SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Protests over Darfur violence and discrimination

11/3/2021: Radio Dabanga – Protests over Darfur violence and discrimination

Radio Dabanga report that in protests have erupted in North and South Darfur, with local governors criticised over the spike in violence.

 In Gireda, South Darfur, people protested the presence of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and called for the dismissal of South Darfur governor Mousa Mahdi. The protesters demanded the state authorities end the systematic killings, the repeated attacks, and ethnic discrimination in South Darfur and restore safety in the region. 

In North Darfur, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) held governor Mohamed Arabi responsible for the tribal clashes in Saraf Omra that killed at least 11, claiming that he did not intervene despite being informed of the tense situation before it occurred.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Saudi Arabia, UAE stopped economic aid to Sudan

11/3/2020: Sudan Tribune - Saudi Arabia, UAE stopped economic aid to Sudan

 Sudan Tribune reports that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have stopped providing aid to Sudan. Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced a joint $3 billion aid to Sudan, but anonymous Sudanese officials said only one billion dollars was received.

 The officials further stated that they were told by Saudi Arabia and the UAE that the suspension was requested by the US.

 Sudan Tribune state that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have complained about the continued open criticism from the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), who requested the return of troops from Yemen, voiced opposition to UAE plans to operate Port Sudan seaport, and criticised the UAE for allegedly recruiting Sudanese youth to work in Libya as security guards.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Atlantic Council - Support civilian leaders in Sudan while we have them

11/3/2020: Atlantic Council - Support civilian leaders in Sudan while we have them, by Cameron Hudson

 Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Cameron Hudson argues that continued international support for civilian and democratic rule will “remain an essential ingredient” for Sudan’s governing coalition to survive at the expense of the “last gasps” of Omar al-Bashir’s regime.

 Hudson argues that the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Hamdok “failed miserably” if the intent was to derail the government’s reform agenda, undermine international confidence in the government, and serve as a wakeup call to those inside Sudan that al-Bashir’s regime is still a force to be feared.

 Instead, Hudson suggests that the attack may have put the West on notice to support the civilian government while it still can. Hudson cites the outpouring of political and technical support into the investigation into the assassination attempt as a sign that Hamdok is viewed as an essential component in unifying and building bridges between civilian and armed actors in Sudan.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Explosive device used to attack Sudan’s Hamdok is locally-manufactured

11/3/2020: Sudan Tribune - Explosive device used to attack Sudan’s Hamdok is locally-manufactured

 Sudan Tribune reports that Sudanese police revealed that the explosive used in an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Hamdok was locally manufactured.

 Police spokesman Major General Omer Abdel-Majid Bashir confirmed that police investigation teams continue to work with the judicial agencies, with the aim of determining all the connections of the terrorist plot. He also renewed appeals to the Sudanese public to report suspicious movements to the police.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – FBI to help probe Hamdok assassination attempt

11/3/2020: Multiple sources – FBI to help probe Hamdok assassination attempt

• Reuters

• AFP

 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will help Sudan with enquiries into a failed assassination attempt against Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok

 “A team of American experts arrived this morning, they will join the investigation team. We needed them because they have much more modern experiences and techniques than we have,” Sudanese Information Minister Faisal Mohammd Salih told a news briefing.

 Sudan has arrested a number of suspects including foreigners over the attempted killing, said Salih, without giving details.

 Initial investigations showed that a homemade explosive device planted on a roadside was used in the attack, the Sudanese interior ministry said.