Sudan News & Discussions

[Khafee]

Sudan Military Council Calls for Talks, Says Agreement Looming on Horizon
Thursday, 30 May, 2019

Khartoum – Mohammed Amin Yassin

A general strike continued for the second day in a row in various cities of Sudan which, according to organizers, was a great success in reviving the political process after days of tension.

Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) had called for the two-day strike from Tuesday to pressure the military junta to transfer power to civilians.

The participation rate in the strike rose on the second day, after thousands of employees and public servants, including workers at the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, joined in.

The surprise came from Darfur, where DFCF announced that the strike was completely successful, as hundreds gathered in al-Fashir, capital of North Darfur, chanting for a civilian authority.

Employees at the Central Bank of Sudan also staged a rally outside the bank's headquarters in Khartoum, protesting harassment by government forces against some of their colleagues.

The strike continued in the banks and commercial banks of Khartoum and their branches in other states. The protest of Central Bank employees led to a complete cessation of financial transactions.

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) said it launched an investigation into the harassment incident and announced the closure of all branches of the bank. It warned the authorities and security forces against attacking any of the protesters.

The Association stressed its determination to achievr the goals declared in the Declaration of Freedom and Change, namely establishing the transitional civil authority.

Employees from other sectors, including the workers at the airport, medical staff and workers at the administration of electricity and water authority, also joined the strike.

The Transitional Military Council (TMC) agreed, 24 hours after the strike, to resume the negotiations with the Declaration Forces and other political forces without giving a specific time.

TMC spokesman General Shams el-Din Kabbashi asserted the Council is close to agreeing with Freedom and Change forces on the document of the transitional period.

Member of DFCF’s negotiating delegation Madani Abbas Madani stated that the Forces didn’t receive any invitation for negotiations from the Military Council.

Madani told Asharq al-Awsat that the statements made by the TMC spokesman are positive and can create the most suitable atmosphere for dialogue.

He pointed out that the strike exceeded the expectations of the Forces, and sent a clear message to the Military Council.

TMC Vice-President Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo stated that the Council will not close the door to negotiations and dialogue with the DFCF, stressing that the Council and the Forces are partners in the change and overthrowing the former regime.

Dagolo indicated that had the Armed Forces not joined the revolution, the former regime would have remained in power. He asserted that the Council will not allow the country to reach a state of chaos similar to Syria and Libya.

Meanwhile, deputy chairman of a faction of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) Yasir Arman announced receiving six letters from the Council ordering him to leave the country, but he refused. He arrived in the country abruptly last Sunday without arrangements to return.

Arman and fellow SPLM-N leader Malik Agar were sentenced to death in absentia in March 2014 by a Sudanese court in Sanjia.

In other developments, the Khartoum prosecutor summoned former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi to testify on Thursday in the open report filed against ousted president Omar al-Bashir and others on charges of undermining the constitutional system and seizing civilian power through a military coup.

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[Khafee]

General's growing political clout poses a risk to Sudan's transition
May 30, 2019
Michael Georgy

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Six weeks after a coup d’etat in Sudan, high-profile military leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo is evolving into an increasingly influential political force.

The involvement of so powerful a military chief in politics could undermine efforts to create a democracy in the northeast African country and provoke army officers who are wary of his ambitions, opponents and Western diplomats say.

Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, is deputy chairman of Transitional Military Council (TMC) that has been running Sudan since President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s fall in April.

Unlike junta leader Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Hemedti has grabbed the limelight, often delivering speeches in public as Sudan navigates a volatile transition period after a 30-year dictatorship.

“Hemedti is playing an increasingly prominent role, ranging beyond his core security brief. This suggests an ambition to play a longer-term political role,” a senior Western diplomat told Reuters.

“A more prominent leadership role for Hemedti would undermine the clear popular demand for civilian leadership in Sudan.”

In his rise from humble beginnings as a desert livestock trader to one of Bashir’s most trusted aides in a country of constantly shifting alliances, Hemedti has shown his determination and skill at maneuvering behind the scenes.

A tall, imposing figure who has an office in the presidential palace, Hemedti is backed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the widely feared paramilitary fighters who number in the tens of thousands and control the capital Khartoum.

