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Show Volume XIV Issue XV The Ogden Valley news Page 17 May 15, 2007 DARFUR cont. from page 12 but led to widespread fighting in the south and the formation of additional rebel groups. Machar’s faction adopted the title of the South Sudan Independence Movment/Army (SSIM/A). Several smaller factions signed a separate peace agreement with Khartoum in 1997 and formed the United Democratic Salvation Front (UDSF). Chad In 1990, Chadian President Idriss Deby came to power by launching a military blitzkrieg from Darfur and overthrowing former President Hissan Habre. Deby used his ties to Darfur, coming from the lineage of an elite Zaghawa tribe—one of the Darfur rebel groups trying to bring down the Khartoum government. When fighting broke out between the Sudanese tribes and the government militia, Deby had to decide whether to support Sudan or his tribe; he chose his tribe. While Deby did mediate a ceasefire between the Sudanese government and rebel groups, as mentioned earlier, it unraveled in the final month of 2003. Today, Sudanese rebels have set up bases in Chad. These bases are part of towns that are filled with Darfurians who have tried to escape the fighting in their own country. The tensions carry over into Chad as the Khartoum government is accused of supporting Chad’s own anti-Deby rebels, who have their own military camp in West Darfur. While Sudan’s government denies these allegations, in the early part of 2006, Chadian rebels who were nearly successful in taking over the Chadian capital of N’Djamena, were carrying Sudanese identity documents. Today in Chad near the Sudan border, there are some 218,000 refugees from the Darfur region, and approximately 90,000 internally displaced Chadians. Though Sudanese governmental authorities continue to deny their involvement in the gross atrocities that have now been labeled specifically as genocide, an October 25, 2006 BBC news report stated that they had substantiated accusations of the Sudanese government’s involvement, and that the Sudanese government had recently fired a missile at a French reconnaissance plane. They also claim that the Sudanese fighters could have only procured the type of military equipment and weaponry they are using from a military source (The Agonist). In addition, the French army in October 2006 stated that one of their surveillance planes narrowly avoided being shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by rebels. Even though the French do not openly supSEWER FACILITY cont. from page 1 requires less maintenance and operation time, and consistently produces high quality effluent. Housing the facility in a building will control typical odors associated with wastewater. According to Board member Steve Roberts, “With this state-of- the-art facility, we can rest assured that this facility will only release clean water that might eventually reach [other natural] resources.” The Wolf Creek MBR system will be completely housed in an attractive ranch style building on the existing wastewater VANDALISM cont. from page 1 ity. Also stolen were a $200 Milwaukee Construct radio; a unique, brass boat propeller, about $75 in quarters out of the washing machines, and several other miscellaneous items. Drug paraphernalia was also found at the scene. Some of the washers and dryers were also vandalized. In a prior incident that occurred about three weeks earlier, vandals overturned several of the bookshelves inside the Laundromat, and tore up numerous paperback books that belong to the community’s Book Exchange. During each criminal act, vandals have written on a chalkboard hanging on the wall, port the Chadian government, they have had some involvement in the region—a former French colony—propping up the Chadian government in their defense against Arab Sudanese fighters. China China has an important economic tie to Sudan—oil. Sudan is China’s fourth biggest supplier of imported oil. In the U.N. Security Council, in which China holds veto power, its leaders have said that they will stand by Sudan’s Muslim governmental leaders against U.S. efforts to place sanctions on the country in an effort to force Sudan to replace the African Union Peacekeepers with a larger U.N. peacekeeper presence. A U.N. peacekeeping force is seen as necessary in the eyes of most of the international community since African Union Peacekeepers have failed to protect Darfurians who are being displaced and killed by the thousands. The situation is dire enough that even humanitarian efforts targeted for the Darfur region have had severe difficulties in providing even basic, but necessary, provisions to conflict victims. China has been actively engaged in Sudan, building highways and factories in Khartoum, and even building the Friendship Conference Hall—the capital’s largest public meeting place. International Community The U.N. Security Council and NATO are seen as lacking the will or capacity to deal effectively with the genocide and humanitarian crises now transpiring in Sudan. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by Resolution 260 (III) A of the U.N. General Assembly on December 9, 1948, and became enforceable on January 12, 1951. The U.S. finally ratified it in 1988. The treaty holds that contracting parties are required to “undertake to prevent and to punish” genocide. Article VIII of the convention stipulates that signatories may call on the U.N. to “take such action . . . for the prevention and suppression” of genocide. But the law is unclear on what “undertaking to prevent” and “suppressing” genocide really means, and how such measures are to be carried out. Recently, at the end of November of 2006, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed the U.N.’s new human rights body, stating that the political wrangling within the organization is threatening to sink the organization’s efforts to be effective in addressing the situation in Darfur. He urged the group to, “. . . stand out against violations wherever they occur even if they risk angering regional allies.” On November 28, 2006, the 47-state U.N. treatment site on the corner of Willowbrook Lane and Wolf Creek Drive. There will be very limited noise associated with the new facility. The Wolf Creek Sewer Improvement District took a progressive approach with the selection of the MBR facility. This facility will set the standard for future wastewater treatment facilities in the Valley. Construction began on the new facility the week of April 16. The entire facility, including landscaping, is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008. “From the locals; fix your stuff.” Phalen stated that after the latest incident, new surveillance equipment is being installed. The community is being asked to help with the identification and arrest of the perpetrators by reporting any suspicious activity occurring in the vicinity, and/or by calling the Weber County Sheriff’s office with any information you may have about the illegal activity occurring at the commercial center. You can contact the Weber County Detective’s office at 778-6631. Council passed a “mild” resolution sponsored by African states that, while expressing concern for human