tribal conflicts since the end of the war. Political activists and traditional authorities have begun to call for the removal of Governor Matur Chut Duhol, due t his failure to stem the violence.

 

- Khartoum Daily

Edited December 29, 2014 by Mr Director

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Eritrean Militias Unite, Create Joint Military Command

 

In a move seen as preparation for the next stage of conflict, several large Eritrean militias have announced a merger, and have set up a joint military command. The new military command is composed of a chief of general staff, with five deputies for administration, operations, logistics, training and moral and orientation. Names of the commanders that will be put in charge have yet to be revealed.

 

Sources within Eritrea say that militia commander General Gatwech Dual is likely to become the chief of general staff.

 

Eritrean Rebels Acquire Sophisticated Weapons

 

Militias in Eritrea have confirmed their acquisition of advanced weapons that are expected to boost their military capacity.

 

Sources indicated that the rebels acquired anti-tank and anti-aircraft shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles including QW-1 Vanguard Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems.

 

The sophisticated weapons, if confirmed, would pose danger to the air superiority which the Sudanese military has enjoyed in repelling Eritrean cross-border raids.

 

The militias not disclose the source of the weapons, but did not dismiss suggestions that they had been provided by the DPRK.

 

Sudanese Warplanes Hit Eritrea

 

Sudanese Su-25s raided communist positions in Eritrea, killing two militiamen and wounding seven others.

[Mr Director]

Classified

 

Construction of the hardened aircraft shelters has begun in earnest. Each shelter will be able to withstand up to 1,000 lb bombs, and will be hardened against EMP strikes. While Sudanese aircraft would still be vulnerable to guided munitions and such, they would be safe from a number of smaller cruise and ballistic missiles, not to mention possible terrorist attacks on Sudanese airfields.

 

In other news, construction of redundant runways and taxi-ways has also begun.

[Mr Director]

 

Classified

 

Construction of the hardened aircraft shelters has begun in earnest. Each shelter will be able to withstand up to 1,000 lb bombs, and will be hardened against EMP strikes. While Sudanese aircraft would still be vulnerable to guided munitions and such, they would be safe from a number of smaller cruise and ballistic missiles, not to mention possible terrorist attacks on Sudanese airfields.

 

In other news, construction of redundant runways and taxi-ways has also begun.

 

 

Classified

 

The above project has been completed.

[Mr Director]

Public

 

North Darfur Hunts for Rebel Remnants

 

Security forces in the North Darfur state have begun a hunt for the remains of rogue rebel militias in the region. The Governor has states that the Army and the Air Force will be deploying significant forces in the area to hunt down the remnants.

 

There are a number of small rebel groups in the region, despite the end of the recent civil war. They have mostly turned to banditry and car jacking in the countryside, especially in sparsely populated and remote areas where security forces are thin on the ground.

 

The Sudanese Army has recently announced that it destroyed militia groups and Fugna and at Abu-Liha.

 

The Governor has also disclosed that the state has signed a contract to purchase vehicle tracking devices, in order to locate stolen cars. Car jacking has become a common crime committed by rebel groups in the area, and it is hoped that the tracking devices will help locate the militias. A piece of legislation requiring drivers to equip their vehicles with the tracking device, which will be distributed by the state, has been proposed to the local legislature.

 

- Khartoum Daily

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Military Kills Top Rebel Commander

 

The Sudanese military has announced that it has successfully  killed General Minni Minawi, a rebel commander in Darfur who had refused to take part int he peace process that ended the civil war.

 

He was reportedly killed in the Orshy area, along with 30 of his fighters.

 

His death comes as the government steps up operations to round up remnants of the militia groups that plagued Darfur during the war. The operations have been relatively successful so far, but critics claim that the government is ignoring the larger threats in Eritrea, and is instead opting to go for easy victories over the militias in Darfur.

 

- Khartoum Daily

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Four Killed in Northern Darfur Bandit Raid

 

Four people were killed in Northern Darfur by bandits, who opened fire on several villagers and stole more than 300 camels and cows from a village. The bandits were then repelled by Sudanese troops, which were stationed nearby. None of the stolen property was recaptured, however. No casualties aside from the four villagers have been reported.

 

A nearby group of camel herders were also ambushed by gunmen, who killed two herders and stole 200 camels. It is unknown if the attakcs are related, but these incidents do show the continued threat that banditry poses to Sudan. There have also been rumors of militia remnants from the civil war turning to banditry.

 

- Khartoum Daily

Edited January 24, 2015 by Mr Director

[Mr Director]

Public

 

Peace Deal Now "Fully Implemented"

 

The government has announced that the peace agreement between it and the rebel forces in the south has been fully implemented. The last prisoners of war have been exchanged, and all rebel groups that were party to the agreement have disbanded. Additionally, government officials believed to have committed war crimes have been removed from their offices, and many have been tried and convicted, while others still await trial. Many former rebel leaders have been elected or appointed to the now vacant positions.

 

This news has been met with much jubilation, both in the north and the south. However, there are still numerous smaller band of rebels and bandits that roam the countryside, and remain active in the more remote areas of the country.

 

- Khartoum Daily

[Mr Director]

Classified

 

Sudan's S-300 systems had always served it well. However, there had always been one problems with them, namely, their inability to cover the entire nation. Thus, the Sudanese military would begin deploying 8 S-200D batteries. These missiles were quite old, obsolete even, but their long range made them useful for defending vast swathes of territory from less advanced aircraft. S-300 batteries would now solely be used for defending high priority locations.

 

Additionally, the Sudanese airforce would begin to take additional measures to protect its aircraft. These would come in the form of underground aircraft shelters. It would take quite some time to construct these shelters, but once completed, they would no doubt be worth the investment.

 

In other news, the Sudanese army would order an additional 200 C-805 missiles, along with 75 more launchers.