Category: General

Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council denounced violence in recent mass protests, which led to the deaths of four protesters and injuries of hundreds of others.

The council ordered authorities concerned to take all legal and military measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents, and ensure that no aggressor escapes punishment, the council said in a statement.

“Four protesters were killed, while 297 others, along with 49 policemen, were injured in Omdurman,” the Sudanese police said earlier.

Omdurman is the most populated city in Sudan, situated on the western bank of the Nile river, opposite the capital Khartoum.

Police accused some of the protesters of committing sabotage and attacking police forces.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Khartoum and other cities on Thursday in mass protests.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on Oct 25, 2021 and dissolved the sovereign council and government.

On Nov 11, Al-Burhan issued a constitutional decree forming a transitional Sovereign Council. On Nov 21, he and then removed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok signed a political declaration, which included reinstating Hamdok as prime minister, but the deal has so far failed to calm the street.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

The death toll from a police crackdown on the latest nationwide protests against military rule in Sudan rose to five on Friday, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.

The group of medics, which is aligned with the protest movement, said the fifth person who had been killed was hit in the chest by a tear gas canister fired by security forces during the protests on Thursday.

The protests were the 11th round of major demonstrations in Sudan since an Oct 25 coup that saw Abdallah Hamdok removed but then reinstated as prime minister.

The overall death toll since the security forces’ crackdown began in October has now risen to 53, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.

The demonstrators have demanded that the military play no role in government during a transition to free elections.

Security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades as protesters marched through Khartoum and the neighbouring cities of Omdurman and Bahri towards the presidential palace on Thursday.

Police had said in an earlier statement that four people had been killed in Omdurman, and 297 demonstrators and 49 police forces members were wounded nationwide during the protests, in which tens of thousands of people took part.

Al Hadath TV quoted an adviser to military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan as saying the military would not allow anyone to pull the country into chaos and that continued protests were a “physical, psychological, and mental drain on the country” and “would not achieve a political solution”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter that he was troubled by reports of lethal force and the United States “stands with the people of Sudan, as they demand freedom, peace, and justice”.

The UN Special Representative to Sudan, Volker Perthes, said that he was “deeply disturbed” by the deaths.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

The South Sudan Red Cross’ (SSRC) Aweil Branch on Friday during its end-of-year celebrations announced the top ten successful volunteers who achieved key programs within the local communities.

They were awarded certificates and appreciated so that they can perform better in the future.

One of the staff members who preferred anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media said “SSRC is a volunteer-based organization and every year we hold annual celebrations where we award volunteers who have been committed so that we give a good picture to the outside world about our activities.”

Angelina Arek Atem, a female volunteer, said she was excited about the award received.

“I am very happy for the good idea and the certificate I received from the South Sudan Red Cross,” Arek said. “In the upcoming New Year, I will carry out my cleaning duties as well as awareness campaigns among the communities.”

Another celebrated volunteer, Daniel Deng Lual, said the awards were a result of their hard work and commitment.

“We are delighted so much on the occasion of our recognition,” Deng said. “We have been presented the certificates based on the work we did. I managed to carry out many first aid services across the state.”

Source: Radio Tamazuj

South Sudan President Salva Kiir in his New Year’s message said that his government will establish a Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing (CTRH) by the end of January so that the people know what happened during the war and use it as a basis for peacebuilding and reconciliation.

The Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing in South Sudan falls under Chapter V of the revitalized peace agreement. The ministry of justice and constitutional affairs is mandated by the R-ARCSS to conduct national consultations in collaboration with other stakeholders and civil society.

“We will be embarking on the process of establishing the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing (CTRH) by the end of January 2022,” President Kiir said. “It is important to initiate this process so that our people can know the truth about what took place during the war and use it as the basis for peacebuilding, reconciliation, and social stability”

He added: “With these in mind, I, therefore, call upon all South Sudanese to embrace the roadmap set forth by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs regarding this process.”

President Kiir also said that the task force overseeing and coordinating the implementation of Chapters-5, Chapter-6, and Judicial Reform will identify relevant international partners who will assist with the establishment of the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA).

“Our unity of purpose and action as parties to the agreement is important because the success of this agreement depends on it,” Kiir said. “We have a responsibility to create permanent stability in our country through this agreement. We have been reminded many times by our partners that this agreement belongs to us.”

The president said significant progress has been made despite the difficulties in implementing the Revitalized peace agreement and that the cease-fire has been holding and this year’s festive season was celebrated peacefully in most parts of our country.

“The unknown gunmen which used to terrorize citizens here in Juba are now a thing of the past,” President Kiir said. “South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, the SPLM/A-IO and SSOA Forces have been in cantonment sites and training centers together for over two years without major incident. That itself is a big achievement.”