rights violations in Sudan, was careful to avoid placing any blame on the Khartoum government for the dire situation in Sudan (Save Darfur). Politically, enough members sit on the U.N. Council who are sensitive to and supportive of Khartoum’s position and political agenda to prevent the U.N. from effectively addressing the genocide transpiring within the Darfur region of Sudan. United States In a statement published on September 9, 2004, President Bush stated: “The United States is appalled by the violence in Darfur, Sudan. Our government has led the international effort to end the suffering there by speaking clearly about the crisis and sending assistance to the suffering. We have provided more than $211 million in aid and humanitarian relief, and we will provide an additional $250 million. To end the conflict, we helped broker a cease-fire and worked closely with the African Union to deploy monitors and soldiers to investigate violations.” As of May 2006, about 2 million people from the Darfur region in Sudan were still displaced, and hundreds of thousands had been killed. According to the Council on Foreign Relations (a nonpartisan resource for information and analysis), “A well-meaning but ill-conceived peacekeeping mission by the African Union has failed to stop the massacres and destruction of villages. Now the UN Security Council, in spite of reluctance on the part of China and Russia, is calling for greater UN and NATO involvement in the crisis, against the wishes of the government in Khartoum.” In 1996, the U.S. government sent almost $20 million of military equipment via the “front” states of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Uganda. It is purported that the equipment was sent in support of the opposition in their efforts to overthrown the Khartoum regime. “U.S. officials denied that the military aid for the SPLA and the Sudanese Alled Forces (SAF) , described as ‘non-lethal’—including radios, uniforms, boots, and tents—was targeted at Sudan. The Pentagon and CIA considered Sudan to be second only to Iran as a staging ground for international terrorism. . . . Reportedly several Operational Detachments-Alpha (also called A-Teams) of the U.S. army were operating in support of the SPLA. Fire Potential High for Parts of State As the 2007 wildland fire season approaches, current weather and fuel conditions indicate the possibility of extreme fire potential in southwestern Utah again this year. Most of the rest of the state is predicted to have normal to drought conditions. Most of central and eastern Utah, especially higher elevations, may have higher fire potential than normal. “Predicting our wildland fire season is not an exact science,” says Tracy Dunford, fire management officer for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. “However, indications are we’re entering this season pretty much the same as last year when we saw the heaviest fire activity in the southwest portion of the state.” Most of southern Utah and some eastern areas are the last reminders of a prolonged drought. Moisture levels remain abnormally low with the U.S. Drought Monitor Index currently designating the area as severe. Snowpacks along most of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest are 50 – 60 percent of average and surrounding areas are about 70-80 percent of average which may indicate more potential for fires in the higher elevations. “Once again, southwestern Utah has the potential for a severe fire season this year. The heavier fuels are dry and prone to large fire growth,” says BLM Fire Management Officer Sheldon Wimmer. “As cheat grass in the western desert matures it will be easily ignited and have the potential to grow into large fires, especially when winds kick up.” Federal, state, and local fire management agencies urge everyone to be careful in their use of fire. As spring turns to summer and more people seek outdoor recreation, the potential for wildland fire increases. “As in years past, we are entering the start of this current fire season with a strong prediction of a major fire season. While there are never any guarantees as to intensity and duration, the public needs to be aware of conditions around them and act accordingly. We live in a fire dependent environment and the potential for a wildfire is always there,” says Mike Dudley, Fire, Aviation and Air Director for the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service. Federal and state agencies continue to FIRE POTENTIAL cont. on page 20 PLANNING cont. from page 1 second homes, and over 20 years experience working in the ski industry at Powder Mountain—her family’s business. “In my involvement in ski resort management, I have traveled to many destination resort areas, and have an understating of the pressures that the Valley will be facing in the near future. Lythgoe lives in Eden with her husband Doug and their three children—Carlie, Jaxn, and Jameson. She is currently the sales manager at Powder Mountain, and the broker/owner of RE/MAX CommunityValley in Eden. Bill Siegel states that he is interested in serving on the Planning Commission so that he can be more involved with the planning process. Having served as chair of the Eden Planning Committee, he says he feels that he has a working knowledge of the ordinances and their impact on development. “It’s important that the proper language is used when approving a petition for development; it’s critical,” states Siegel. “The county will listen to public input; it’s their job. But it’s also our responsibility to get involved and see what can be done to better the planning process.” Members of the seven-member Ogden Valley Township Planning Commission meet on a monthly basis to vote and make recommendations on zoning and development petitions relevant to Ogden Valley. Also serving on the Ogden Valley Township Planning Commission are Gary Allen, Jim Banks, Louis Cooper, Greg Graves, and Keith Rounkles. DYER’S WOAD cont. from page 1 note the location in Weber County where the dyer’s woad plant was rooted out. The Bag O’Woad program will pay $10 per bag after being returned filled with the invasive and state listed noxious weed. For more information, call James Barnhill at 399-8201, or Desiree Van Dyke at 263-3204, extension 18. The bags hold up to 40 pounds of dyer’s woad, the yellow-flowered plant that commonly invades disturbed sties with sandy or rocky soils such as roadsides, railroad right-of-ways, dry pastures, rangeland, agricultural fields, and/or forests. The harvested plants must include at least 2 inches of root, and pickers need to For Rent “La Belle Maison De Campagne” Are you tired of doing it all on your own? Too busy to create that unique feeling of hospitality and warmth in your home or business? Let me help you achieve that professional look & welcoming feeling using my lifelong European experience. A little Sealcoat and Crackseal every few years for pennies per sq. ft. goes a long way to preserving an expensive investment, versus dollars to replace down the road ! If you don’t have asphalt, call us for a bid today ! You need more than just a hand— You need Galina’s European Design! 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