Hemedti also gained vital support from oil powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after he sent RSF forces to back them in Yemen’s civil war. The Gulf Arab states pledged $3 billion in aid between them to Sudan last month.

POLITICAL AIMS POSE RISKS
The general’s growing political strength is welcomed by some Sudanese.

“Hemedti has been getting stronger. He is a patriot who helped lead the revolution,” said travel agent Mu’min Hamed. “He is the one handling the affairs of the state. I think he could lead the country.”

Others regard him as a symbol of the past.

“The military council does not want to hand over power to civilians because the generals would be vulnerable to prosecution over human rights abuses,” said university student Mahmoud al-Zeyn.

His emergence could complicate an already delicate stage of Sudan’s planned transition to democracy.

Tensions are mounting between the TMC and an alliance of protest and opposition groups who want a quick handover of power to civilians. Political analysts and Western diplomats say his advance could also be opposed by some officers, who believe he did not deserve his rapid rise through the military.

Born in 1975, Hemedti is the youngest member of the TMC and unlike its other generals has never attended a military college. His success was largely due to his close ties to Bashir.

RSF fighters, armed with assault rifles, machine guns mounted on trucks and rocket-propelled grenades, are better paid than some army officers. They were hardened by the war in Darfur against rebels who rose up against the government.

“There is no junior or senior army officer who accepts what Hemedti is doing,” said political analyst Faisal Saleh.

There are no signs of hostility between the RSF and the army. Ties between junta leader Burhan and Hemedti appear strong.

“He is trying to cooperate as much as possible with the army,” said Khalid al-Tagani, a prominent newspaper editor and political analyst.

But this does not rule out the possibility of violence, especially if Hemedti pushes hard to consolidate his position, according to Western diplomats and political analysts.

“I don’t expect a civil war like in Libya or Syria. But in the long term it could turn into confrontation,” said Saleh.

SHREWD OPERATOR
Hemedti used to be a commander of Arab militias that were later transformed into the RSF and were accused by human rights groups of genocide in the Darfur war that began in 2003. Bashir’s government denied the allegations.

Hemedti now portrays himself as a man of the people who can heal a country which has suffered from multiple armed rebellions, U.S. sanctions, poverty and economic crises.

When unrest over economic hardships erupted in December, Hemedti said the protesters’ demands were legitimate and spoke out against corruption. Realising Bashir could not cling to power in the face of a mass uprising, he ensured his forces did not join a crackdown in which dozens of protesters were killed.

Hemedti fires up audiences in simple, colloquial Arabic that has wide appeal across Sudan.

“We can’t please everyone, but we will try to be active in everyone’s problems, the real problems. Because every shepherd is responsible for his sheep,” Hemedti told army officers at the Khartoum prison where Bashir is held.

Hemedti has paid airport workers their salaries for three months, told the RSF to crack down on the smuggling of flour and other commodities, and offered to help indebted prisoners.

He has also sought to show he can handle foreign policy. On a trip to Saudi Arabia this month, he met its powerful crown prince and said he would back the kingdom against any threats and attacks from its rival, Iran, according to a TMC statement.

Hemedti recently spoke for nearly 20 minutes after breaking the Ramadan fast to an audience including the top official in the U.S. embassy and the Saudi ambassador, as well as local and international media. He said he favored “real democracy”.

“Democracy is consultation ... that’s it, we want real democracy,” he said in his speech, which was punctuated by applause and laughter. “We want a man who comes in through the ballot box. We want free and fair elections.”

Reporting by Michael Georgy, Editing by Timothy Heritage

General's growing political clout poses a risk to Sudan's transition

Six weeks after a coup d'etat in Sudan, high-profile military leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo is evolving into an increasingly influential political force.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudan's military rulers say protest site threatens stability: TV
May 31, 2019


KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Sudanese demonstrators converged on central Khartoum on Thursday night demanding civilian rule amid increasing tensions with the country’s military rulers who accused a protest encampment of threatening stability.

