SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Telegraph - How Putin prepared for sanctions with tonnes of African gold

3/3/2022: Telegraph - How Putin prepared for sanctions with tonnes of African gold, by Tom Collins

The Telegraph report that Russia smuggled hundreds of tonnes of illicit gold from Sudan over the last few years as part of wider efforts to build “fortress Russia” and ward against the possibility of increased Ukraine-related sanctions.

The Kremlin has more than quadrupled the amount of gold held in Russia’s central bank since 2010, and started to hold more gold than US dollars for the first time in June 2020.

While official statistics suggest that Sudan exports hardly any gold to Russia, an executive of one of the largest Sudanese gold companies told The Telegraph that the Kremlin is the largest foreign player in the country’s huge mining sector.

Sim Tack, cofounder of Force Analysis, a consultancy specialising in conflict, said Wagner Group Russian private militia personell  in Sudan are “very focused on protecting the gold mining efforts”.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Five die in tribal attack in Darfur

3/3/2021: Radio Dabanga – Five die in tribal attack in Darfur

Radio Dabanga report that gunmen launched attacks in two consecutive days in Gireida, South Darfur. Witnesses said government forces did not protect the people when the Rahman and Shati neighbourhoods were torched.

35 gunmen on horses attacked, before leaving when joint forces intervened. They returned the following morning and were confronted by joint forces again.

A Gireida resident said that locals criticised the regular forces for not repelling the attack, which “took place before the eyes of the joint forces.” The resident called on the government and parties involved in the peace process to resolve conflicts regarding land and water resources through legal procedures, as well as protection and assistance for locals and the displaced.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – Clashes kill at least 10 in Darfur

3/3/2021: Multiple sources – Clashes kill at least 10 in Darfur

• AP

• Sudan Tribune

At least ten were killed in Saraf Omra in North Darfur following clashed between the Arabised Fur tribe and the Tama tribe over a piece of land.

Maj. Gen. Yahia Mohammed al-Nour, the top police official in North Darfur province, said at least 32 others were wounded in the clashes. Security forces arrested a number of suspects and authorities imposed a curfew in the town, he said.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudan strips citizenship and passports of 13,000 naturalized foreigners

3/3/2020: Sudan Tribune - Sudan strips citizenship and passports of 13,000 naturalized foreigners

 Sudan Tribune reports that Sudan has stripped 3,000 foreigners of their naturalised Sudanese citizenship in a bid to eradicate the misuse of Sudanese passports under Omar al-Bashir’s regime.

 An official at Sudan’s interior ministry said the decision especially focused on citizenships granted to those with ties to “extremist Islamist groups.”

 Mohamed al-Faki, Sovereign Council member and a spokesman had previously attributed the granting of passports to “leaders of extremist religious groups,” to Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation. 

 Al-Bashir’s regime gave Sudanese passports to Islamist opposition leaders from Arab countries, including Rached Ghannouchi, the co-founder of Tunisia’s former ruling Ennahda Party.