Operation Lifeline Sudan Resumes, August 2000

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August 18, 2000

Dear Friends of Southern Sudan,
Some good news: relief flights into southern Sudan resumed on Wednesday, August 16, 2000 after a weeklong delay. The article below is from AFP, and it will be available for a couple of months on sudan.net's web site. Other stories about the resumption of aid include one about the plan to restart aid, and another about the first day of the restart. 

Stories about the bombing that led to the suspension of aid flights on August 8 include:

• Two towns bombed, seven dead
• U.N. Suspends flights (AP version)
• AFP's version
• U.N. accuses the Sudanese government of deliberately bombing relief facilities
• Sudan's Catholic Bishops condemn the bombing

Developments since this update was sent: Khartoum wants to monitor OLS flights to ensure that they are not carrying weapons.

• Khartoum negotiates an agreement with the U.N. to monitor OLS cargo in Lokichokio.
• Khartoum states that it is committed to maintaining relief flights.
• The SPLA rejects the monitoring agreement.

News Article by AFP posted on August 16, 2000 at 08:35:30: EST (-5 GMT)
Relief flights to south Sudan resumed

KHARTOUM, Aug 16 (AFP) - Planes carrying UN-sponsored relief supplies to southern Sudan resumed on Wednesday, ending a week-long suspension, after Khartoum made safety assurances, said a senior UN official in Khartoum.

The United Nations' acting Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator, Masoud Haider, told AFP the relief flights were resumed Wednesday from Lokichokio in north Kenya and from Obeid in central Sudan "according to a schedule agreed upon with the (Sudanese) government."

The UN said Tuesday it would resume all humanitarian relief flights to Sudan within 24 hours following assurances of their safety from Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir. UN relief flights to Sudan were suspended on August 8 after humanitarian agencies working with the UN's Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) accused the government of stepping up bombing raids on civilian targets.

The flights from Lokichokio will take relief to areas held by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in southern Sudan, said Haider who is also the World Food Programme (WFP) representative in Sudan.

Planes from Obeid will fly to both government- and SPLA-held areas there, he said.

Asked if Khartoum would have a representative in Lokichokio to monitor the loading of the relief supplies, Haider said this question and other points raised by Khartoum would be discussed with Ambassador Tom Vraalson, the UN Secretary General's special envoy. Vraalson will arrive in Khartoum on Saturday, Haider said.

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