Day: October 21, 2022

The Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Eddie Rowe, expressed his deep concerns about the situations in Lagawa, West Kordofan, and Wad El Mahi, Blue Nile state, and appealed for peace and an end to the violence in a statement published yesterday.

“Fighting in West Kordofan and Blue Nile states risks further displacements and human suffering in addition to the almost 65,000 who were already displaced and leaving 149 people dead and 124 injured due to violence in Blue Nile in July 2022. There is also a risk of an escalation and spread of the fighting with additional humanitarian consequences,” the Humanitarian Coordinator warned.

‘There is also a risk of an escalation and spread of the fighting with additional humanitarian consequences’

Rowe wants to remind “all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law” and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, schools, and water systems.

Because of ongoing violence, the areas are difficult to access for humanitarian organisations so Rowe also urged all parties to the conflict to enable the free and safe movement of displaced people “in search of safety and assistance”.

He reiterated that humanitarian organisations “stand ready to aid people affected by the conflicts” and explained that unimpeded humanitarian access is urgently needed.

West Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains

In Lagawa tensions escalated between the Misseriya and Nuba tribes on October 10 after a land ownership dispute. At least 36,500 people have reportedly fled Lagawa as violence continues. The government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission in West Kordofan reports that so far at least 19 people have been killed and 34 injured during the conflict, OCHA writes.

The hostilities began after a dispute at Gangaro village, approximately three kilometres east east of Lagawa. On 13 October, the Misseriya tribesmen claimed the land, which led to an exchange of gunfire between the Misseriya and local Nuba in the market in Lagawa itself, which continued through 14 and 15 October, Radio Dabanga reported.

Following the inter-communal clashes, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) of shelling the area. The SPLM-N vigorously denied the accusations of shelling Lagawa.

The eastern part of West Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains, an area of hills located in South Kordofan, are home to a number of indigenous ethnic African groups collectively known as Nuba. West Kordofan is also populated by the Misseriya.

The SPLM-N has fought against Omar Al Bashir’s dictatorship, which heavily repressed the Nuba people and was always in support of Arab herding tribes whilst looking down on ‘African’ tribes, often sedentary farmers.

During the dictatorship of Omar Al Bashir, the Misseriya were supported by Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP).

Nuba residents fear that South Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains will become a ‘second Darfur’ as farmers continue to face attacks by militant herders.

In Darfur, a genocide has taken place against indigenous farmers by militant Arab herders supported by the regime of ousted dictator Omar Al Bashir. As Janjaweed militias, they killed many African farmers. In recent years, attacks by herdsmen against Darfur’s farmers and non-Arab herding groups have continued, resulting in many deaths.

Blue Nile state violence

In Wad El Mahi, near El Roseires in Blue Nile state, inter-communal violence renewed on October 13. “As fighting continues, at least 1,200 people have been displaced and an unconfirmed 170 people have been killed and 327 have been injured”, OCHA writes in its latest update.

As a result of the conflict, the wali (governor) of the Blue Nile state issued a decree prohibiting the movement of civilians using trucks within big parts Wad El Mahi locality. “This restriction to freedom of movement prevents people from seeking safety and accessing life-saving services, thereby endangering their right to life,” OCHA states.

‘Restriction to freedom of movement prevents people from seeking safety and accessing life-saving services, thereby endangering their right to life’

According to unconfirmed reports, two people from El Hamaj tribe were killed in a land dispute in Wad El Mahi locality on October 13, which led to clashes between the Hausa community and other tribes. Mohamed Moussa Ibrahim, a Hausa leader in the area, told Radio Dabanga that thousands were displaced from Wad El Mahi, most of them being “old people, women and children”.

The intercommunal violence that erupted in mid-July between Hausa, Berta, El Hamaj, and other ethnic groups in the northern part of Blue Nile state, which left at least 105 people dead and caused thousands to flee to the state’s capital Ed Damazin and safe parts of El Roseires, has flared up before. In September, at least 24 people were killed as the violence resurfaced. At 149 people died before October 6, according to OCHA.

Source: Radio Dabanga

Two displaced people were killed, a third was wounded, and a fourth was kidnapped in attacks on farmers by armed herdsmen on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kutum, North Darfur. Displaced farmers in Central Darfur have been held at gunpoint as herders let their camels graze on the farmed pastures.

Yahya El Khumus told Radio Dabanga that four armed men on two motorcycles blocked the way of farmers coming to the village of Goz Aba on Tuesday and shot them, which led to the death of El Amin Ahmed and the wounding of Hamed Teirab.

