SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: AP- Sudan moves to criminalize female genital mutilation

2/5/2020: AP- Sudan moves to criminalize female genital mutilation, by Samy Magdy

 AP suggest that it is unclear whether Sudan’s military leaders will approve the criminalisation of FGM, “which could spark a backlash by powerful Islamist groups that backed [former President Omar] al-Bashir.”

 AP note that rights groups warn that the practice remains deeply entrenched in the conservative society and that enforcement could face obstacles, despite the provinces of El-Gedarif and South Kordofan outlawing FGM.

 Dalia al-Roubi, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, said the government hopes to convene a meeting with the Sovereign Council soon to ratify the law. Sovereign Council member Rajaa Nicola said it has yet to be scheduled.

 Nahid Gabrellah, director of the Seema center for women’s rights, said that more efforts were needed to raise awareness.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Foreign Policy - A People Power Bid to Defy History In Sudan

2/5/19: Foreign Policy – A People Power Bid to Defy History In Sudan, by Justin Lynch

 Justin Lynch’s examines the possibility of Sudan having “just another Arab Spring outcome.”

 Siddig Yousif, one of six civilians negotiating with the military council led by Himedti, said that the military has turned increasingly aggressive in negotiations.

 Jerome Tubiana, a Sudan-specialist researcher, said that while Sudan’s army is unwilling to fire on protesters from their same ethnic background, Himedti’s Rapid Support Forces, mostly from Darfur, have no reason to stop them firing on anyone except their own limited Arab tribes.  

 The article also addresses the long-term possibility of a civil war if the security services turn on each other, negotiations break down and protests get broken up forcibly.

 An anonymous Sudanese diplomat called for US diplomats to speak directly with Sudanese rather than through a third-party (Gulf officials). Former NISS chief Salah Gosh directly denied rumours of his arrest to Foreign Policy.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Foreign Affairs - After Bashir: How Sudan Can Heal From Decades of Dictatorship

2/5/19: Foreign Affairs – After Bashir: How Sudan Can Heal From Decades of Dictatorship, by Zachariah Mampilly

 Zachariah Mampilly calls for a Sudanese truth and reconciliation process, arguing that Sudan’s failure to reckon with its past and construct an inclusive national project, has allowed the military to exploit ethnic and religious divisions to secure their rule.

 With the current Sudanese protest movement “[struggling] to advance a national vision beyond replacing the military with a civilian-led government,” Mampilly argues that a long-repressed conversation about the damage Al Bashir’s regime inflicted on Sudanese society would facilitate a national identity that transcends the Islamist and Arabist supremacy “that has long been the source of [Sudan’s] many problems.”

 Mampilly adds that a national conversation which allows victims to share their stories, could deepen understanding among Sudan’s diverse populations, creating empathy and an inclusive democratic identity that has eluded Sudan for so long.  

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Independent - Sudan demonstrations vow to take protesters to Europe and US: ‘This is our last chance’,

2/5/19: Independent – Sudan demonstrations vow to take protesters to Europe and US: ‘This is our last chance’, by Bel Trew

 Bel Trew reports that protesters in Sudan vowed to take their rallies to embassies across Europe, as hundreds of thousands marched in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan to demand the military hand over power to civilians.

 Women’s rights activist Waem Shawgi said that the protests both in Sudan and abroad were “the last chance” they had to ensure a transition to civilian government.

 Mohamed Abubakr, a Sudanese activist and president of the Washington-based African Middle Eastern Leadership Project said protests were planned this week at the Egyptian, Saudi and Emirati embassies in Washington and cities across Europe, against the military’s “interference” in the transitional process. Abubakr said there was concern about Gulf support for the military council’s deputy chief Himedti.

 

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Guardian - Sudan: what future for the country’s Islamists?

2/5/19: Guardian – Sudan: what future for the country’s Islamists?, by Zeinab Mohammed Salih and Peter Beaumont

 Zeinab Mohammed Salih and Peter Beaumont examine the future of political Islam in Sudan, with the Islamist Popular Congress Party (PCP) unwilling to accept their exclusion from negotiations on Sudan’s democratic transition.

 Analyst Hafiz Ismail said that political Islam’s association with the regime is “toxic,” adding that Islamists will not get elected again. Columnist Shamael Elnour also said that there is no future for political Islam in Sudan, citing the public’s strong hatred towards Islamists and their ideology.

 However, Qusai Abdalla of the PCP said “people…want to drag [Sudan] into a conflict between the Islamists and the leftists,” and that “Islamic parties will remain in Sudan, because Sudan is an Islamic country.”

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: BBC - Is Sudan a new regional battleground?

2/5/19: BBC – Is Sudan a new regional battleground?, by Jonathan Marcus

 BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus argues that the absence of the US as a serious diplomatic actor facilitates and explains the battle for influence in Sudan between Middle-East rivals.

 Marcus states neither the Saudis, nor Qatar and Turkey are interested in the voices of popular protest or the development of a democratic Sudan.

 With the Saudis supporting Sudan’s military council, and Qatar and Turkey supporting Islamists, Marcus states that “two brands of authoritarianism…are attempting to push their supporters into positions where they can influence the future in Khartoum.”

 Marcus then states that the UN, the EU and African Union have been “bit players,” and highlights suspicious that US President Trump is unlikely to go against the Saudi interest.