SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - UN experts say Sudan paramilitaries are recruiting in Central African Republic

14/6/2024: AFP - UN experts say Sudan paramilitaries are recruiting in Central African Republic

AFP report that the Rapid Support militia (RSF) are using the Central African Republic (CAR) as a "supply chain," including for recruitment of fighters, according to a report published by UN experts concerned about a "spillover effect."

The experts insist the RSF are using the Am Dafok area on the Sudan-CAR border "as a key logistical hub,” with the RSF recruiting from armed rebel groups in the CAR – particularly the Popular Front since as early as August 2023 – because the militia can "move between the two countries easily through a long-standing network”.

The experts called on CAR authorities to "counteract the surge in arms trafficking from neighboring countries, particularly given the current conflict situation in the Sudan,” and to combat "the infiltration of foreign fighters into the CAR, which poses a significant long-term threat to the region."

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: CNN - Darfur may be on the brink of another genocide. Will the world act this time?

14/6/2024: CNN - Darfur may be on the brink of another genocide. Will the world act this time?, by Nimi Princewill and Stephanie Busari

CNN quoted analysts warning about an imminent Rapid Support militia (RSF) genocide in Al-Fashir, with proposed preventative measures.  

Sudanese lawyer Mutasim Ali highlighted the RSF’s “systematic dehumanization” against non-Arabs in Darfur, adding that the RSF is a “rebranded” Janjaweed with the same commanders, ethnic tribes and victim groups, albeit with sophisticated technology and weaponry due to “significant [UAE] support”.

Arguing that “major powers have largely invested in a sham peace process for 14 months that is going nowhere,” international human rights lawyer Yonah Diamond called for the international community, led by the African Union, to deploy a civilian protection mechanism in al-Fashir and to explicitly threaten the UAE with consequences should it fail to restrain the RSF and continue to supply it with heavy weaponry. Diamond added that the US and the UK “have leverage to exert pressure on their ally, the UAE, to end the RSF’s genocidal campaign today”.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: DW - Why is the world ignoring the Sudan civil war?

14/6/2024: DW - Why is the world ignoring the Sudan civil war?, by Cathrin Schaer

DW explored factors resulting in why Sudan’s war is being “overlooked”.

Melissa Fleming, the under-secretary-general for global communications at the UN, attributed the lack of attention to psychic numbing," which refers to “the sad reality that people feel more apathetic towards a tragedy as the number of victims increases."

DW add that “research has previously shown that civil wars — especially those seen as internal matters in a faraway country — get less attention than conflicts where one country attacks another”

Sudan expert Roman Deckert attributed the lack of attention on Sudan to the “complexity of the situation, where neither side is obviously ‘good or evil’”, with other contributing factors including “a deeply ingrained, potentially even subconscious, racism or Eurocentrism…where outsiders incorrectly perceive the fighting as somehow ‘uncivilized’ or ‘typical’".

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Medameek - Over 20 killed and 25 injured as the RSF commits a new massacre in al-Sheikh al-Samani village (east Sennar)

14/6/2024: Medameek - Over 20 killed and 25 injured as the RSF commits a new massacre in al-Sheikh al-Samani village (east Sennar)

Meda Meek report that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed a new massacre targeting civilians, this time in the village of Sheikh Al-Samani (Sennar State), which killed at least 20 civilians and wounded 25 others as a result of artillery shelling.

Residents of the village reported that some victims of RSF attack were “torn to pieces” with others transferred to Sennar Hospital for treatment. There was subsequently a mass exodus of the village’s residents for fear of further attacks from RSF stationed in east Sennar.

The “Jazeera Call” initiative said the RSF used all types of weapons in its attack on the town, including heavy artillery and drones, launched from its concentration sites in east Sennar.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - High-ranking RSF commander killed amidst fierce fighting in El Fasher

14/6/2024: Sudan Tribune - High-ranking RSF commander killed amidst fierce fighting in El Fasher

Sudan Tribune report that Ali Yaqoub, commander of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) operations in al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, was killed by the joint forces (the Sudanese army, popular resistance and armed movements).