The protest, which followed a two-day strike organized by demonstrators and opposition groups frustrated by a deadlock in talks on a transition to democracy, underscores the volatility of the situation in Sudan nearly two months after the military overthrew autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

The head of the central Khartoum military region accused “unruly elements” of attacking a vehicle used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and seizing it near the protest site.

“The protest site has become unsafe and represents a danger to the revolution and the revolutionaries and threatens the coherence of the state and its national security,” General Bahar Ahmed al-Bahar, head of the central region in Khartoum said in a statement he read on television.

Tens of thousands of protesters had converged on an encampment heeding a call by protest leaders to step up pressure on the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to hand over power to civilians, following a two-day strike observed earlier this week.

Protesters have accused the RSF of trying to undermine a transition to democracy, a charge the force denies.

Sudanese security forces on Thursday delivered an order by the TMC to close down the offices of Qatar-based Al Jazeera Television without giving a reason, the head of the office said.

TMC officials could not immediately be reached for a comment on the report.

Stability in strategically located Sudan is crucial for the security of a volatile region struggling against Islamist insurgencies, including the Horn of Africa through Egypt and Libya. Various powers, including wealthy Gulf Arab states, are trying to influence its path.

A Reuters witness said that the protesters who had converged on the protest site chanted slogans against the RSF, a paramilitary force led by the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

“Support get out,” the crowds chanted, referring to the RSF. Some stood in front of military trucks used by the force which controls the capital.
Dagalo, who goes by the name Hemedti, has accused protesters of receiving support from abroad and said they were not entitled to claim they speak for all Sudanese.

Talks between the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), a coalition of demonstrators and opposition groups, and the TMC have stalled amid differences over whether the military would control a proposed sovereign body that would lead Sudan during a three-year transitional period.

The DFCF had previously said that the military council has demanded a two-thirds majority, of eight to three, on the sovereign council that will lead the country of 40 million.

The coalition had called for a two-day strike of public and private enterprises from Tuesday, and threatened to call for general civil disobedience if the military does not heed their demands.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, head of Sudan’s largest political party, proposed on Thursday that a government of technocrats be established to govern while the two sides negotiated an agreement on the composition of the sovereign council.

Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; writing by Sami Aboudi; editing by Grant McCool

Sudan's military rulers say protest site threatens stability: TV

Tens of thousands of Sudanese demonstrators converged on central Khartoum on Thursday night demanding civilian rule amid increasing tensions with the country's military rulers who accused a protest encampment of threatening stability.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Report says Sudan summons its envoy from Qatar
01 June 2019

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s state-run news agency says the Foreign Ministry has summoned the country’s envoy from Qatar, a day after the satellite news channel Al-Jazeera said Sudanese authorities shut down its Khartoum bureau.

Saturday’s report by SUNA has quoted Babaker al-Amin, spokesman for the ministry, as saying that Ambassador Fathel-Rahamn Mohammed was summoned for consultations and “will be sent back to Doha within the coming hours.”

Qatar-funded Al-Jazeera said Friday that Sudan’s authorities banned its journalists from reporting in the country.
The development comes amid concerns from protesters that the ruling military council might disperse their main sit-in in Khartoum.

Both sides remain split over the make-up and leadership of a sovereign council that would run Sudan during a three-year transition period after the military overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Report says Sudan summons its envoy from Qatar

Sudan's state-run news agency says the Foreign Ministry has summoned the country's envoy from Qatar, a day after the satellite news channel Al-Jazeera said Sudanese authorities shut down its Khartoum bureau.

www.apnews.com

 

[Khafee]

Report says Sudan summons its envoy from Qatar
01 June 2019

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s state-run news agency says the Foreign Ministry has summoned the country’s envoy from Qatar, a day after the satellite news channel Al-Jazeera said Sudanese authorities shut down its Khartoum bureau.

Saturday’s report by SUNA has quoted Babaker al-Amin, spokesman for the ministry, as saying that Ambassador Fathel-Rahamn Mohammed was summoned for consultations and “will be sent back to Doha within the coming hours.”

Qatar-funded Al-Jazeera said Friday that Sudan’s authorities banned its journalists from reporting in the country.
The development comes amid concerns from protesters that the ruling military council might disperse their main sit-in in Khartoum.