The injured Teirab was taken to Kutum Hospital whilst Ahmed was buried in Kassab camp cemetery on Wednesday.

More gunmen on motorcycles launched a new attack on the village of Goz Aba on Wednesday after one of them was arrest following the first incident, El Khumus told Radio Dabanga.

This second attack led to the death of Adam Mousa and the kidnapping of Haroun Idris. El Khumus accused the Kutum locality authorities of being late in sending a police force despite being informed of the events timely.

According to El Khumus, the attackers forcefully want to let their camels graze on the farms in the area. He called for the intervention of the North Darfur Security Committee to protect villagers and agricultural lands.

Residents of Mukjar camp for the displaced in Central Darfur also complained of the deteriorating security situation as herdsmen forcefully herd of their camels onto the farmlands whilst holding farmers at gunpoint.

A displaced woman from the camp demanded the Central Darfur government to intervene urgently to protect the displaced and their farms via Radio Dabanga. She said that the damage to crops could lead to starvation among farmers because the current international aid is not enough to cover their daily needs so they depend on a successful harvest.

Earlier this month, a child died and three others were taken to the hospital in critical condition after being poisoned eating from the landfill near Otash camp for the displaced in Central Darfur out of hunger as Sudan’s food crisis worsens.

At the time, Head of the Otash camp Sheikh Abdelrazeg Jales called on the authorities to protect the agricultural season, especially by providing security to the displaced and their farmlands, to secure food production for the displaced.

He described the current season as promising to Radio Dabanga but expressed his fears of herdsmen letting their cattle graze on the cultivated lands.

Darfur herders and farmers conflict

Disputes between herders and farmers occur regularly in Darfur this time of year. As the rainy season ends in September and the herders need fresh pastures, they let their camels and cattle graze on farmlands that have not yet been harvested. Each year, farmers complain about livestock destroying their crops.

In the past, there used to be clearly marked pasture tracks and traditional tribal procedures for the compensation of lost crops, but this has changed during the regime of Omar Al Bashir. The regime supported the ‘Arab’ herding tribes in the region, whilst looking down on non-Arab ‘African’ farmers.

Arab tribesmen were recruited by the previous regime of dictator Omar Al Bashir to join the Janjaweed militias. Al Bashir employed these Arab militias to repress a revolt over ethnic marginalisation in the region, mainly targeting non-Arab African farmers in what became known as the Darfur Genocide. Many of these farmers still live in camps for the displaced.

Source: Radio Dabanga

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, the Forces for Freedom and Change-Central Council, the mainstream FFC, defended their ‘imminent agreement’ with the military and denied rumours that they agreed with the junta that the military will not be held accountable for the crimes they have committed.

Sources within the military and civilian components of Sudan’s political scene recently reported that there was an ‘imminent agreement’ between the FFC-CC and the military, which took power in a coup on October 25 last year.

The ‘imminent agreement’ came after secret talks brokered by the United States of America, co-facilitated by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, a coalition also referred to as the QUAD.

According to Bloomberg, the Sudanese Bar Association’s (SBA) draft transitional constitution has been used as a starting point for the agreement, although concessions to the army have been added to reach an agreement.

A workshop by the Sudanese Bar Association (SBA) in August envisioning a new transitional constitutional framework, which saw widespread participation from the FFC-CC and DUP, concluded with a set of recommendations that included distancing the military from politics.

Coup leaders Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, Commander of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Gen Mohamed ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo, Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are also the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, the most important government body.

The mainstream Forces for Freedom and Change have received criticism from other opposition groups because of their sympathy towards a power-sharing government with the military.

During the talks, the SAF, Sudan’s official military, and the country’s most powerful militia, the infamous RSF, were in direct negotiations with members of the FFC-CC.

Accountability

The FFC-CC denied that they have agreed with the junta that the military will not be held accountable for the crimes committed and stressed that “the justice for the blood of the martyrs is a special criminal right and that the FFC does not have the right to waive them” and that its vision for Sudan includes criminal justice and transitional justice.

Jaafar Hassan, a leading member of the FFC-CC told Radio Dabanga that many families of the martyrs support the civil democratic transition, given that civilian rule ensures that the perpetrators are held accountable.

“Talking about guarantees on paper with a person carrying a gun is futile,” Hassan said and stressed the need to work to bring the country to safety. “The only guarantor for this are the Sudanese people themselves,” he said.

