SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga – Sudan pledges $750 million a year for peace and development in Darfur

3/9/2020: Radio Dabanga – Sudan pledges $750 million a year for peace and development in Darfur

 Radio Dabanga report on the Juba peace agreement’s stipulation of the establishment of a Fund for Peace Support and Sustainable Development in Darfur, with the government annually paying $750 million to the Peace Support Fund for ten years.

 The parties agreed to allocate 40% of Darfur’s net revenues from Darfur mineral and oil resources for the benefit of the region for a period of ten years. The Darfur government will also allocate at least 3% of natural resources revenues to locals from areas of extraction.

 Furthermore, displaced have the right of voluntary return, and those unable to recover property are entitled to compensation. Positive discrimination policies include Darfuri students studying outside Darfur being exempt from tuition fees for 10 years and 20% of scholarships, rehabilitation, and training opportunities in Sudan and abroad will be allocated to Darfuri people.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - Sudan PM to announce new cabinet 'within 48 hours'

3/9/19: AFP - Sudan PM to announce new cabinet 'within 48 hours'

 AFP reports that Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok will unveil the first cabinet since Omar Al Bashir’s overthrow within 48 hours, the Sudanese sovereign council said.

 Hamdok initially delayed the announcement of the cabinet as he mulled between nominees proposed by Sudanese generals and the Forces of Freedom and Change.

 Hamdok said his intention is to form a government that is “more representative of states across Sudan," and ensure "gender balance", the sovereign council said.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - Sudan's PM calls for US to drop 'terror' blacklisting

3/9/19: AFP - Sudan's PM calls for US to drop 'terror' blacklisting

AFP reports that Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok called for the US to drop Sudan from its state sponsor of terrorism list, insisting that it is crucial to Sudan’s economic revival,

 Sudan has been "in negotiations with the Americans and (we) expect there would be progress on removing Sudan from the terrorism list," Hamdok said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

 Hamdok stressed that Sudan's long term economic revival is dependent on building a suitable environment for boosting the manufacturing sector, which is linked to Washington's blacklist of Sudan.

 Maas said that Sudan’s integration into the global economy is essential, but acknowledged that the process will “depend largely on development and reforms in Sudan over the coming weeks and months".

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – FM says Germany working to end Sudan’s pariah status

3/9/19: AP – FM says Germany working to end Sudan’s pariah status, by Samy Magdy

 AP reports that German foreign minister Heiko Maas says that Germany is working to readmit Sudan into the international economy, during a joint news conference in Khartoum with Sudan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

 Maas’ trip to Sudan as part of Germany’s efforts to overhaul Sudan’s battered economy and reach peace with armed groups. Maas said that Berlin would discuss with the international community ways to end Sudan’s international pariah status.

 He also said his government would also discuss with the German parliament ways to cooperate on economic development with the new government in Sudan.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters – Sudan's PM selects members of first cabinet since Bashir's ouster

3/9/19: Reuters – Sudan's PM selects members of first cabinet since Bashir's ouster, by Khalid Abdelaziz

 Sources have told Reuters that Sudan’s prime minister Hamdok has approved 14 civilian members of his cabinet, nominating Sudan’s first female foreign minister (Asmaa Abdallah) and World Bank economist Ibrahim Elbadawi as the finance minister.

 At a joint press conference with German foreign minister Heiko Maas, Hamdok did not directly refer to the cabinet members but said that” it would be logical” for women to receive appropriate representation since “women...were on the frontline of this revolution”

 Hamdok added that Sudan needs to address the shortage of commodity items – sugar, flour and petroleum - stop inflation, deal with the exchange rate of Sudan’s currency and restore confidence in the banking system, within six months to a year.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Telegraph – Sudan allows BBC broadcasts for first time in ten years

3/9/19: Telegraph – Sudan allows BBC broadcasts for first time in ten years, by Adrian Blomfield

 The Daily Telegraph reports that Sudanese nations are set to hear BBC broadcasts on domestic radio for the first time in nearly a decade after the country’s transitional government ended a ban on the station’s Arabic service.

Until 2010, the BBC’s Arabic Service was arguably the most popular and trusted radio station in Sudan, with an estimated audience of more than 10m listeners.

But Omar Al Bashir’s regime banned it that year – saying that the BBC flouted the law by bringing satellite equipment into the country without permission.

Government critics argued it was more likely that Al Bashir was curtailing independent media ahead of the 2011 referendum of South Sudan’s independence.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Sudan militia chief Hemeti warns of ‘sleeping cells’

3/9/19: Radio Dabanga - Sudan militia chief Hemeti warns of ‘sleeping cells’

 Rapid Support Forces commander and sovereign council member Himedti has warned of the existence of ‘sleeping cells’ seeking to thwart the new interim government in Sudan.

 Addressing RSF troops Himedti said: “[Sudan] has gone through conditions that could have drifted it at any moment, but the wisdom of the people and the forces has pulled us out of the bottleneck. There is no success without making enemies.”

 Himedti referred to Al Bashir loyalists, who have been accused of provoking friction between the armed forces and the public, saying “[they] are betting on the failure of the government and do not care about the country or the public interest or the people. We must be vigilant.”

 Himedti praised the armed forces for “maintaining stability.”