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- Peter Verney and Sudan Update: How Objective a Source?
by David Hoile/ESPAC
The new and significant moves towards a peaceful resolution of the
Sudanese civil war, as outlined in the July 2002 Machakos peace protocol
(1), must go hand in hand with a concerted attempt to stem some of the
media mis-reporting that, together with the repetition of propaganda and
disinformation, may have artificially prolonged the conflict.
Peter Verney, and 'Sudan Update', the newsletter that he edits, is a
case in point. 'Sudan Update' claims to be "an independent media review"
which operates "on an independent, non-partisan basis". (2) It claims to
provide "an information and referral service for individuals and
organisations seeking a politically non-aligned briefing on the
situation in Sudan" and that it "conducts research and liaison work for
the media, non-governmental organisations, lawyers, parliamentarians,
academics and human rights bodies."(3) Verney has spoken on Sudan at
conferences throughout western Europe.
Verney worked in Sudan until shortly after the 1989 coup d'etat. For
some time he was a staff writer with 'Sudanow', a publication of the
Sudanese Ministry of Culture and Information. Verney has been a bitter,
public opponent of the present Sudanese government since 1989, signing
anti-government statements as early as March 1990. (4) He also worked as
a teacher and for an aid agency. Verney's opposition to Islamic
government may well stem in part from the fact that he was punished for
breaking Islamic law in Sudan prohibiting the possession and drinking of
alcohol.
Despite claims on the 'Sudan Update' website that the publication is
required "to maintain an objective, non-partisan stance" and that it
cannot "promote...particular political, religious or other ideological
viewpoints"(5), 'Sudan Update' has nevertheless forwarded rebel Sudan
People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
press releases (6) as well as statements by anti-government groups such
as the New Sudan Council of Churches (7) and Nuba Mountains Solidarity
Abroad. (8) In February 2002 'Sudan Update' "urgently" circulated
details of a protest against the Chinese national petroleum corporation
- the company being involved in the Sudanese oil industry. (9) This
hardly constitutes a "politically non-aligned" stance.
'Sudan Update''s claim to be independent, "objective" and "non-partisan"
is also difficult to sustain given that it was specifically set up as an
anti-government publication by Emma McCune, a British aid worker who
subsequently married SPLA leader Riek Machar. (10) In her biography of
her daughter, Maggie McCune states that Emma and others "set up a four-
page newsletter called 'Sudan Update' which attempted to disseminate
information coming from the front lines, and whose sympathies ran
counter to the official government in Khartoum...'Sudan Update' survives
to this day." (11)
In any event Verney has constantly projected questionable images of
Sudan. In July 2000, Verney, as editor of 'Sudan Update', referred to
the Sudanese government as "an illegitimate and murderous regime". (12)
In 2001, Verney pledged his "strong support" for a statement which spoke
about the government's "terrorist rule" and the "very non-civilized
nature" of the regime. The statement also spoke of the "savage nature
and practice of the NIF rulers and ideologues." (13) Verney claims that
the government is "unrelenting in its Islamist ideology", and that it
has resisted "any substantial change". (14) Associated Press, however,
has reported that "the changes in this country...are too sweeping and
popular to be rolled back. Human Rights and civil society groups operate
openly. Press censorship has been lifted and independent newspapers
freely criticize government policies." (15) Four years earlier, in 1998,
seasoned BBC reporter Barbara Plett observed: "What was I to make of
signs that Sudan is liberalising? Was this the beginning of glasnost in
Africa's largest state? The IMF seems to think so...This year it
congratulated Khartoum for carrying out economic reforms and took it off
the blacklist...And political debate is open and fierce. The growing
number of private newspapers freely criticise the government...We have
more political freedoms than almost any other country in Africa, one
university professor told me. The change in atmosphere from previous
visits is truly remarkable." (16) Verney prefers to describe Sudan as "a
totalitarian... society". (17) The divergence in perspectives is clear.
And, once again, one would be hard pressed to describe 'Sudan Update''s
statements as "politically non-aligned".