Yaqoub, a former tribal militia leader in Central Darfur state, was accused of widespread violations and crimes against the Fur ethnicity before joining the RSF and assuming command of the Central Darfur sector. He played a crucial role in the RSF’s operations in Darfur, and assigned leadership of the militia in al-Fashir.

His killing led to massive celebrations and massive rallies, despite ongoing heavy artillery shelling by the RSF. Women’s ululations and celebratory gunfire filled the air, marking the death of the RSF commander.

Yaqoub was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in May 15.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – Why social media is going blue for Sudan

14/6/19: Multiple sources – Why social media is going blue for Sudan

People on social media are turning their profile avatars blue and posting blue-themed artwork in memory of 26-year-old Mohamed Mattar, who was killed during an attack by security forces in Sudan at the beginning of June.

The hashtag #blueforSudan has been trending internationally on Twitter as people seek to raise broader awareness of the situation in the country. The colour has been chosen because it was the Instagram avatar of Mattar, an engineering graduate.

The internet movement started when Mattar’s friends turned their profile pictures the same colour as the avatar on his mattar77 account.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources - US says distrust between Sudanese parties makes direct talks impossible, urges independent investigation for military crackdown.

14/6/19: Multiple sources – US says distrust between Sudanese parties makes direct talks impossible, urges independent investigation for military crackdown.

 US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Tibor Nagy said that outside mediation is needed to defuse Sudan’s crisis, because the ruling military council and opposition distrust each other too deeply for direct talks following the June 3 massacre.

 Nagy met opposition groups and civil society as well as military council head Abdelfattah Al Burhan. He said that they differed on key points, and the US said the massacre “constituted a 180 degree turn in the way events were going, with murder, rape, pillaging by members of the security forces.”

 Nagy also said that the accounts of victims they spoke to were “harrowing and very persuasive.”

Nagy said the US believes an “independent and credible” investigation is needed, “to figure out what exactly happened, why it happened, who gave the orders, how many victims there were.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - Sudan opposition chief demands probe on protest crackdown

14/6/19: AFP - Sudan opposition chief demands probe on protest crackdown

 AFP reports that Sudan's veteran opposition leader Sadiq Al Mahdi called Friday for an "objective" international investigation into last week's deadly crackdown on protesters, after the ruling military council rejected such a probe.

 Al Mahdi told AFP that “the protest’s dispersal was wrong.”

"It's important that the probe is objective and not biased in favour of the authorities,” he added.

Al Mahdi's elected government, the last in Sudan, was toppled in 1989, in an Islamist-backed coup led by Omar Al Bashir.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - China, Russia, reject calls for freeze on UN pullout from Sudan

14/6/19: AFP - China, Russia, reject calls for freeze on UN pullout from Sudan

 AFP reports that China and Russia on Friday rejected calls from European and African countries to freeze the planned shutdown of a peacekeeping mission to Sudan's Darfur region.

Britain, France, Germany and the African countries on the Security Council told the group that the decision on closing the joint UN-African Union mission should be put on hold while Sudan is engulfed in crisis. The council is scheduled to vote on the mandate of the mission, known as UNAMID, on June 27.

"The Sudanese government has the capacity to maintain peace and security in Darfur on its own," said China's Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao.

China, Sudan's major trading partner, has long supported Khartoum's view that the conflict in Darfur was winding down and that peacekeepers were no longer needed.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources - Sudan military acknowledges violations in sit-in dispersal

14/6/19: Multiple sources - Sudan military acknowledges violations in sit-in dispersal

 Sudan’s ruling military acknowledged that security forces committed violations when they moved in to disperse protesters at a sit-in camp outside military headquarters in Khartoum last week.

 The spokesman for the ruling military council, Shamsaldeen Kabbashi said that the military council had “decided to disperse the sit-in and a plan was made… but we regret that some mistakes happened.”

 Kabbashi added that an investigation was underway, and that several military officers were already in custody for alleged “deviation” from the action plan set by military leaders.

 “We feel sorry for what happened,” said Kabbashi. “We will show no leniency and we will hold accountable anyone, regardless of their rank, if proven to have committed violations.”

 Kabbashi did not elaborate on the violations beyond describing them as “painful and outrageous.”