SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudanese Communist Party accuses military component of job discrimination

31/8/2021: Sudan Tribune - Sudanese Communist Party accuses military component of job discrimination

Sudan Tribune report that the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) accused the military component of the Sovereign Council of seeking to prohibit the employment of its members in the civil service.

"The military component and those around it instigates an employment ban on the communists in civil service, especially in the ministries of finance and foreign affairs," SCP Spokesman Fathi Fadl told the Sudan Tribune.

He pointed out that about 100 to 120 of its members who work in the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, health and education are subjected to restrictions because of their political affiliation. "Attempting to politicize the civil service and attacking the communist workers can turn into a sword directed at any unwanted servant who by the influential parties in power," he added.

Fadl said that the applicants for the foreign ministry were surprised that the civil service interviews included a direct question: "Are you a communist or not?"

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Sudanese Journalists Network: harassment of journalists as frequent as during Al Bashir era

31/8/2021: Radio Dabanga – Sudanese Journalists Network: harassment of journalists as frequent as during Al Bashir era

Radio Dabanga report that the Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) publicly condemned “the brutal attack on journalist Mohamed El Mustafa by regular armed forces”.

The SJN affirmed its “firm solidarity” with journalist El Mustafa against violations, “which have unfortunately become as frequent as the violations and harassment practised by the ousted al-Bashir regime”.

The SJN also condemned the “persistent” ill-treatment of journalist Tarig Osman by the reception staff of the Committee for Dismantling the June 30 System and Recovering Stolen Funds, explaining that Osman was subjected to investigation and harassment by the anti-corruption committee’s employees and was denied entry, which means he was denied the right to obtain information.

The network called on the journalist community to take a serious stand against such aggressive and repressive practices by the regular forces of all kinds against journalists.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Amnesty International - Sudan: Peace agreement must deliver on people’s quest for dignity and justice

31/8/2020: Amnesty International - Sudan: Peace agreement must deliver on people’s quest for dignity and justice

 Amnesty International director for East Africa Deprose Muchena calls for the Sudanese government to “strive to include and involve other interest groups, including internally displaced people and civil society” in the peace process “so they too can provide solutions to the multiple challenges Sudan faces.”

 With “most conflicting parties on board” Muchena also calls for the government to “ensure, thorough, effective and impartial investigations into allegations of serious violations of both international humanitarian and human rights law committed by members of Sudan’s armed forces and their allied militias, as well as those committed by armed opposition groups.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: New York Times – Sudan Signs Peace Deal With Rebel Alliance

31/8/2020: New York Times – Sudan Signs Peace Deal With Rebel Alliance, by Abdi Latif Dahir

 The New York Times’ report that while the Juba peace agreement covers issues related to power sharing, transitional justice, the return of displaced people and land ownership, and integrating rebel forces into the army, it remains unclear whether the military will be reformed.

 The Atlantic Council’s Cameron Hudson said the deal “does not reform the armed forces who are ultimately responsible for most of the past violence,” thereby failing to address the “underlying illness” that has kept Sudan in a state of perpetual war since independence. 

 The New York Times also note caution expressed by analysts who cite the boycott of the deal by two key rebel groups to suggest that the prospect of lasting peace could be “jeopardised.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Bloomberg – One of Africa’s Longest Wars May Be Nearing End After Rebel Deal

31/8/2020: Bloomberg – One of Africa’s Longest Wars May Be Nearing End After Rebel Deal, by Mohammed Alamin and Okech Francis

 Bloomberg’s report on the Juba peace agreement provides details of the deal and quotes from Abdallah Adam Khatir, a social studies professor at Zalingi University in central Darfur.

 Under the deal, the insurgents and government troops will form a joint military force of 12,000 personnel within 90 days to protect Darfur’s civilians, leading to full integration within 40 months. Rebels are promised three posts in an expanded 14-seat Sovereign Council, a quarter of roles in cabinet, and a similar proportion of seats in the legislative assembly. Central government will also provide Darfur with $750 million a year in development funding.

 However, Khatir says full enactment of the deal needs a buy-in from Darfur’s internally displaced people. “We want the peace building to be a bottom-up approach, not just through negotiations between elites,” while rebels who haven’t signed yet need to be encouraged to join, he said.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Guardian – Sudan government agrees to peace deal with five rebel groups

31/8/2020: Guardian – Sudan government agrees to peace deal with five rebel groups, by Jason Burke

 The Guardian concisely detail the Juba peace agreement, which according to Sudanese officials, has been “initialled” rather than signed, in order to allow two key holdout rebel groups to sign the final agreement - Abdelwahid el-Nur’s faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement in Darfur and Abdelaziz al-Hilu’s faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North in the Nuba Mountains.

 The agreement covers key issues around security, land ownership, transitional justice, power sharing, the return of people who fled their homes because of fighting, and provides for the dismantling of rebel forces and the integration of their fighters into the national army.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – Sudan, rebel alliance reach deal in ongoing peace efforts

31/8/2020: AP – Sudan, rebel alliance reach deal in ongoing peace efforts, by Maura Ajak and Samy Magdy

AP’s report on the Juba peace deal provides details and quotes analysts. The deal grants self-rule for the southern provinces of Blue Nile, South Kordofan and West Kordofan and rebel forces will be integrated into Sudan’s armed forces.

 However, Jonas Horner, Sudan analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the deal is “far from comprehensive” and “significant hurdles remain in the way of its implementation,.” adding that “international financial and diplomatic support, or even pressure if needed, will be imperative to make sure the parties implement the agreement.”

 Suliman Baldo, senior advisor at The Sentry, said the agreement did not offer a “clear separation of state and religion” as demanded by Abdelaziz al-Hilu’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North and many Sudanese who “denounce the weaponization of religion in Sudanese politics,” adding that“peace will remain far from comprehensive until the reasons that motivated the boycott of non-signatories are satisfactorily addressed.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters – Sudan signs peace deal with key rebel groups, some hold out

31/8/2020: Reuters – Sudan signs peace deal with key rebel groups, some hold out

 Reuters report that Sudan’s transitional authorities and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, a rebel alliance, signed a peace deal.

 The deal was signed by the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Minni Minawi’s Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), as well as Malik Agar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), from the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

 However, the SPLM-N faction of Abdelaziz el-Hilu did not sign the deal, nor did the SLA faction of Abdelwahid el-Nur.

 Nationally, the deal stipulates that rebel signatories will get three seats on the ruling council, five ministries, and a quarter of the 300 seats on the transitional legislative council between them. Regionally, the rebels will get 40% of posts in their regional governments, which will receive 40% of locally raised revenues, and a new fund will pay $750 million a year for 10 years to impoverished southern and western regions.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – Al Bashir charged with corruption, tells court how he spent $25 million received from Saudi crown prince

31/8/19: Multiple sources – Al Bashir charged with corruption, tells court how he spent $25 million received from Saudi crown prince

• Reuters, by Khalid Abdelaziz

• AP, by Samy Magdy

• AFP

Former president Omar Al Bashir has been formally indicted for possessing illicit foreign currency and corruption, charges which Al Bashir denied.

 Al Bashir acknowledged that he received $25 million from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), as well as funds from other sources, but that he had not received or used the money for his own benefit.

 Al Bashir said that at least $2 million dollars went to a military hospital, $3 million to a Sudanese university and that $5 million was given to the Rapid Support Forces.

 Justifying why the money was not presented to the ministry of finance or the Sudanese central bank, Al Bashir said that this would have required clarifying the source of the funds, with MBS asking that his name should not appear.”

 Al Bashir also said that MBS hoped that any trial proceedings would not be public.