SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: World Politics Review – Daily Review: Failing to Address the War in Sudan Is a Choice

11/6/2024: World Politics Review – Daily Review: Failing to Address the War in Sudan Is a Choice

World Politics Review argue that the international community’s failure to address the Sudan crisis “ultimately amounts to a choice”.

WPR suggest that “despite the enormity of the crisis, the civil war in Sudan has received little to no international attention or diplomatic engagement,” as the US and Europe remain focused on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, “and Sudan’s crisis is not yet driving the kind of mass migration into the EU that would get European countries to pay closer attention”. 

Nonetheless, WPR add that “considering the war broke out in full view and the humanitarian crisis is well documented, the inaction cannot be traced to ignorance of the situation” in Sudan.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – International criminal court investigating allegations of war crimes in Sudan

11/6/2024: Multiple sources – International criminal court investigating allegations of war crimes in Sudan

·      AP, by Mike Corder

·      Reuters

·      Bloomberg, by Simon Marks

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan is urgently investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur city of al-Fashir.

His investigators had seen credible allegations of what looked like ethnically-motivated attacks against the civilian population, widespread use of rape and attacks against hospitals, he added. Khan called for anyone with possible evidence, video or audio material to submit it to his office.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters - Parts of Sudan are in famine, extent unclear, top US diplomat says

11/6/2024: Reuters - Parts of Sudan are in famine, extent unclear, top US diplomat says, by Giulia Paravicini

Reuters report that US’ envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, said parts of Sudan are in famine, adding that the extent of extreme hunger remained unclear.

Reuters note that no formal declaration of famine has been made in Sudan, with a famines determined through a complex set of technical criteria set called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an initiative of U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid groups.

In an assessment in March 2024, the IPC said nearly five million people in Sudan were one step away from famine, with the IPC expected to issue an update in the coming weeks.

Perriello said the main obstacle to declaring famine was a lack of data due to the impact of the conflict, accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of burning crops and looting warehouse and the army of “playing games with border access”.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: BBC - Key Sudanese city could fall to rebels imminently - US

11/6/2024: BBC - Key Sudanese city could fall to rebels imminently - US, by Anne Soy

The BBC report that the US’ envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, warned that al-Fashir could fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) imminently.

Perriello told the BBC that some in the RSF think capturing El-Fasher will help them establish Darfur as a breakaway state, but the US would not recognise an independent Darfur "under any circumstances".

"I think if there's anyone in RSF territory who thinks taking el-Fasher means somehow they will have a right to the state of Darfur, they need to disillusion themselves of that myth," he said.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudan criticizes UN human rights chief over response to Wad Al-Nurah massacre

11/6/2024: Sudan Tribune - Sudan criticizes UN human rights chief over response to Wad Al-Nurah massacre

Sudan Tribune report that the Sudanese government’s National Mechanism for Human Rights accused the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk

of failing to explicitly condemn the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) massacre in Wad al-Noura, or call for the RSF’s accountability.

The mechanism criticised phrases in Türk’s statement that it interpreted as justifying the attack, emphasising that targeting civilians is a consistent tactic of the RSF, alongside denouncing Türk’s call for the RSF to investigate the incident, arguing that it lacks the necessary command structure and has devolved into “gangs of looting and killing.”

The mechanism urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide an accurate account of the incident, explicitly condemn the RSF, and call for the perpetrators to be held accountable, before reiterating its stance against equating the Sudanese army with the RSF, which it labelled a “rebel militia” dissolved under national laws.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - RSF continues El Fasher assault, displaces thousands amid humanitarian crisis

11/6/2024: Sudan Tribune - RSF continues El Fasher assault, displaces thousands amid humanitarian crisis

Sudan Tribune report on the ongoing Rapid Support militia’s (RSF) siege on Al-Fashir, after it attacked several locations across the city.

The joint force of the army and allied armed movements destroyed seven RSF vehicles and killed several of their militants, alongside shooting down an RSF drone targeting their headquarters near the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons.

Mohamed Abdel Rahman Alnayer, spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid Nur, reported a continuous influx of people fleeing al-Fasher towards areas controlled by the movement, many of whom are suffering from hunger and disease, with children, with dozens dying daily due to malnutrition and lack of medicine.