Both sides remain split over the make-up and leadership of a sovereign council that would run Sudan during a three-year transition period after the military overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Report says Sudan summons its envoy from Qatar

Sudan's state-run news agency says the Foreign Ministry has summoned the country's envoy from Qatar, a day after the satellite news channel Al-Jazeera said Sudanese authorities shut down its Khartoum bureau.

www.apnews.com

 

[Khafee]

Eleven wounded in Sudan by gunfire near sit-in -opposition committee
June 2, 2019

(Reuters) - At least 11 people were wounded by gunfire near a protest sit-in in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Saturday, an opposition doctors’ committee said.
Sudan’s main protest group blamed the violence on the Transitional Military Council (TMC), saying that it is part of a plan to violently clear the protests.

“The killing and intimidation on Nile Street is just a prelude to committing a massacre to end the sit-in by force,” Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA) said in a statement late on Saturday.

Tensions are mounting between the TMC and an alliance of protest and opposition groups who want a quick handover of power to civilians.

TMC officials could not immediately be reached for a comment.

The head of the central Khartoum military region said on Thursday the protest site “has become unsafe and represents a danger to the revolution and the revolutionaries and threatens the coherence of the state and its national security.”

Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Editing by Chris Reese

Eleven wounded in Sudan by gunfire near sit-in -opposition committee

At least 11 people were wounded by gunfire near a protest sit-in in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Saturday, an opposition doctors’ committee said.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Eleven wounded in Sudan by gunfire near sit-in -opposition committee
June 2, 2019

(Reuters) - At least 11 people were wounded by gunfire near a protest sit-in in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Saturday, an opposition doctors’ committee said.
Sudan’s main protest group blamed the violence on the Transitional Military Council (TMC), saying that it is part of a plan to violently clear the protests.

“The killing and intimidation on Nile Street is just a prelude to committing a massacre to end the sit-in by force,” Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA) said in a statement late on Saturday.

Tensions are mounting between the TMC and an alliance of protest and opposition groups who want a quick handover of power to civilians.

TMC officials could not immediately be reached for a comment.

The head of the central Khartoum military region said on Thursday the protest site “has become unsafe and represents a danger to the revolution and the revolutionaries and threatens the coherence of the state and its national security.”

Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Editing by Chris Reese

Eleven wounded in Sudan by gunfire near sit-in -opposition committee

At least 11 people were wounded by gunfire near a protest sit-in in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Saturday, an opposition doctors’ committee said.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudan protest leaders say they cut contact with military
Updated 20 sec ago
AP
AFP
June 03, 2019

Members of Sudan's alliance of opposition and protest groups chant slogans outside Sudan's Central Bank, in Khartoum, Sudan May 29, 2019. (Reuters)

• In a sit-in camp, protesters have demanded an end to military rule
• Protest leaders said the military is trying to break up the protest site

Khartoum: Sudanese protest leaders said they cut all contact with the military rulers and called for “total civil disobedience” after a deadly crackdown Monday on a sit-in outside the army headquarters.

“We announce the end of all political contact and negotiations with the putschist Council,” the Alliance for Freedom and Change, the umbrella group of the protest movement, said in a statement.

Earlier, Sudanese security forces moved against a protest sit-in camp in the capital, witnesses and protest organizers said. Machine gun fire and explosions were heard and smoke rose from the area.

Protest organizers said at least nine people were killed. Reports suggest that military forces blocked roads leading to protest areas in Khartoum.

The military's move came after a weeks-long standoff with protesters seeking a speedy transition to civilian rule following the April ouster of long-time strongman Omar al-Bashir.

The European Union asked the military council to hand power to civilians.

Dura Gambo, an activist, said large numbers of troops besieged the sit-in area outside the military's headquarters in Khartoum on Monday and arrested protesters trying to leave.

"They have used the heavy rain yesterday and moved in the early morning to disperse people," she said.

An Associated Press journalist saw buses and soldiers on foot blocking roads leading to the protest site. Civilians were not allowed to walk in the streets, including women and children.

