Nyala italian hospital, no support from Italy

Riceviamo un comunicato stampa di
Mohammed Saboun Abdelkarim, Segretario Generale dell'ospedale italiano di Nyala fin dalla sua fondazione con Barbara Contini. Lo pubblichiamo per ora nella sua veste inglese; più avanti lo tradurremo in italiano. L'originale file pdf può essere scaricato qui [L.S.]


Mohammed Saboun Abdelkarim, General Secretary of the Ambulatory Care Unit “Avamposto 55”, states his truth during a visit to Italy.

Rome, August 1st 2007
Dear Madame/Sir,
please allow to introduce myself. My name is Mohammed Saboun Abdelkarim and I am General Secretary of A-55, the Italian-Sudanese Not Profitable Charitable Foundation officially managing the Italian Hospital known as “Avamposto 55” which is located in the Nyala town (South Darfur, Sudan).
The above hospital was built in 2005 by an Italian mission headed by Barbara Contini and I was one of the people hired by her to carry out the plan. The construction of “Avamposto 55” was sponsored by the 55th Sanremo Song Festival through the collection of donations from singers, artists and recording companies. However, up to date, the hospital did never start working as such, but only as an ambulatory care site.
During a meeting held in Nyala on August 31st 2006, it was agreed by Ms Contini (I.M.G. Head of Mission) and Dr. Eng. Al Haj Atta Al Mannan Idris (Governor of the South Darfur State) that on October 14th 2006, the structure was to be handed over to the Ministry of Health of South Darfur.
With reference to the above agreement dated Aug. 31-2006, a Memorandum of Understanding followed between myself and Dr. Eng. Al Haj Atta Al Mannan Idris, Governor of South Darfur, stating that the hospital “Avamposto 55” was to be managed by the A-55 Foundation whose main positions are:
President - Dr. Eng. Al Haj Atta Al Mannan Idris, Governor of South Darfur;
Honorary President - Sheik Musa Abdalla Mussein, spiritual leader of the congregation Tarika Al Tijania and without real responsibilities in the Foundation;
General Secretary - Mohammed Saboun Abdelkarim, plus eight more members, five of them of Sudanese nationality, the remaining three being of Italian nationality.
Furthermore, it was also agreed that “the parts [i.e. A-55] will continue to provide doctors and technical expertise for the management of the hospital, meanwhile the Government of South Darfur will cover the local costs for the electricity, water and 17% of the national insurance for the hospital local staff which will continue to be under the Italian coordinator”.
Therefore, from Oct. 15 2006, Ms Barbara Contini was not anymore entitled of any responsibility and position concerning the Nyala Hospital “Avamposto 55”, nor with the A-55 Foundation.
A-55 Foundation holds ONLY ONE bank account, under the name of “Italian Sudanese Foundation, Italian Hospital Avamposto55, Airport Road”, account number 1629 at the Nyala Branch of the Sudanese French Bank.
The only official representative of A-55 Foundation in Italy is Suliman Ahmed Hamed, of Sudanese nationality but currently a resident in Rome, Italy, who is our delegate only person entitled to put money in the above account.
At present, August 1st 2007:
1) the 25 persons employed in the Nyala Hospital “Avamposto 55” do not receive any salary since May 2007;
2) no money transfer in favour of “Avamposto 55” took place from the beginning of 2007;
3) no help or assistance was given from any Italian coordinator since March 20th 2007.
We know that in Italy, funds have been raised “for an hospital located in Nyala”, together with a press conference and a public show in Assisi (PG), also broadcast by the public television RAI 1 on Friday, June 22nd 2007.
About this matter, we only met some people in Nyala that took pictures of the place but never asked for our bank account. We would deeply appreciate knowing the persons in charge for this initiative, as well as the ones in charge for collecting money in any of the ways this goal has been achieved (sponsors, charities, sms charities, TV program selling, and so on). Mostly, we would like to know why we did not receive any money.
Last, but not least, I would like to point out that the health situation in Nyala and the surrounding areas is critical, given the large and increasing number of Internally Displaced People as well as the shortage of medical facilities.
For any further information and contact, please refer to:

In Sudan: Mohamed Saboun Abdelkarim
A55foundation@yahoo.com
00249 9121 88456

In Italy: Suliman Ahmed Hamed
kois2778@maktoob.com
kuis08@yahoo.com
0039 348 793798282