Day: March 6, 2023

Sudan’s head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan discussed on Sunday with the Qatari defence minister Hamad bin Ali Al Attiyah ways to develop military cooperation between the two countries.

In a statement released in Khartoum, on Sunday before al-Burhan’s return from Doha, the Sovereign Council said he discussed with Al Attiyah ways t develop bilateral military cooperation.

“The meeting stressed the importance of strengthening military cooperation between Sudan and Qatar and upgrading it in various fields,” added the short statement.

Al-Burhna was in Doha to participate in the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5).

He met with Emir Tamim bin Hamad who affirmed his keenness on Sudan’s stability and reiterated Qatar’s support for Sudan to overcome the current crisis.

The two countries signed a military cooperation agreement in November 2014.

Based on this deal the two armies carried out several joint military training and manoeuvres. The latest was military exercises in the Arkweit area of the Red Sea State in December 2019.

During the Gulf crisis, Sudan resisted UAE pressures to cut relations with Qatar but after the collapse of the former regime, al-Burhan was more inclined to Abu Dabi.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The two-day Preparatory Workshop on a Comprehensive Solution for Eastern Sudan in Khartoum concluded on Friday with the signing of a Declaration of Principles, in which the participants repeated the need for a broad negotiating platform about the future of the region under international auspices and guarantees.

Jaafar El Hasan, Political Secretary of the United Popular Front for Liberation and Justice chaired by El Amin Daoud, told Radio Dabanga that the workshop, facilitated by the French Promediation Organisation, adopted parts of the Juba Peace Agreement, the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA), the Sinkat and Shamboub Declarations, the El Gedaref People’s Initiative, and other accords and declarations.

The Declaration of Principles stipulates the formation of a reconciliation committee between disputing native administration* leaders, initiated by Sayed Tirik, head of the High Council of Beja Nazirs and Independent Chieftains, and the formation of a permanent reconciliation committee at the district level to guide the reconciliation processes and prevent future disputes. The participants of the workshop also agreed that the practice of political appointments of native administration leaders should be stopped.

“The workshop led to an important shift in the political and social relations in eastern Sudan,” El Hasan said. “It broke the stalemate between the Beja Nazirs Council and the United Popular Front, and the participants all agreed that the declaration is open to all eastern Sudanese parties.

He further noted that the main political groups of Red Sea state, Kassala, and El Gedaref do not recognise the the outcomes of the conference on eastern Sudan organised by the AU-IGAD-UNITAMS Trilateral Mechanism in February.

Apart from the Beja Nazirs Council and the United Popular Front, the declaration was signed the Eastern Sudan Coordination, the Free Butana Platform, the El Gedaref People’s Gathering, the Civil Society Organisations and Youth Groups Alliance, the Unity and National Construction Movement, the Beja Conference Parties Coalition, the Beja Women Association, the Eastern Sudan Civil Association, and a number of eastern Sudanese resistance committees.

Signatories to the December 5 Framework Agreement did not attend the workshop, as well as the Beja Conference Forces Alliance and the High Beja Council wing under the leadership of Ibrahim Adarob.

Taha Badawi, Vice President of the Beja Conference Forces Alliance, told Radio Dabanga that they are not concerned with the results of the preparatory workshop for eastern Sudan.

He expressed his optimism about “the upcoming meeting of the people of eastern Sudan”, agreed upon by the participants of the Eastern Sudan conference, held under auspices of the Trilateral Mechanism in February.

The Beja Council-Adarob wing said it rejects “the rapprochement between Nazir Sayed Tirik and El Amin Daoud”, who said that it seeks to pass the path of the East through workshops and meetings, against the background of the Eastern Sudan workshop, which concluded its work on Friday.

In a press statement on Saturday, the Adarob wing announced it would mobilise the masses in the region to launch large protest actions against the Juba Peace Agreement and the recent conferences and workshops.

The Beja Nazirs Council under the leadership of Sayed Tirik has opposed the Eastern Sudan Track protocol since it was first agreed upon by the Sudanese government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance in the South Sudan capital of Juba in February 2020 as part of the Juba Peace Agreement.

The track was negotiated by the Beja Congress in Opposition and the United Popular Front for Liberation and Justice. The then not yet divided High Council of Beja Nazirs and Independent Chieftains was not involved in the Juba peace negotiations and repeatedly opposed the contents of the protocol with large protest actions such as blocking the Khartoum-Port Sudan highway and the Southern Port in Port Sudan.

* The?Native Administration?was instituted by British colonial authorities seeking a pragmatic system of governance that allowed for effective control with limited investment and oversight by the state. According to the Darfur Bar Association (DBA), the Native Administration during the 30-year rule of dictator Omar Al Bashir did not represent the real local leaders and accused them of corruption.

