SUDAN POLITICAL ALERT: Briefing by UNITAMS head to UN Security Council

10/3/2021: Briefing by UNITAMS head to UN Security Council

The head of the new UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, urged the international community to step up their assistance to Sudan.

Perthes cautioned the UN Security Council that: “Progress on the political transition or peacebuilding will not happen without economic resources, and vice versa,” as well as reiterating four “interdependent” objectives of the UNITAMS mandate: support for the political transition, peace processes and the implementation of peace agreements, peacebuilding, and the mobilisation of external resources.

Perthes also noted the lack of representation for women and youth in Sudanese politics, adding that “[underscoring] that an inclusive political process, including all segments of Sudan’s diverse society throughout the political transition, is essential for the success of this transition.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Protest against RSF presence in South Darfur

10/3/2021: Radio Dabanga – Protest against RSF presence in South Darfur

 

Radio Dabanga report that citizens of Gireida, South Darfur, organised a sit-in and several marches, demanding the implementation of 16 demands, including the removal of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the area and the dismissal of the South Darfur governor Mousa Mahdi.

The protesters demanded that the state authorities end the systematic killings, the repeated attacks, and ethnic discrimination in South Darfur. They want the state authorities to prosecute criminals, form an international investigation committee into the recent violence, compensate those affected by recent arson attacks, recover looted property, enforce the rule of law, and provide shelter material for the newly displaced.

The protesters stressed that displaced people must be enabled to return to their villages and engage in agricultural, pastoral and commercial activities.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Idris warns of 'proliferation of arms, militiamen in Darfur'

10/3/2021: Radio Dabanga – Member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Idris warns of 'proliferation of arms, militiamen in Darfur'

 

Radio Dabanga report that member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and head of the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance, Dr al-Hadi Idris, warned of the dangers of delaying the implementation of the Juba peace agreement, especially security arrangements, citing the large proliferation of weapons in Darfur.

Idris asserts that “leaders of the security services cannot distinguish between the signed and non-signatory movements”, and noted the proliferation of militiamen in a number of towns and cities, especially in Nyala, Zalingei, and Kabkabiya. 

He also warned “the massive proliferation of armed intruders who travel regularly and carry out assassinations and violations”, and referred to “the widespread sale of military ranks from the rank of major general and below,” describing them as “fraudsters”.

He reported that tribal conflicts represent the biggest challenges and noted the deterioration of humanitarian services and development conditions in the cities and camps of Darfur, stressing the importance of justice.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Demos across Sudan voice support for PM Hamdok

10/3/2020: Radio Dabanga - Demos across Sudan voice support for PM Hamdok

 Radio Dabanga reports that people across Sudan took to the streets to show their support for Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the transitional government after a failed assassination attempt in Khartoum.

 Khartoum, Wad Madani, El Gedaref, Kassala, Abyei and Port Sudan saw protests against what was described as a “terrorist act”, demanding swift apprehension of those responsible and bringing them justice.

 In the Abyei-Muglad locality in West Kordofan, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) organised a rally – in which local spokesman Hussein El Haj denounced the attack against Hamdok, considering it as “targeting against the free nation”.

SUDAN POLITICAL ALERT: Amnesty International - Sudan: All security agencies that attacked protesters must be held to account

10/3/2020: Amnesty International - Sudan: All security agencies that attacked protesters must be held to account

 Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East Africa, called on Sudan’s transitional authorities to hold “thorough, effective and independent investigations into all protester killings and other human rights violations” committed from December 2018 onwards, calling for all those found responsible, “including through command responsibility,” to be brought to justice through fair trials, “but without resorting to the death penalty.”

 Amnesty blamed the “shadowy” armed operational units of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) for the first lethal crackdowns on protesters in December 2018, and for attacks on civilians until April 2019. NISS officers were jointly blamed alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the June 3 2019 Khartoum sit-in massacre

 Muchena said Amnesty was “flabbergasted” by the “widely divergent” protester death toll data provided by different Sudanese government agencies, calling for Sudanese authorities to “spare no effort” in verifying the “true extent of atrocities committed.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters - Sudan moves against Bashir loyalists after assassination attempt

10/3/2020: Reuters - Sudan moves against Bashir loyalists after assassination attempt

 Reuters reports that Sudan’s sovereign council said it would step up its drive to remove loyalists of former president Omar al-Bashir, a day after the Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok escaped an assassination attempt unscathed.

 The statements suggest that the transitional government believes that old regime supporters are trying to disrupt the democratic transition.

 Sovereign council spokesman Mohamed al-Faki said the General Intelligence Service (GIS) will be brought under control of the civilian government’s interior ministry. GIS is a rebrand of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) - a branch of Sudan’s security services that was closely linked to al-Bashir.

 Al-Faki added that the “dismantling” committee tasked with dismantling the old regime will also be given additional powers, having already disbanded the former ruling National Congress Party and dismissed senior officials at banks and embassies.