Darfur rebels kill 10 peacekeepers

HASKANITA, Sudan (AP) — Rebel forces stormed an African Union base in northern Darfur killing 10 peacekeepers from the beleaguered mission in an unprecedented attack that threatened key peace talks set for October.
Several others were wounded and dozens were missing in action after the attack on the base in Haskanita just after sunset Saturday.

AU officers told The Associated Press in Haskanita that a force of about 1,000 rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army had attacked the small AU base just after the fast-breaking meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The AU troops said they initially repelled the assailants. But the rebels eventually overran the camp around 4 a.m. on Sunday, peacekeepers said as they recovered from the fighting.

"This is a terrible incident, we're still trying to understand what happened," said Gen. Martin Agwai, the AU force commander, as he inspected the destroyed base.

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College activists take up more causes

By Hazel Trice Edney
-Guest Columnist-
Updated Jan 18, 2007, 01:15 pm
They were all on a mission: to educate the world about more than 400,000 tragic killings, rapes and violence in the Sudan. With demonstrations and other activities, the 7,000-member Black Law Students Association (BLSA) continued its 37-year tradition of student activism on that day that they designated as National Day of Community Service.
BLSA is just one example of what appears to be growing student activism around human rights and public policy issues.
Jesse Jackson Sr., who dropped out of the Chicago Theological Seminary to participate in the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 1965, said: “The fact is there never was as many of us fighting as our faded memories suggest,” Mr. Jackson says. “Even then, many students benefited from marches that they never participated in.”
The difference between the generations, he says, is that during the 1960s, “We were not free and knew it. Today, these youths are not free and don’t know it.”
I would dearly love to see the people engaged in real activism, marches and demonstrations like they did in the 60's..did they make a difference? I think so in some ways..if nothing else we felt like we were at least doing something rather than sitting around bemoaning this and that as it appears most do today. I think this is party due to the fact that life has become so passive for the kids of this era. Not like when I was a kid and we had to walk a mile to school - barefoot- in the snow..yada yada! Kudos to these kids for getting off their butts and trying to make a difference!

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