'Sudan Update' has also focused on the Sudanese oil industry,
publishing, for example, 'Raising the Stakes: Oil and Conflict in
Sudan'. This report was hostile to the oil project, citing, amongst
other things, claims that there was massive forced displacement of
civilians from Sudan's oil regions. In a section titled "Human
Casualties", it published claims that six thousand homes were burned in
attacks. (18) The source cited was an article by Damien Lewis, the
accuracy of whose claims about Sudan has already been questioned. (19)
Faced with these sorts of claims, one of the partners within the Greater
Nile Petroleum Operating Corporation (GNPOC), the Sudanese oil
consortium, commissioned a leading British satellite imagery analysis
company, Kalagate Imagery Bureau, to independently study a series of
satellite photographs taken of oil concession areas in Sudan. The images
analysed by the Kalagate Imagery Bureau included military and civilian
satellite images collected over several years. Ground resolution in the
images varied between about three feet and 10 feet, that is to say very
detailed indeed. (20) The images were analysed by Geoffrey Oxlee, a
former head of the United Kingdom Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence
Centre and Britain's leading expert in the field. (21) Mr Oxlee stated:
"there is no evidence of appreciable human migration from any of the
seven sites examined." (22) On the contrary, he further stated that
analysis revealed that "once the sites were developed, then people did
come into the area, and in fact it looked as if people developed around
the oil sites rather than going away from it."(23) He further stated
that he was prepared to stand by his conclusions in court. It is
inconceivable that massive "scorched earth" displacement on the scale
claimed by Verney, Lewis and others would not have been immediately
noticeable in the satellite pictures studied. Responding to somewhat
lame suggestions that the images may have been tampered with, Mr Oxlee
stated that the satellite photographs examined "are genuine pictures.
Having looked at hundreds of thousands of satellite pictures, there's no
way these pictures have been doctored. Absolutely none. We check these
things out." (24)
'Sudan Update' has also seen fit to repeat a wide variety of
subsequently discredited claims about Sudan, including allegations that
Iraq had moved weapons of mass destruction technology to Sudan (25),
that black southern children were being drained of their blood in return
for sweet lemon juice, that the Sudanese President kept four slaves in
his household (26), and that Osama bin-Laden was using Ugandan child
slaves as labour in his marijuana plantations in Sudan. (27) Verney has
also alluded to Sudanese government involvement in the first bombing of
the World Trade Center in 1993. (28) This sort of claim was
comprehensively contradicted in 1996 by Ambassador Philip C. Wilcox Jr.,
the Department of State's Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Despite
serving an Administration noted for its anti-Sudanese stance, an
Administration eager to portray Sudan as a sponsor of terrorism, in
April 1996, after three years of intensive investigations and lengthy
trials, Ambassador Wilcox made it very clear that there was no Sudanese
involvement whatsoever in the first World Trade Center bombings:
"We have looked very, very carefully and pursued all possible clues that
there might be some state sponsorship behind the World Trade Center
bombing. We have found no such evidence, in spite of an exhaustive
search, that any state was responsible for that crime." (29)
'Sudan Update' has also claimed, for example, that the Sudanese
government is hostile to music and stated that Mohammed Wardi, the
famous Sudanese singer, and an opponent of the government, would
probably be arrested if he returned home. (30) Wardi did return home.
(31) Not only was he not arrested, but, as Associated Press reported,
Cabinet members attended his sold-out concerts. (32)
A further insight into the bias that has marred Verney's "reporting" on
Sudan emerged in the days following the announcement in July 2002 of the
landmark Machakos peace protocol for Sudan. Although hailed by rebels,
the government and the rest of the international community, Verney was
critical of the provisional peace agreement. (33) From his comfortable
office in England, it appears he believes that the international
community, United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Sudanese
rebels and opposition and Sudanese government are wrong on this key
Sudanese issue, and that he is right. It is for the reader to judge.
Despite the obvious divergence between the reality of events within
Sudan and the views held by Verney and reflected in 'Sudan Update', it
is worth noting that 'Sudan Update' claims that it "has become the
first point of reference for a broad variety of inquiries relating to
Sudan from all over the world." Verney also states that the newsletter
is sent to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Holland,
Italy, Japan, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden,
Thailand, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There can be little doubt that it is
the sort of skewed perspective of events within Sudan offered by Verney
and 'Sudan Update' that has led to distorted pictures of Sudanese
affairs.
Events in Sudan appear to have overtaken Peter Verney and 'Sudan Update'
quite some time ago. His is a reactionary perspective on Sudan that is
out of keeping with political and constitutional developments in that
country.
Notes:
1. See, for example, "Rebels Welcome Sudan Peace Plan", News
Article by BBC News, 5 July 2001. See, also, "Sudan Opposition Welcomes
Deal", News Article by Associated Press, 21 July 2002; "US Says Deal
Between Sudan, Rebels is 'Significant Step' Towards Peace", News Article
by Agence France Presse, 22 July 2002; "Sudanese Joy Over Peace Between Government
and Rebels", News Article by Deutsche Press Agentur, 22 July 2002;
"Sudan Truce Monitors Optimistic on Peace Prospects", News Article by
Reuters, 23 July 2002.
2. See, "About Sudan Update", 'Sudan Update' website, available at
www.sudanupdate.org
3. See, "About Sudan Update", 'Sudan Update' website, available at
www.sudanupdate.org
4. See, "In Sudanese Jails", 'The New York Review of Books', 15
March 1990.