Videos circulating online appeared to show protesters standing at low brick barricades in the street, then being driven back by walls of blue-clad security forces carrying sticks.

Other videos showed protesters running through streets lined with sit-in tents, heads down, as the sound of gunfire filled the air.

Tens of thousands of protesters have been camped for weeks outside the military's headquarters, the epicenter of Sudan's uprising that led to the military overthrow of al-Bashir.

Protesters had vowed to remain in the streets after Bashir's ouster, saying an end to his 30-year rule did not go far enough.

Protest leaders and military officials have been negotiating over the makeup of a transitional government, as protesters call for "limited military representation" in a sovereign council that would lead the country as it transitions to civilian rule over three years.

Both sides are split over the makeup and leadership of the council, with the ruling generals refusing to relinquish power.

Sudanese forces storm protest camp, more than 30 people killed -medics

KHARTOUM: Security forces stormed a protest camp in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday and opposition-linked medics said more than 30 people were killed in the worst violence since the overthrow of President Omar Al-Bashir in April. Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters...

www.arabnews.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudan protest leaders say they cut contact with military
Updated 20 sec ago
AP
AFP
June 03, 2019
View attachment 7475
Members of Sudan's alliance of opposition and protest groups chant slogans outside Sudan's Central Bank, in Khartoum, Sudan May 29, 2019. (Reuters)

• In a sit-in camp, protesters have demanded an end to military rule
• Protest leaders said the military is trying to break up the protest site

Khartoum: Sudanese protest leaders said they cut all contact with the military rulers and called for “total civil disobedience” after a deadly crackdown Monday on a sit-in outside the army headquarters.

“We announce the end of all political contact and negotiations with the putschist Council,” the Alliance for Freedom and Change, the umbrella group of the protest movement, said in a statement.

Earlier, Sudanese security forces moved against a protest sit-in camp in the capital, witnesses and protest organizers said. Machine gun fire and explosions were heard and smoke rose from the area.

Protest organizers said at least nine people were killed. Reports suggest that military forces blocked roads leading to protest areas in Khartoum.

The military's move came after a weeks-long standoff with protesters seeking a speedy transition to civilian rule following the April ouster of long-time strongman Omar al-Bashir.

The European Union asked the military council to hand power to civilians.

Dura Gambo, an activist, said large numbers of troops besieged the sit-in area outside the military's headquarters in Khartoum on Monday and arrested protesters trying to leave.

"They have used the heavy rain yesterday and moved in the early morning to disperse people," she said.

An Associated Press journalist saw buses and soldiers on foot blocking roads leading to the protest site. Civilians were not allowed to walk in the streets, including women and children.

Videos circulating online appeared to show protesters standing at low brick barricades in the street, then being driven back by walls of blue-clad security forces carrying sticks.

Other videos showed protesters running through streets lined with sit-in tents, heads down, as the sound of gunfire filled the air.

Tens of thousands of protesters have been camped for weeks outside the military's headquarters, the epicenter of Sudan's uprising that led to the military overthrow of al-Bashir.

Protesters had vowed to remain in the streets after Bashir's ouster, saying an end to his 30-year rule did not go far enough.

Protest leaders and military officials have been negotiating over the makeup of a transitional government, as protesters call for "limited military representation" in a sovereign council that would lead the country as it transitions to civilian rule over three years.

Both sides are split over the makeup and leadership of the council, with the ruling generals refusing to relinquish power.

Sudanese forces storm protest camp, more than 30 people killed -medics

KHARTOUM: Security forces stormed a protest camp in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday and opposition-linked medics said more than 30 people were killed in the worst violence since the overthrow of President Omar Al-Bashir in April. Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters...

www.arabnews.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudanese forces storm protest camp, more than 30 people killed: medics
June 3, 2019
Michael Georgy

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Security forces stormed a protest camp in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday and opposition-linked medics said more than 30 people were killed in the worst violence since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed chaotic scenes of people fleeing through streets as sustained bursts of gunfire crackled in the air during violence that drew rapid Western and African censure.