Source: Radio Dabanga

Five children died, and thousands of people have been left homeless, after wind whipped a house fire into an inferno that swept through Donki Dereisa in El Salam, South Darfur, on Saturday, and destroyed 75 per cent of the village. Another child died in a fire in East Darfur on the same day, and 75 homes were burned to the ground in El Taweisha in North Darfur on Friday.

Destitute villagers told Radio Dabanga that the Donki Dereisa fire initially broke out in one of the houses, however the strong wind caused it to spread quickly to the rest of the village, which is one of the largest in the locality.

The fire led to the death of five children, the eldest of whom is six, villagers told Radio Dabanga. 75 per cent of the village was destroyed, including more than 3,000 homes, and more than 140 shops and restaurants burned to the ground. Hundreds of livestock also succumbed to the blaze.

In the aftermath, while the full extent of the damage is still be assessed, thousands of people made homeless and left destitute by the fire, are reportedly living in the open in poor humanitarian conditions.

In a statement on Friday, the director of El Salam described what happened as “a great tragedy”, and lamented that the locality does not have any resources to compensate those affected, who are in dire need of water, food, shelter, clothing, and health services.

He appealed to the South Darfur and Sudanese governments to aid the victims, most of whom were previously displaced, but returned voluntarily to their place of origin.

Activists among the victims told Radio Dabanga that they fear the spread of diseases due to the lack of latrines, the death of livestock and animals, the emission of fire residues by the wind, as well as acute shortage of food.

East Darfur

The acting governor of East Darfur, Mohamed Abdelrahman, reported that also on Saturday, a fire claimed the life of a child in the El Neem camp for the displaced, north of the state capital El Daein.

During his visit to the El Naseem neighbourhood in the camp where the inferno broke out, the governor said that the fire destroyed 173 houses and caused great losses in livestock and foodstuffs, in addition to seeds, property and documents.

Other fires destroyed more than 300 homes in four different areas of the state, he said. East Darfur witnessed fires in Seleia in Yasin locality, which destroyed 154 homes.

North Darfur

In North Darfur, fires consumed 75 houses in Eyal Amin village in El Taweisha on Friday.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that “fires frequently break out from the ground these days” and said that the people in the area are “in a state of panic, because of the repeated fires”.

The authorities did not give reasons for the outbreak of the fires, however, as previously reported by Radio Dabanga in February, North Darfur Wali (governor) Nimir Abdelrahman decided to send a technical team of geologists to Meleisa village to investigate the causes of the frequent fires there.

After the meeting, the Director General of the North Darfur Water Sector, Abdelshafi Abdallah Adam, said that he suspects that these fires, which date back to 2014, may have geological causes, such as the rocks and soil quality, thermal emission of phosphorous and methane gases, or old environmental waste and pollution.

The technical team is expected to return with soil samples. “The laboratory results will most probably provide a decisive answer.”

Source: Radio Dabanga

The minister of roads and bridges in Western Bahr el Ghazal State recognized and rewarded five traffic police officers for their good work in controlling traffic in Wau town on Friday,.

The rewarded officers include Regimental sergeant major (RSM) James Gatluak Lul, who was given a brand new motorcycle, and four other officers were given SSP 50,000 each.

During the award ceremony, the state minister for roads and bridges, Hassen Ngor Aguer, said James Gatluak deserved the award because he had been working very hard, respected human dignity, and did not extort money from motorists.

“We have come to honor our brother Gatluak who is much respected and is our symbol of peace in Western Bahr el Ghazal,” he said. “He has done much in the police under General Samuel Ajuong.”

Meanwhile, state police commissioner Major General Ajuong welcomed the awards and said it was a positive recognition of the work of the traffic department.

“This is a success to you all and particularly the traffic police department. At all junctions, you are there and let me tell you the traffic that today is your day that the state government of Western Bahr el Ghazal recognized your work,” he said. “I appeal to you all to use your good approaches to the citizens of Western Bahr el Ghazal State because the more you work in good faith with the citizens, the police are given credit.”

On his part, James Gatluak welcomed his recognition by the state government.

“I did not know that I was doing great work and would be recognized and rewarded,” he said. “Today I have come to understand that you are all happy because I was doing a great service to you all.”

Gatluak urged the citizens of Western Bahr el Ghazal state to motivate their children to serve society.

Last week, social media users demanded that Gatluak be recognized for the great work he has been doing since being deployed near the Comboni Hospital junction.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has acknowledged ‘positive developments’ in the political situation in Sudan, but laments that the political crisis in Khartoum has impeded the prospects of attaining lasting peace across the country, and that ‘humanitarian needs have reached record levels and continue to grow exponentially’. Guterres also voices concern at the impact of ongoing security issues on civilians in Darfur.