He said the Joint Defense Board (JDB) Team was sent Mid-December 2021, to reconfirm its earlier report on the details of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) in the Training Centers awaiting graduation.

“When graduated, the Unified Forces will not be the Army of any political party. It will be a professionalized force tasked with defending the territory of South Sudan, its people, and their properties,” Kiir promised. “When instituted, the Unified Forces will act as guarantors for political stability and socio-economic development of South Sudan for generations.”

The president said that he clearly identified the government’s priorities as peace implementation, economic reforms, and roads construction.

“I would like to inform you today that we have recently added other roads in addition to the ones I announced in August,” Kiir said. “These are The Aggrey Jaden Road, formerly the Juba-Lainya-Yei-Kaya Road, which we launched on the 28 December 2021; Juba – Mundri-Yambio-Tombura-Wau Road, with another branch from Mundri-Mvolo-Rumbek- Tonj- Wau-Kuajok-Gogrial-Aweil; Yei-Bangolo-Tali via Amadi; and Juba-Kajo-Keji Road.”

He said regardless of the challenges on the path to the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, “I am assuring you again this year that I will not return you to war”.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

Police in Rumbek, Lakes State confirmed that a young man only identified as Malok, 20, committed suicide on Thursday in the Acholthen residential area in Rumbek Central County.

The state’s police spokesperson, Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuac, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the young man identified as Malok was from Paloch Payam of Rumbek East County.

“Yes, it is true. The young man was from Paloch Payam and he committed suicide in Rumbek Central county. But his reason for committing suicide is not known,” Maj. Mabor said. “He decided to distribute all his belongings and clothes to some of his friends and associates, informing them that he is going to Juba.”

He added: “He (Malok) also informed one of the little boys in his family to marry 2 wives; one for the little boy and one wife for him before he committed suicide the next day. He committed suicide by hanging himself using a bedsheet from the roof of an abandoned house in Acholthen residential area.”

The police mouthpiece said most of the cases of suicide in the state are related to trauma. He said that when Saferworld International was working in Lakes State, the rate of suicide was low.

“The police was the lead agency in raising awareness during the period of Saferworld International, but now the NGOs operating in Lakes State are not coordinating with police in raising awareness within the community,” Maj. Mabor said. “There is no awareness by NGOs about suicide which is very common and this phenomenon currently requires awareness.”

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) coordinator in Lakes State, Daniel Laat Kon, said most of the issues which lead to suicide in the state are related to mental health and prevailing hardships.

“Many NGOs are operating in Lakes State and they are doing mental health and trauma awareness among the communities in Wulu and Rumbek Central County,” Laat said. “It is surprising because many people have committed suicide. This year (2021), 7 people died between Wulu and Rumbek Central County of suicide only.”

Source: Radio Tamazuj

CAIRO —

The World Food Program has suspended its operations across Sudan’s province of North Darfur following recent attacks on its warehouses, a decision expected to affect about 2 million local people.

A statement released by the U.N. food agency Thursday said all three of its warehouses in the area were attacked and looted. More than 5,000 tons of food apparently were stolen, the group said.

Earlier in the week, the WFP said an unidentified armed group had attacked one of its warehouses in North Darfur’s provincial capital of el-Fasher. In response, local authorities imposed a curfew across the province.

However, the attacks continued until early Thursday, said the statement. Hundreds of looters have also dismantled warehouse structures, WFP added.

“This theft has robbed nearly 2 million people of the food and nutrition support they so desperately need,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “Not only is this a tremendous setback to our operations across the country, but it endangers our staff and jeopardizes our ability to meet the needs of the most vulnerable families.”

The agency said it cannot divert assistance from other parts of the East African country to the looted warehouses without compromising the needs of vulnerable Sudanese living outside the province.

Sudan is one of the poorest counties in the world, with nearly 11 million people in need of food security and livelihood assistance in 2022, said the WFP.

The agency urged Sudanese authorities to recover the looted stocks and guarantee the security and safety of the WFP operations in North Darfur.

On Thursday, the country’s state-run news agency reported that a number of suspects were arrested in el-Fasher after they were seen riding trucks and animal-drawn carts loaded with food stocks that were allegedly stolen from the WFP warehouses. SUNA news agency did not say how many were arrested.

The WFP decision comes amid political upheaval that followed the October military coup.

On Friday, a doctor’s group said that five people were killed in anti-coup protests that erupted a day earlier in several provinces across the country. Security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of protesters, the group said. With Thursday’s fatalities, the total death toll since the coup has risen to 53.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese police acknowledged in a statement issued Friday that four protesters were killed and more than 290 were wounded in the protests. The statement posted on SUNA made no mention of police using tear gas or live ammunition. The police added that more than 40 policemen were wounded in clashes with protesters.

Source: Voice of America