Witnesses said a sit-in next to the Defence Ministry, the focal point of anti-government protests that started in December, had been cleared. Protesters poured onto streets elsewhere in Khartoum and beyond in response, setting up barricades and roadblocks with rocks and burning tyres.

A group of doctors linked to the opposition said 30 people had been “martyred” in Monday’s violence, with the toll expected to rise because not all casualties had been accounted for. The group had earlier said at least 116 people were wounded.

The main protest group accused the ruling military council of perpetrating “a massacre” as it broke up the camp.

The Transitional Military Council (TMC) denied that, with a spokesman, Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi, telling Reuters security forces were pursuing “unruly elements” who had fled to the protest site and caused chaos.

“The Transitional Military Council regrets the way the situation unfolded, reaffirming its full commitment to the ... safety of the citizens and renews its call for negotiations as soon as possible,” the council later said in a statement.

Monday’s violence is likely to deal a blow to hopes for a restart to stalled talks and a negotiated settlement over who should govern in a transitional period after Bashir’s overthrow.

Sudan’s public prosecutor on Monday ordered an investigation into the violence, state news agency SUNA said.

TALKS HALTED
An alliance of protest and opposition groups that had been negotiating with the military for weeks said it was halting all contact with the council.

The TMC had offered to let protesters form a government but insisted on maintaining overall authority during an interim period. Demonstrators want civilians to run the transitional period and lead Sudan’s 40 million people to democracy.
The protest-linked doctors group said security forces had surrounded one Khartoum hospital and had opened fire at another where they were pursuing protesters.

“The protesters holding a sit-in in front of the army general command are facing a massacre in a treacherous attempt to disperse the protest,” said protests organizer the Sudanese Professionals Association.

The United Nations, African Union and European Union expressed deep concern, some explicitly blaming the military.
“What is clear to us is that there was use of excessive force by the security forces on civilians,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Britain’s ambassador Irfan Siddiq said he heard gunfire for more than an hour from his residence. “No excuse for any such attack. This. Must. Stop. Now,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Responsibility falls on the TMC. The TMC cannot responsibly lead the people of Sudan,” added the U.S. Embassy.
The European Union urged a speedy transfer of power to civilians, while the African Union called for an immediate investigation, and Amnesty International urged sanctions on those officials responsible.

Neighboring Egypt called for “calm and restraint”, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it hoped that dialogue would prevail in Sudan.

“The regional experience has taught us that the orderly and conservative transition of the state and its institutions is the only way to avoid years of chaos and loss,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter.

SMOKE AND STONES
Television footage showed black smoke rising from tents, apparently torched by the raiding force.
Internet users reported connection problems.

As protests unfurled, demonstrators in Khartoum hurled stones at security forces, who charged amid sounds of intense gunfire. One video posted on social media showed a protester collapse to the ground, crying in pain after being hit by what appeared to be live fire.

A Reuters witness saw troops wielding batons, including riot police and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), deploy in central Khartoum and close roads, apparently to try to block people from reaching the protest site.

The RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the military council’s deputy head. Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is a close ally of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and sent Sudanese troops to join the coalition they lead in Yemen’s civil war.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are eager to root out Islamists who dominated in Sudan under Bashir’s three-decade rule.

The military’s role in ousting Bashir has raised fears among many Sudanese that their country could follow a similar path to neighboring Egypt after its 2011 uprising.

There, a military council oversaw a turbulent and sometimes violent transition before army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the overthrow of Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Mursi. Sisi was elected president in 2014 and again in 2018 with 97 percent of the vote.

Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Michael Georgy in Khartoum; Additional reporting by Ali Abdelaty, Omar Fahmy, Lena Masri and Yousef Saba in Cairo; Writing by Sami Aboudi, Aidan Lewis and Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Andrew Cawthorne and Catherine Evans

Sudanese forces storm protest camp, more than 35 people killed: medics

Security forces stormed a protest camp in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday and opposition-linked medics said more than 35 people were killed in the worst violence since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudanese forces storm protest camp, more than 30 people killed: medics
June 3, 2019
Michael Georgy

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Security forces stormed a protest camp in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday and opposition-linked medics said more than 30 people were killed in the worst violence since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed chaotic scenes of people fleeing through streets as sustained bursts of gunfire crackled in the air during violence that drew rapid Western and African censure.