5. See, "About Sudan Update", 'Sudan Update' website, available at
www.sudanupdate.org
6. See, for example, 'Sudan Update' posting of SPLA material on
Sudan internet discussion group SUDANESE@LIST.MSU.EDU , 2 May 2000. The
SPLA is the principal rebel movement in southern Sudan. The NDA press
release was posted by 'Sudan Update' on Sudan internet discussion group
SUDANESE@LIST.MSU.EDU, 8 November 2000. The NDA is a coalition of
Sudanese rebel movements.
7. 'Sudan Update' posting on Sudan internet discussion group
SUDANESE@LIST.MSU.EDU, 4 May 2000.
8. 'Sudan Update' posting on Sudan internet discussion group
Sudan-L@LISTSERV.CC.EMORY.EDU, 10 May 2000.
9. Peter Verney/Sudan Update, "Protest in London at PetroChina 18th
February", Posted on New Sudan Mailing-Discussion List, 13 February
2002.
10. Riek Machar and two other SPLA commanders subsequently left the
SPLA and formed other rebel movements in Sudan.
11. Maggie McCune, 'Till The Sun Grows Cold', Headline, London,
1999, p.146.
12. 'Sudan Update' posting on Sudan internet discussion group
SUDANESE@LIST.MSU.EDU, 27 July 2000.
13. "Letter of Solidarity", Sudan Human Rights Organization, Cairo,
16 April 2001.
14. Peter Verney, 'Displacement Activity? Don't Mention the War',
Parliamentary Brief, December 2001.
15. "Seeking Friends in the West, Sudan Tempers its Islamic Zeal",
News Article by Associated Press, 13 July 2002.
16. Barbara Plett, "From Our Own Correspondent", Broadcast by the
BBC, 25 April 1998.
17. See, "Reports: Music in Sudan. Northern Sudan - A Crisis of
Identity", 'Sudan Update' website, available at www.sudanupdate.org
18. 'Raising the Stakes: Oil and Conflict in Sudan', Sudan Update,
Hebden Bridge, 1999.
19. See, for example, 'Damien Lewis, Sudan and "Death in the Air":
A Case Study in Irresponsible Television', European-Sudanese Public
Affairs Council, London,. August 2001, and 'Damien Lewis and Sudan:
Questionable Journalism on "Chemical Weapons"', European-Sudanese Public
Affairs Council, London, July 2001, available at www.espac.org
20.
"Talisman Fights Back on Sudan Displacement Claims Releases
Aerial Images", 'The Financial Post' (Toronto), 19 April 2001.
21.
It should be noted that Mr Oxlee retired from the Royal Air
Force with the rank of Group Captain (in American terms a full Colonel).
He has 45 years experience as an analyst and is the author of 'Aerospace
Reconnaissance', (published by Brasseys in 1997). Mr Oxlee is a member
of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Expert Witnesses.
He lectured at the United Kingdom School of Photographic Interpretation
for six years.
22.
"Talisman Energy Says Study Disproves Sudan Allegations", 'Dow
Jones Newswire', 18 April 2001.
23.
"Talisman Fights Back on Sudan Displacement Claims Releases
Aerial Images", 'The Financial Post' (Toronto), 19 April 2001.
24.
"Talisman Fights Back on Sudan Displacement Claims Releases
Aerial Images", 'The Financial Post' (Toronto), 19 April 2001.
25.
'Sudan Update', Vol 9, No. 4, 28 February 1998.
26.
'Sudan Update', Vol 6, No. 7, 15 May 1995.
27.
'Sudan Update', Vol 10, No. 7, 14 April 1999.
28. 'Sudan Update' posting on Sudan internet discussion group
Sudan-L@LISTSERV.CC.EMORY.EDU, 19 August 2002.
29. 'Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1996 Briefing', Press briefing by
Ambassador Philip C. Wilcox Jr, Washington-DC, 30 April 1996 on US
Government Home Page, at http://www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/960430.html
30. See, for example, "Reports: Music in Sudan. Kafka by the Nile",
'Sudan Update' website, available at www.sudanupdate.org
31. See, "Sudanese Singer Returns From Exile to Tumultuous Welcome",
News Article by Agence France Presse, 22 May 2002.
32. See, "Seeking Friends in the West, Sudan Tempers its Islamic
Zeal", News Article by Associated Press, 13 July 2002.
33. See, for example, his comments on "Sudan's Shaky Deal", News
Article by Radio Netherlands World Service, 22 July 2002.
The European-Sudanese Public Affairs
Council sent this media contribution to Media Monitors
Network (MMN)
Source:
by courtesy & © 2001 European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council
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