When asked about the implications of the fact that the FCC-CC did not raise the participation of El Burhan and Hemeti in the proposed Security and Defence Council, Hassan replied: “We cannot impose on the military forces and demand them to choose specific personalities. We are addressing institutions, not individuals.”

In the interview with Radio Dabanga, Hassan explained that the FFC-CC seeks to present its vision to all political forces in the country to discuss and express their observations.

He stressed that the FFC-CC vision for a political solution is “not sacred, and all comments and additions will be discussed”.

The FFC-CC seeks to form the largest possible front, but Hassan also said that it is not possible to achieve complete consensus in political processes.

Jibril Ibrahim: The international community is in a hurry to settle

Minister of Finance Jibril Ibrahim informed international institutions of the approaching completion of a political settlement and the formation of a civilian government before the end of this year.

In a press conference in Khartoum, he said that the main political and civilian forces in Sudan are serious about reaching a settlement and expressed his hope that this will be achieved soon in order to resume aid and assistance from the international community.

According to Ibrahim, the international community “is rushing to help” with a political settlement and the formation of a civilian government to resume cooperation and interaction.

The October 25 military coup moved Western donors to suspend financial aid, which saw Sudan lose $4.4 bn in support and contributed to the country’s current funding crisis and economic despair.

Geopolitics

As explained before, the talks were mediated by the USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the UK, a coalition also referred to as the QUAD.

According to Bloomberg, which spoke with “people familiar with the secret US-brokered discussions”, the talks underline the strategic importance of Sudan as “a resource-rich country located on a stretch of the Red Sea that’s a choke-point for global shipping”.

“It has become yet another arena in Africa for the tussle of influence between the US, Russia and China since the overthrow of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019,” Simon Marks and Mohamed El Amin wrote for the news outlet.

Source: Radio Dabanga

Sudan declared a state of emergency in the troubled Blue Nile State, after tribal violence that killed at least 155 people.

Ahmed Alomda Badi, Governor of the Blue Nile Region, declared a state of emergency Friday throughout the region for thirty days, following the recent inter-communal clashes that started last July.

Badi further ordered the Sudanese army commander, the Police director, the General Intelligence Service director and the Rapid Support Forces commander in the state to use all means to stop tribal fighting and restore the state authority in the region, according to the decree seen by Sudan Tribune.

In a separate statement issued on Friday, the Blue Nile Governor formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the tribal fighting in Wad Al-Mahi headed by the General Prosecutor of the region.

The governor has already imposed a night curfew in Wad Al-Mahi area on Monday, banning gatherings or carrying weapons in the area.

However, the measure did not prevent further attacks that led to the killing of over 155 people including children and elders.

Hundreds of people protested outside the Blue Nile government headquarters, denouncing the violence and the lack of a strong security response to protect civilians.

Also, the protesters chanted slogans calling for the dismissal of the governor.

The SPLM-N Revolutionary Front of Malik Agar condemned the bloody violence and called the region security committee headed by Badi to take the needed measures to end the tribal attacks.

The peace signatory group which rules the Blue Nile Area further called to ignore hate speech and calls to violence in social media “in an attempt to mobilize public opinion against the peace process,” stresses the SPLM-N.

For its part, the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, which has three of its leaders in the Sovereign Council, issued a public statement calling on the military rulers to take the required measures to stop the violence.

“The Revolutionary Front calls on the central authority to intervene urgently to stop the inter-communal bloodshed and to impose the state authority and protect civilians”.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Sudan’s Minister of Finance Jibril Ibrahim confirmed that the World Bank has promised to provide humanitarian support to Sudan. The minister acknowledged “the impact of the 2021 coup d’état on cooperation with international institutions” and said that “it is not easy to lift the freeze” at a press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday.

The press conference was held for the minister to explain the results of his visit to Washington D.C. and meetings with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during their Annual Meeting. Ibrahim said that the Sudanese delegation was able “to circumvent the decision to suspend aid and obtain promises” from various sides.

He confirmed that Sudan is allowed to benefit from World Bank support for food, climate change mitigation, and emergencies.

The October 25 military coup last year moved international donors to suspend financial aid, which saw Sudan lose $4.4 bn in support and contributed to the country’s current funding crisis and economic despair.

The Minister of Finance stated that the visit achieved great gains, including the resumption of communication with the World Bank and the IMF, an agreement on two new technical missions, and the resumption of technical support and training.

