SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Political crisis paralyzed constitutional transitional bodies in Sudan: Idris

4/10/2021: Sudan Tribune - Political crisis paralyzed constitutional transitional bodies in Sudan: Idris

Sudan Tribune report that al-Hadi Idris, a Sovereign Council member and leader of the Sudan Revolutionary Front of armed movements, called for an end to the political crisis between Council members which “paralyses” other constitutional mechanisms.

Sovereign council chair and army commander-in-chief Abdulfattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Rapid Support Forces commander Himedti, both suspended meetings involving civilian council member Mohamed al-Faki, after his public quarrelling with al-Burhan.

Siddiq Tawer, member of the Sovereign Council, slammed the military leaders for suspending council meetings, as well as arguing that al-Burhan’s comments that the military are the “guardians of the revolution” come from “those with a putschist mentality", adding that the military leaders  must be convinced to abide by what is stipulated in the Constitutional Document”.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Eastern Sudan nazirs blame peace track for violent clashes

4/10/2020: Radio Dabanga – Eastern Sudan nazirs blame peace track for violent clashes

 Radio Dabanga report that the High Council of Beja Nazirs (state-appointed tribal leaders) and Independent Chieftains stated the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement in Juba, which includes the eastern Sudan protocol, “will only increase the crisis and will not bring peace.”

 The Council reaffirmed its categorical rejection of the eastern Sudan track accord and of the recommendations of this agreement, saying that it places eastern Sudan in the hands of regional and international actors in search of resources to exploit in the Red Sea basin.

 The Council add that the agreements will bring “a major demographic change in the region, which will threaten Sudan’s sovereignty and national security,” calling on political parties and “honourable national forces” to oppose the track and stop compromises being made “at the expense of the homeland” by leaders of “the foreign agenda”.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Rebel factions reject 'distorted' Sudan peace agreement

4/10/2020: Radio Dabanga – Rebel factions reject 'distorted' Sudan peace agreement

 Radio Dabanga report that the Armed Struggle Movements (ASM) coalition, consisting of eight Sudanese rebel groups, said it is not concerned with the outcomes of the peace agreement, describing it as “incomplete and distorted”.

 ASM stated it is not committed to any plans outlined in the peace agreement, citing “the double standard approach,” whereby certain groups were allegedly excluded from negotiations after “comrades of the struggle were divided into first and second degree fighters based on an incorrect evaluation of the situation”.

 Not part of ASM, the New Justice and Equality Movement (NJEM) led by Mansour Arbab, and the Revolutionary Awakening Council (RAC) headed by imprisoned former janjaweed leader Musa Hilal said they reject the “Juba deal” as it: “contains halfway solutions, fragments crucial issues, and [its] outcomes will prolong war, undermining true efforts to create a comprehensive and just peace.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune – Sudan’s FFC, SPLM-N al-Hilu agree to set-up joint mechanism on secular state

4/10/2020: Sudan Tribune – Sudan’s FFC, SPLM-N al-Hilu agree to set-up joint mechanism on secular state

 Sudan Tribune report that the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction of Abdelaziz al-Hilu (SPLM-N al-Hilu) agreed to form a committee to develop a common understanding on the relationship between the state and religion, laying the foundations for SPLM-N al-Hilu’s return to peace talks.

 A member of the FFC Central Committee, Ibrahim al-Sheikh, said that the FFC understands al-Hilu fears over the use of religion to  discriminate between citizens, and agreed to take practical steps in bringing about change to achieve peace.

 The two sides agreed, according to al-Sheikh, to form a joint mechanism including two members from each side to remove obstacles that prevent al-Hilu from joining the peace process.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Women football aimed at distracting Sudanese from crises: radical Islamists

4/10/19: Sudan Tribune - Women football aimed at distracting Sudanese from crises: radical Islamists

 Sudan Tribune reports that Sudanese hardline Islamist clerics have attacked the transitional government, claiming that it is promoting women’s football to distract Sudanese from national crises.

 Describing the government as secular, Mohamed Abdelkarim criticised the launch of a football league for women, saying that "these secularists who stole the revolution do not care about people’s livelihood as much as they care about spreading corruption.”

 Islamist preacher Abdul Hay Yousif, a supporter of al-Bashir’s regime, accused the Minister of Youth and Sports – Wala’a Essam al-Boushi – of blasphemy.

Noting that the women’s league is celebrated by “foreign embassies led by the US,” he said “no wonder [al-Boushi] grew up in exchange programmes and made [the league] in the eyes those Americans.”

 He further accused her seeking to destroy religion and morals, rather than provide economic reform, social prosperity and sanitation.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - US Assistant Secretary of State: 'Sudan now is a partner we can cooperate with'

4/10/19: Radio Dabanga - US Assistant Secretary of State: 'Sudan now is a partner we can cooperate with'

 Radio Dabanga reports that US Assistant Secretary of State Tibor Nagy really wants Sudan to succeed, but removing it from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism will take time amid “legal constraints tied up in this process.”

 Nonetheless, Nagy says that he sees “total change” in Sudan, with the US viewing Sudan as a partner in promoting regional stability. He expressed hope of having normalised relations with Sudan.

 Nagy also announced that “in the next couple of weeks” the US will host a meeting of the Friends of Sudan group, featuring the European and African Unions, and the UN that “was set up after the events took a positive turn.”

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Global Voices - As Sudan transitions to democracy, urgent reforms must tackle disinformation, by Mohammed Suliman

4/10/19: Global Voices - As Sudan transitions to democracy, urgent reforms must tackle disinformation, by Mohammed Suliman

 Mohammed Suliman calls for Sudan’s transitional government to enact urgent legal reforms to tackle al-Bashir regime’s legacy of disinformation tactics and limits to freedom of expression, warning that delaying such reforms may jeopardise the democratic transition.

 Suliman cites the August 2019 conviction of journalist Suhair Abdelraheem for “writing a sarcastic article about the Sudanese police,” to draw attention to legal provisions passed to curb “fake news” feature vague terms that can be deployed to silence critics and journalists.  

 Thus, Suliman calls for the transitional government to repeal laws that allow authorities to imprison those on charges of publishing false news. He also calls for better conditions to promote press freedom, improve transparency and to make it easier for journalists and citizens to submit Freedom of Information requests.