While the SLM-Nur is providing security and shelter for the displaced, it lacks the resources to provide adequate food and medical care due to the overwhelming numbers, Alnayer added before calling for assistance from the international community and humanitarian organisations.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Sudan war dashes hopes of good harvest in Nuba Mountains

11/6/2024: Radio Dabanga - Sudan war dashes hopes of good harvest in Nuba Mountains

Radio Dabanga report that the war is reducing chances of a successful agricultural season in the Nuba Mountains which could potentially contribute to the alleviating the severity of the famine in Sudan, with locals resorting to eating tree leaves.

Abdelrahim Kunda attributed the issue to challenges financing agricultural operations, amid farmer’s inability to repay financing advances and a scarcity of cash liquidity.

Distribution stations in South Kordofan supplying fuel to agricultural projects in South Kordofan stopped working due to the war in North Kordofan, leading to petrol prices soaring. In addition, the maintenance of agricultural machinery is hindered by maintenance stores being subjected to widespread looting and sabotage by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the fall of an army garrison causing skilled workers to flee.

Farmers have also either sold their agricultural machinery to pay off debts or lost them to looting.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Heatwave kills dozens of Sudanese en route to Egypt

11/6/2024: Radio Dabanga - Heatwave kills dozens of Sudanese en route to Egypt

Radio Dabanga report that dozens of Sudanese attempting to cross the border into Egypt to escape the war died from scorching heat.

Hospitals in Aswan, Egypt, reportedly received dozens of bodies of Sudanese people who died en route to Aswan.

Reports on the number of deaths vary. Medameek reported 24 dead, while Mada Masr cited up to 50. According to the Refugee Platform in Egypt (RPE), between June 7 and June 9, 40 people were killed, including children, women, and entire families. The number is expected to rise as more bodies are uncovered.

The Sudanese General Consul in Aswan, Abdelgadir Abdallah noted the dangers of smuggling between Egypt and Sudan, stating that those who resort to this method often do so because they are unable to obtain a visa or their residency in Egypt expired.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: New York Times – The Princes Who Want to Destroy Any Hope for Arab Democracy

11/6/19: New York Times – The Princes Who Want to Destroy Any Hope for Arab Democracy, by Iyad el-Baghdadi

Iyad El-Baghdadi argues that Saudi and Emirati backing of the TMC is driven by fears of major upheaval at home if “a major Arab country transitions to democracy.”

 Despite Saudi-Emirati claims that their interventions have been aimed at staving off Islamist extremism and promoting regional stability, el-Baghdadi notes that the Sudan uprising has been against Islamists.

 El-Baghdadi then highlights how Saudi Arabia and the UAE have “used their considerable resources to promote…military strongmen in the [Middle-East],” since the Arab Spring, citing how they “crushed” Bahrain’s uprising, bankrolled a return to military dictatorship in Egypt, and armed a “rogue” military leader in Libya.

 El-Baghdadi further notes their alliance with Al Burhan and Himedti due to their sending of troops to Yemen.

 In addition, El-Baghdadi draws attention to videos circulating social media showing Emirati-manufactured military gear deployed by Sudanese militias, with influential Saudi-controlled Twitter accounts expressing support for the TMC.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: BBC – Sudan crisis: Government propaganda trip exposes schisms

11/6/19: BBC – Sudan crisis: Government propaganda trip exposes schisms, by Fergal Keane

 The BBC's Africa editor, Fergal Keane, reports on a Sudanese government propaganda trip which went awry, exposing the country's political schisms.

 The BBC were taken to a ransacked laboratory, which health ministry spokesman said was the work of the protesters. However, witnesses disputed this account and blamed it on the Sudanese security forces.

 The BBC were then taken to a medical warehouse, where rows of medicines were stacked, many marked with the word "Release,” to dispute opposition claims that the militia was preventing the distribution of medicine.

 In Omdorman Hospital, the BBC came across the grieving family of Ali Omar Hilal, who died waiting for treatment as hospitals around Khartoum were closed. The purpose of the visit was to show that hospitals were functioning normally after being closed for two days.

 The article concludes by questioning how long the current diplomatic and media focus on Sudan’s crisis will last.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – Sudan’s protesters call off strike and agree to resume talks with military

11/6/19: Multiple sources – Sudan’s protesters call off strike and agree to resume talks with military

 Sudan’s military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes.

