VOA常速英语2008年-Rights Group Warns Attacks Threaten Sudanese Ce

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
10 April 2008

The New York-based organization Human Rights Watch has warned that the Sudanese government may be using militia¹ groups on the border between northern and southern Sudan to disrupt or influence the national census² scheduled to take place later this month. Derek Kilner reports from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi.

Human Rights Watch noted³ a rise in attacks in recent months on displaced people attempting to return to their homes in Unity⁴ State and Abyei, a disputed oil-rich area between north and south Sudan.

Human Rights Watch and other observers say such attacks could be part of an effort by the Sudanese government to influence the outcome of a national census - set to take place from April 14-30.

"It looks as if this is an organized campaign," said Tom Porteous, the London Director of Human Rights Watch. "The government would say this is just normal banditry and so forth⁵. But some of the victims we spoke⁶ to in Unity State said that it was clear that the motive⁷ of the attackers was not robbery because they simply opened fire on the travelers trying to get back to their homes without any apparent interest in stealing things from them."

The census is seen as a necessary first step before national elections in 2009 and a referendum in the south in 2011 on whether to secede⁸ from the North. There is a fear that if southerners are prevented from taking part in the census, voter registration⁹ in the south will be hampered¹⁰. The population of the north and south will also determine the sharing of resources between the regions.

In 2011, residents of Abyei are also set to vote in a referendum on whether the area will be part of the northern or southern Sudan, along with its large oil reserves.

The Abyei area is home to the Ngok Dinka tribe, which has generally supported the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, former rebels who are now governing the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan.

The attacks have largely been carried out by militia members from the Misseriya, an Arab tribe that has traditionally allied¹¹ with Khartoum, and which was armed by the Sudanese government during the North-South civil war. The Misseriya are a nomadic¹² group that grazes cattle in the Abyei area, and the Sudanese government has attempted to have the group count as residents of Abyei.

Southern officials have accused the government of mobilizing militias¹³ in Abyei, and recently said the north has sent its own troops into Abyei town.

Rabie Abdul Atti, an advisor¹⁴ to Sudan's information minister, denied the northern government has sent troops to Abyei town or that it has armed members of the Misseriya.

"You know these accusations¹⁵ by SPLA regarding that the government sends troops to Abyei," Atti said. "This is not correct. Because the government is working very hard to solve the Abyei problem. The government does not help Misseriya, and also we did not send any troops to support Misseriya against SPLA."

Both the North and South maintain large numbers of forces along the border. Abyei is seen by many analysts¹⁶ as a potential flashpoint for a return to conflict.

1 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

2 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

8 secede   

v.退出，脱离

参考例句：

• They plotted to make the whole Mississippi Valley secede from the United States.他们阴谋策划使整个密西西比流域脱离美国。
• We won't allow Tibet to secede from China and become an independent nation.我们决不允许西藏脱离中国独立。

9 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

10 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

11 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

12 nomadic   

adj.流浪的；游牧的

参考例句：

• This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
• The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。

13 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

14 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

15 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

16 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。