The transfer of the presidency of the Special Development Committee for Africa (Group I) to Sudan was also highlighted by Ibrahim as an example of closer international cooperation.

Dependency

Ibrahim stressed the necessity of dealing with international financial institutions, but at the same also the importance of not depending too much on foreign resources time.

The Minister of Finance said that he had told the World Bank and IMF that he fears Sudan’s economy would continue to deteriorate if the money supply would be too tightly controlled in order to reduce the exchange and inflation rates.

More and more factories and companies are closing or facing bankruptcy and people are losing their jobs in the absence of financial support.

Economic problems

The Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker described the economic performance during the first half of the current fiscal year as “miserable” in the wake of the October 25 military coup.

In a report published on Tuesday, the observatory expected more deterioration and harsh economic conditions in the last quarter and next year if the military rule continues.

The report pointed out that all the economic achievements that occurred after the fall of the former regime were lost due to the coup, as many donors stopped funding immediately and froze payments; Sudan’s debt relief progress was suspended and so were its economic reform program and international community aid.

Tax collection is below average as well due to uncertainty in the business environment, economic slowdown, and recession, the report explains.

Sudan needs to develop a new economic recovery plan, reduce opportunities for corruption, and establish civil control over the economy, the Sudan Transparency and Policy concluded, and the international community should play a role in restoring macroeconomic stability in Sudan.

The Minister of Finance repudiated any further tax increases but also confirmed that the ministry had implemented an agreement between the Employers Union and the Council of Ministers dating from 2019 to raise the tax on business profits in the industrial sector by 10-15 per cent and in the services sector by 20-30 per cent.

Sudan has recently witnessed protests against exorbitant tax increases. Jibril Ibrahim called for expanding the ‘taxes umbrella’ [span of taxes] at the time and considered it “the most effective and successful way to increase tax revenues and combat tax evasion”.

The Sudanese government is not receiving any external support for its annual budget for the second year in a row, so it must rely on its own resources to complete the 2023 budget.

However, many economic experts in the region are not convinced that increasing taxes is a good way to support Sudan’s economy. They warn that it will further increase the economic hardships of many Sudanese.

Tax increases will eventually impact the consumer and will lead to a weakening of purchasing power and reluctance to consume, economic analyst Hafiz Ismail told Radio Dabanga.

The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) the government’s raised taxes on agricultural products, port fees, industry, and trade formed a further constraint on Sudan’s household purchasing power.

Protest

In Washington itself, there was a call to protest in the Sudanese community in Washington DC and nearby areas to welcome the Minister of Finance “their own way”. They hold the “junta minister” and Sudanese authorities responsible for the violence against pro-democracy protesters that killed over 100, predominantly youth.

Source: Radio Dabanga

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) confirmed on Friday they will send a negotiating team to take part in the African Union (AU)-led peace talks scheduled to start in South Africa next week.

“Our delegation will attend,” Kindeya Gebrehiwot, representative of Tigray External Affairs Office told AFP when asked if they would join the direct talks slated to start on Monday, October 24.

Today’s confirmation by Tigray authorities comes one day after the Ethiopian government on Thursday said that it would take part in the talks.

“AUC (African Union Commission) has informed us that the Peace Talks is set for 24 October 2022 to be held in South Africa” Redwan Hussein, national security adviser of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a tweet yesterday.

“We have reconfirmed our commitment to participate”.

“However, we are dismayed that some are bent on preempting the peace talks & spreading false allegations against the defensive measures” he added.

The AU has not yet made an official announcement on the planned talks, which will be mediated by a team of top African politicians.

Tigray’s confirmation comes ahead of a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the spiralling crisis in the Horn of Africa’s nation.

On Friday, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is leading the mediation efforts, briefed the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) “on the peace process for Ethiopia”.

This closed-door meeting of the PSC, the body in charge of conflicts and security issues within the pan-African organization, was the first since fighting resumed on 24 August ending the six-month-long truce committed by both warring parties.

Previous AU-led talks, convened in early October in South Africa, had fizzled out before they even began, over “logistical reasons”.

The adjournment raised serious questions about AU’s capability and credibility in the peace process.

The Ethiopian federal government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been at war with the rebel authorities in Tigray since November 2020.

The Tigray conflict has killed tens of thousands and uprooted millions from their homes.

Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the UNSC and AU meetings “demonstrate the international community’s great concern about the situation” and the need for violence to stop.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ned Price also renewed calls for a resumption of humanitarian aid to Tigray, and the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia.

Source: Sudan Tribune