SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Al-Monitor - Coup generals bring back party of Sudan's ousted dictator

19/4/2022: Al-Monitor - Coup generals bring back party of Sudan's ousted dictator, by Marc Espanol

Al-Monitor report that the Sudan’s coup regime is reinstating members of the former ruling Islamist National Congress Party (NCP) in key state positions, with officials appointed by former president Omar al-Bashir appointed as prime and foreign ministers, and given the highest positions at Sudan’s intelligence agency, judiciary and central bank.

The coup regime “have made great efforts” to undo the progress of the Tamkeen committee - an anti-corruption body that aimed to dismantle the kleptocratic structures of the NCP regime - by arresting its civilian leaders and cancelling its decisions, which has seen “hundreds” from the NCP orbit returned to the public administration bodies governing sectors including Islamic finance, health, oil, aviation and media.

While the NCP remains formally outlawed, policy analyst Hamid Khalafallah warned that the military will “find a way” to allow it to participate in elections if “not with the original name”.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Globe and Mail - In Sudan, Russia’s influence is growing

19/4/2022: Globe and Mail - In Sudan, Russia’s influence is growing, by Robert Rotberg

Robert Rotberg, the founding director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s program on intrastate conflict, argues that attempts from western diplomats to prevent Russia’s “encroachment” upon important global shipping lanes – “especially in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine” - are contingent upon the personal ambitions and enrichment plans of Russian president Vladimir Putin and Himedti, the Rapid Support Forces commander-in-chief and vice-president of Sudan’s military-led ruling Sovereign Council.

Rotberg notes that Himedti affirmed openness to Russian plans to build a naval base in Port Sudan on the Red Sea – “one of the globe’s most active shipping corridors [which] would give Russia agency for the first time below the southern entrance to the Suez Canal and halfway to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean”.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudanese Islamist groups form new political coalition

19/4/2022: Sudan Tribune - Sudanese Islamist groups form new political coalition

Sudan Tribune report that 10 Islamist political groups announced the formation of a new political coalition under the name of “The Broad Islamic Current”.

Among the signatories are the Islamic Movement, a façade of the banned former ruling National Congress Party (NCP), and the State of Law and Development Party of Mohamed Ali al-Jizouli, an ISIS supporter released recently from prison.

The coalition, which does not include the Islamist Popular Congress Party (PCP), aims to coordinate the efforts of the Islamist groups before the general elections at the end of the transition.

Sudan Tribune write that the Islamists seek to take advantage of the new political environment created by the coup d’état of General Abdulfattah al-Burhan, who reinstated the Islamist elements in the civil service and security services.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – UNITAMS slates Sudan military newspaper for hate speech

19/4/2022: Multiple sources – UNITAMS slates Sudan military newspaper for hate speech

• Radio Dabanga

• Sudan Tribune

The UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) called on the Sudanese coup regime to hold accountable hate speech promoters in response to the provocation of an inflammatory article by Colonel Ibrahim al-Houri, the editor-in-chief of the Sudan Armed Forces newspaper which issued calls for “jihad” against UNITAMS head Volker Perthes.

UNITMAS tweeted that: “demonising public or private figures, and inciting against them is a conduct of hate crimes that societies and authorities have interest in holding its perpetrators to account, without delay.”

Al-Houri also shared a similar article by Sudanese journalist Ali Mansour Hasaballa who alleged that US and UK diplomats in Sudan, alongside pro-democracy figures in the Forces of Freedom and Change coalition (FFC), are interior agents working to break down Sudan. 

It was the first time that the army newspaper attacked western countries since former president Omar al-Bashir was ousted.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Sudan anti-graft authority seizes 390 plots of prime Khartoum real estate

19/4/2020: Radio Dabanga - Sudan anti-graft authority seizes 390 plots of prime Khartoum real estate

 Radio Dabanga reports that Sudan’s Anti-Corruption Committee has confiscated 390 properties – collectively 248,894 square metres – in some of the most prestigious neighbourhoods of Khartoum, that were registered under the names of officials, families, and affiliates of the deposed al-Bashir regime.

 Committee member Wajdi Saleh confirmed that the confiscated assets have been transferred to the Ministry of Finance.

 Mohamed El Faki Suleiman, Member of the Sovereign Council and deputy-chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee said that important decisions will be announced in the upcoming days which reveal “the true face of the officials of the former regime and how corrupt they are.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudan's military chief sacks freshly appointed informational official

19/4/19: Sudan Tribune – Sudan’s military chief sacks freshly appointed information official

Abdelfattah Al Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional military council, removed Abdelmajed Haroun, the Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information following a strong rejection of the Sudanese journalists.

 The Sudanese Journalists Network, a member of the Sudanese Professionals Association, issued a statement denouncing the appointment of Haroun, a member of the former ruling National Congress Party,  and called for a protest outside the ministry of information.

Al Burhan told Al Jareeda newspaper that he did not know Haroun’s political history and his political affiliation before appointing him.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources - Sudan protesters 'to name transitional government'

19/4/19: Multiple sources – Sudan protesters ‘to name transitional government’

BBC

Reuters

Sudan Tribune

Sudan’s opposition will present a list of mostly technocratic candidates for a civilian-led transitional council during its sit-in on Sunday, a top opposition leader said. The leader, who declined to be named, said the proposed council would be mostly civilian with some military participation.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Reuters - What Sudan tells us about 21st century coups

19/4/19: Reuters – What Sudan tells us about 21st century coups, by Peter Apps

Peter Apps argues that Sudan is entering a messy transitionary phase, noting that Sudan fits into a wider pattern of countries that have experienced military coups whereby the figure-head changes, but the overshadowing military power structure remains.

 Apps also argues that the transfer of power from strongman to strongman suits not only those in charge, but also Russia and China. Events in the Sudan, Zimbabwe and Syria have demonstrated that Russia and China hold the ability to influent events subtly.

 Apps then cites examples of ousted African leaders to imply that Al Bashir’s eventual fate may be somewhat more comfortable.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters - More protesters flood Sudan's sit-in to demand civilian rule

19/4/19: Reuters – More protesters flood Sudan’s sit-in to demand civilian rule , by Khalid Abdelaziz and Michael Georgy

Thousands of protesters demanding an end to military rule flocked to the sit-in outside Sudan’s Defence Ministry on Friday, in the biggest turnout in the center of the capital since last week when former President Omar Al Bashir was ousted and a military council took over.

 Protesters waved the Sudanese flag and chanted “freedom, peace and justice”. 

 The military council has said it is ready to meet some of the protesters’ demands, including fighting corruption, but has indicated that it would not hand over power to protest leaders.