In his latest 90-day report covering the period from November 21 2022 to February 18 2023, as required by UN Security Council resolution 2636 (2022), by which the Council decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS) until 3 June 2023, Guterres thanks “Special Representative, Volker Perthes, and all United Nations personnel in the Sudan, as well as our partners, in particular the African Union and IGAD, for their continued dedication and efforts in support of the country and its people. The United Nations remains committed to supporting the Sudanese people.”

Guterres highlights that “while positive developments were observed in the political situation in the Sudan, after more than a year of stalemate resulting from the military coup of 25 October 2021. On 5 December, the military leadership and over 40 political parties, signatory armed movements of the Juba Agreement for Peace in the Sudan, trade unions and professional associations signed a political framework agreement in Khartoum.”

He says that the signing of the framework agreement on 5 December renewed hope for the resumption of a civilian-led transition, emphasising that “to be sustainable, the political process and ensuing final settlement agreement need to be inclusive and enjoy broad public support. Addressing the most contentious issues at the core of the current crisis, including security sector reform, transitional justice and the full implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, requires the participation of affected communities.

‘To ensure lasting peace in Sudan, it will be essential to address the root causes of conflict’

“In that regard, I am encouraged by the wide and diverse range of participants in the final phase conferences, representing non-signatory parties, including civil society, women’s groups, youth, resistance committees and experts. I commend the civilian and military signatories for their efforts to broaden inclusivity and increase participation in the political process.”

In his report, the secretary-general points out that the political crisis in Khartoum has impeded the prospects of attaining lasting peace across the country. “I remain concerned about the impact of intercommunal clashes and conflict on civilians…”

Guterres underlines that “to ensure lasting peace in Sudan, it will be essential to address the root causes of conflict”.

He notes that while the overall number of security incidents decreased, intercommunal clashes, armed conflict and criminality continued to pose serious security challenges. From 21 November to 18 February, 623 security incidents were recorded, compared with 524 during the previous reporting period. Intercommunal clashes reportedly left 111 people dead, including seven women and one child, and 100 people were reportedly injured, including three women and three children, compared with over 300 people killed in 18 incidents during the previous reporting period.

Human rights

“The human rights situation in the Sudan remained concerning. During the reporting period, UNITAMS documented a total of 72 alleged incidents of human rights violations and abuses involving 316 victims, including 264 men, 31 women and 21 children (12 girls and 9 boys). Of the 72 documented incidents, 58 were verified. Violations of the right to life accounted for 135 victims (122 men, 9 women and 4 boys); violations of physical integrity accounted for 141 victims (123 men, 9 women and 9 children (5 boys and 4 girls)); sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, accounted for 17 victims (9 women and 8 girls); physical assault accounted for 14 victims (10 men and 4 women); there was one case of torture and one case of enforced disappearance (both men). Of the 72 verified incidents, 15 were reportedly attributed to government security forces, affecting 66 victims, and 52 reportedly to non-State armed groups, including armed movements and militia groups, affecting 236 victims. Unknown or unidentified individuals were responsible for 5 incidents affecting 14 victims,” the report states.

‘No progress has been made in reforming the field of justice’

“Since the military coup of 25 October 2021, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office has documented the killing of 123 people in the context of protests, including one woman and 22 children, of whom two were girls. Of these, 97 people, including one woman and one girl, were reportedly killed by live ammunition. More than 9,096 people have reportedly been injured. Furthermore, the security forces continued to arbitrarily arrest protesters, some of whom reported ill-treatment during arrest or interrogation.”

The report indicates that no progress has been made in reforming the field of justice. He pointed out that children were subjected to 13 violations, including two girls, as two children were killed and 11 were mutilated.

Economy

The report warns that the economy would contract by 0.3 percent in 2022 due to the decline in economic activity, civil unrest, the suspension of international aid and the rise in import prices.

Regarding the work of the UNITAMS mission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations indicated that the work of the mission was affected by the delay in the delivery of visas to new employees, as only three visas have been approved since November, and all requests related to civil servants and members of the Ceasefire Committee, numbering 19, are still awaiting a decision. He pointed out that the authorities stopped issuing exemptions from travel restrictions for members of the mission outside Khartoum.

He said that administrative obstacles still hinder the mission’s ability to implement its mandate, and called on the government to abide by the agreement signed with the mission and expedite the processing of backlogged visas.

He expressed his optimism in reaching a final settlement and urged the non-signatory parties to join, and for the political process to include everyone. He stressed the need to address issues of security sector reform, transitional justice and others. He called on the authorities to stop the violence and investigate the illegal use of force.

Source: Radio Dabanga