Rob Crilly - African Safari: February 2009 Archives

 It's business as usual, according to pretty much anyone you ask in Khartoum when the issue of next week's International Criminal Court indictment of Omar al-Bashir comes up. No-one wants to give the Sudanese government an excuse to accuse diplomats......more

Proving once again that mindless press speculation can serve a purpose, the International Criminal Court has been forced to put out a notice saying that it will issue a warrant for the arrest of annouce its decision on President Omar al-Bashir......more

Powerful piece by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times about two sisters affected by violence in Darfur. Kristof was in Chad (or the Darfur area as he calls it) for a few days with George Clooney, raising awareness of the conflict......more

View large imageKeeping track of Darfur's armed movements is an impossible task. Allegiances shift, factions break away and then re-merge often before anyone has even noticed. It creates difficulties for mediators and humanitarian workers. Who from all the different groups......more

 Life in Khartoum is settling into a bit of a routine. Batter out a thousand words for my book first thing, then it's a day of meetings, planning and checks as I prepare to head to Darfur. It's always a......more

Good news emerging from Doha where members of the Justice and Equality Movement are poised to sign an agreement with the Sudanese government that could pave the way to peace talks on Darfur. The deal includes an agreement to......more

Ozone is a quiet place these days. Ever since the US embassy in Khartoum warned its citizens to avoid places where expats tended to gather there have been fewer white faces here at the world's best coffeeshop on a......more

Africa may grow some of the world's finest coffee beans but getting a decent brew on the road can be problematic. In most places Nescafe is the only thing on offer - just about passable if drunk strong and black.......more

Have been catching up on my Sudan reading recently for a big Darfur project. Found quite a few books I bought when I first arrived in Nairobi and abandoned after a couple of chapters. Some of them are much more......more

Police wait for President Bashir to arrive in El Fasher last yearFighters of the Lord's Resistance Army, Uganda's shadowy rebel cult, have forced more than 130,000 people from their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo since Congolese soldiers......more

Pirates with the MV Faina (US Navy pic) It looks like The Faina, hijacked by Somali pirates in September with 33 Russian tanks destined for South Sudan, is finally being freed for a record $3.2-3.5m ransom. No definitive confirmation from the......more

Films set in Africa have come a long way recently. Stereotyped natives and mzungu heroes have given way to more complex takes on the continent. The Last King of Scotland and Blood Diamond both captured something about the feel......more

So first up, well done Unamid. Khartoum has asked the hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force to pull out of Muhajiriya so its armed forces can bomb and burn the town at will. And Unamid has said no, we're staying. But to......more