SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - North Darfur sit-in achieves ban on motorcycles

10/7/2020: Radio Dabanga - North Darfur sit-in achieves ban on motorcycles

 Radio Dabanga reports that the sit-in in Fata Borno in North Darfur’s Kutum, protesting the rampant insecurity in the area, secured its first victory, as locality director Mohamed el-Zein banned all motorcycles and promised to protect farmers.

 Protesters called for el-Zein to evacuate “new settlers” from their farms so they can catch up with the agricultural season, ban the use of motorcycles and weapons, deploy security forces to secure the agricultural season, and combat the growing local drug trade.

 Fata Borno protester Izzeldin Basha told Radio Dabanga that many farmers have not been able to cultivate their farms for years, because gunmen on motorcycles claim ownership of these lands and impose fees on the farmers to allow them to cultivate these lands, as well as carrying out repeated attacks and theft.

 Kutum locality also now prohibits the wearing of the kadamol (a scarf covering the face) during the agricultural season.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: AP - Sudan ratifies law criminalizing female genital mutilation

10/7/2020: AP - Sudan ratifies law criminalizing female genital mutilation

 AP’s report on Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council “sweeping” set of amendments to Sudan’s criminal code, including the banning of female genital mutilation (FGM), highlights criticism from activists.

 Nahid Toubia, a leading Sudanese women’s health rights activist specialising in ending FGM, questioning the timing of the ratification, saying the coronavirus lockdown limits activists’ ability to mobilise awareness campaigns or train police.

 Toubia said: “currently there are fuel shortages and long daily power cuts as well as rising infections of Covid-19… communication and people’s mobility are severely hampered. These are not the conditions where advocacy for legislating against FGM is a priority or even possible.”

 Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said “legal reviews and amendments will continue until we address all distortions in the legal systems in Sudan.”

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Bloomberg – Keep Sudan’s Peace Deal on Track

10/7/19: Bloomberg – Keep Sudan’s Peace Deal on Track, by Bobby Ghosh

 Bobby Ghosh argues that the success of Sudan’s power-sharing deal will be contingent upon the vigilance of the international community. Thus, Ghosh calls for the international community to:

 -Prevent Himedti from capturing the transition process.

-Ensure that Sudanese women are guaranteed freedom and representation.

-Ensure that the African Union conducts the investigations into the June 3 massacre.

-Pressure the UAE and Saudi Arabia to be neutral.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Reuters - In hotbed of Sudan's uprising, activists torn over transition deal

10/7/19: Reuters - In hotbed of Sudan's uprising, activists torn over transition deal, by Nadine Awadalla

 Nadine Awadalla’s feature piece spoke to Sudanese activists in Burri reacting to the power-sharing agreement.

 Positive reactions came from Munzir Awad, who said the deal “came to prevent the bloodshed,” adding that it “paves the way for other initiatives to come into play”.

 Mohammad Naji Al Assam, a Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) leader, called for the crowd he addressed to “follow and protect this civilian transitional government…until we see all the goals of this revolution met…because it came from the blood of our brothers and sisters.”

 Among the negative reactions, Mohamed Farouk, a protest organizer, questioned whether those celebrating knew what the deal, or civilian, “actually meant.” He said that that his priorities shifted to securing justice for victims of the June 3 massacre

 Rana Othman said she does not trust the established political groups within the Declaration of Freedom of Change, calling for the SPA to split from them.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: BBC News - Sudan: Is it being exploited by foreign powers?

10/7/19: BBC News - Sudan: Is it being exploited by foreign powers?, by BBC Reality Check

 BBC Reality Check examines foreign actors interested in influencing Sudan’s future.

 The UAE is Sudan's biggest export destination, buying most of its lucrative money-earner, gold. Second is China, which imports significant amounts of crude oil, although oil

accounts for just 1% of Sudan's economy, compared with just under 20% in 2011 before South Sudan’s independence.

 The drop in oil exports has led Sudan to bolster its agriculture sector, involving granting land leases to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey and China, with similar deals for Jordan, Egypt and the UAE in the pipeline.

The BBC highlight how the UAE and Saudi Arabia are geostrategically competing with Qatar and Turkey in vying to develop Sudan’s Red Sea ports.

Sudan is also a recipient of significant amounts of Chinese infrastructure investment as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, and has been rewarded by the UAE and Saudi Arabia for its role in Yemen.