 Sudan’s Transitional Military Council also agreed to release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, special envoy Mahmoud Dirir told reporters in Khartoum.

 The steps appeared to show a softening of positions after talks between the two sides collapsed following the violent dispersal of a protest sit-in on June 3.

Sudan’s protest and opposition alliance said it is suspending a campaign of civil disobedience and a general strike from Wednesday until further notice.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Telegraph – Vladimir Putin-linked businessman urged Sudan crackdown, leaked documents show

11/6/19: Telegraph – Vladimir Putin-linked businessman urged Sudan crackdown, leaked documents show, by Roland Oliphant

 

The Daily Telegraph reports that Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman with close ties to Vladimir Putin criticized former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir for failing to follow Russian advice on how to crack down on the country's pro-democracy uprising, it has emerged.

 Prigozhin, who is believed to run the Wagner group, a military contractor involved in Russia's war in Syria, wrote to Mr Bashir to complain that he had ignored Russian advice to paint protesters as "pro-Israel," "pro-LGBT", and "anti-Islam" in a bid to discredit them.

 Mr Prigozhin complained of a “lack of activity” by the Sudanese government and its “extremely cautious position”, the Guardian  reported, citing a letter obtained by the Dossier Centre, an investigative unit funded by the exiled Russian oligarch and Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovksy. 

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters – UAE communicating with Sudanese opposition and military council – minister

11/6/19: Reuters – UAE communicating with Sudanese opposition and military council – minister

 Reuters reports that the United Arab Emirates is continuing its communications with the Sudanese opposition and the ruling military council, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday in a tweet.

 Minister Anwar Gargash added that UAE’s goal was to support Sudan’s stability, “and a smooth organised political transition”.

 The UAE has previously pledged financial aid and support to the military council.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – US Africa envoy to visit Sudan amid crisis to encourage talks

11/6/19: Multiple sources – US Africa envoy to visit Sudan amid crisis to encourage talks
BBC
Reuters, by Khalid Abdelaziz

According to the US State department, US assistant secretary for Africa, Tibor Nagy, is visiting Sudan in efforts to call for an end on attacks on civilians. The US state department also said that Mr Nagy would “urge parties to work towards creating an enabling environment for talks between the two sides to resume.”

 The planned visit comes days after workers in Sudan began a nationwide strike to pressure the military council to respond to their demand for civilian rule. 

Mr Nagy is also to meet with Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed to discuss the ongoing situation in Sudan. 

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Guardian - Sudanese troops raped protesters at sit-in, doctors report

 11/6/19: Guardian - Sudanese troops raped protestors at sit in, doctors report, by Zeinab Mohammed Salih and Jason Burke
Zeinab Mohammed Salih and Jason Burke report on rape allegations which have emerged in light of recent attacks in Khartoum. 

Salih and Burke reveal that harrowing details of rapes, which according to witnesses have been committed by the Rapid Support Forces, have come to light in recent days, despite limited communications. 

Salih and Burke also note that rape victims have not been able to get required medical treatment due to fear of reprisal and limited availability of medical care. Salih and Burke mention too this human rights activists and experts have confirmed that reports of rape and sexual violence can be deemed reliable.  

Salih and Burke however, stress that the scale of which sexual violence has occurred is not fully clear. 

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP - Amnesty warns war crimes continuing in Sudan’s Darfur

11/6/19: AP – Amnesty warns war crimes continuing in Sudan’s Darfur, by Bassam Hatoum and Samy Magdy

 

AP reports that Sudanese security forces have continued to commit “war crimes and other serious human rights violations” in the Darfur region, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

 Amnesty said the abuses in Darfur at the hands of Sudanese paramilitary units, the Rapid Support Forces, include the destruction of entire villages, as well as “unlawful killings and sexual violence.”

 “In Darfur, as in Khartoum, we’ve witnessed the Rapid Support Forces’ despicable brutality against Sudanese civilians - the only difference being, in Darfur they have committed atrocities with impunity for years,” said Kumi Naidoo, secretary general of Amnesty International.

 He urged that the U.N. and the AU “not turn their backs on people in Darfur who rely on peacekeepers for protection.”