Witnesses said a sit-in next to the Defence Ministry, the focal point of anti-government protests that started in December, had been cleared. Protesters poured onto streets elsewhere in Khartoum and beyond in response, setting up barricades and roadblocks with rocks and burning tyres.

A group of doctors linked to the opposition said 30 people had been “martyred” in Monday’s violence, with the toll expected to rise because not all casualties had been accounted for. The group had earlier said at least 116 people were wounded.

The main protest group accused the ruling military council of perpetrating “a massacre” as it broke up the camp.

The Transitional Military Council (TMC) denied that, with a spokesman, Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi, telling Reuters security forces were pursuing “unruly elements” who had fled to the protest site and caused chaos.

“The Transitional Military Council regrets the way the situation unfolded, reaffirming its full commitment to the ... safety of the citizens and renews its call for negotiations as soon as possible,” the council later said in a statement.

Monday’s violence is likely to deal a blow to hopes for a restart to stalled talks and a negotiated settlement over who should govern in a transitional period after Bashir’s overthrow.

Sudan’s public prosecutor on Monday ordered an investigation into the violence, state news agency SUNA said.

TALKS HALTED
An alliance of protest and opposition groups that had been negotiating with the military for weeks said it was halting all contact with the council.

The TMC had offered to let protesters form a government but insisted on maintaining overall authority during an interim period. Demonstrators want civilians to run the transitional period and lead Sudan’s 40 million people to democracy.
The protest-linked doctors group said security forces had surrounded one Khartoum hospital and had opened fire at another where they were pursuing protesters.

“The protesters holding a sit-in in front of the army general command are facing a massacre in a treacherous attempt to disperse the protest,” said protests organizer the Sudanese Professionals Association.

The United Nations, African Union and European Union expressed deep concern, some explicitly blaming the military.
“What is clear to us is that there was use of excessive force by the security forces on civilians,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Britain’s ambassador Irfan Siddiq said he heard gunfire for more than an hour from his residence. “No excuse for any such attack. This. Must. Stop. Now,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Responsibility falls on the TMC. The TMC cannot responsibly lead the people of Sudan,” added the U.S. Embassy.
The European Union urged a speedy transfer of power to civilians, while the African Union called for an immediate investigation, and Amnesty International urged sanctions on those officials responsible.

Neighboring Egypt called for “calm and restraint”, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it hoped that dialogue would prevail in Sudan.

“The regional experience has taught us that the orderly and conservative transition of the state and its institutions is the only way to avoid years of chaos and loss,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter.

SMOKE AND STONES
Television footage showed black smoke rising from tents, apparently torched by the raiding force.
Internet users reported connection problems.

As protests unfurled, demonstrators in Khartoum hurled stones at security forces, who charged amid sounds of intense gunfire. One video posted on social media showed a protester collapse to the ground, crying in pain after being hit by what appeared to be live fire.

A Reuters witness saw troops wielding batons, including riot police and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), deploy in central Khartoum and close roads, apparently to try to block people from reaching the protest site.

The RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the military council’s deputy head. Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is a close ally of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and sent Sudanese troops to join the coalition they lead in Yemen’s civil war.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are eager to root out Islamists who dominated in Sudan under Bashir’s three-decade rule.

The military’s role in ousting Bashir has raised fears among many Sudanese that their country could follow a similar path to neighboring Egypt after its 2011 uprising.

There, a military council oversaw a turbulent and sometimes violent transition before army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the overthrow of Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Mursi. Sisi was elected president in 2014 and again in 2018 with 97 percent of the vote.

Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Michael Georgy in Khartoum; Additional reporting by Ali Abdelaty, Omar Fahmy, Lena Masri and Yousef Saba in Cairo; Writing by Sami Aboudi, Aidan Lewis and Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Andrew Cawthorne and Catherine Evans

Sudanese forces storm protest camp, more than 35 people killed: medics

Security forces stormed a protest camp in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday and opposition-linked medics said more than 35 people were killed in the worst violence since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudanese opposition rejects military's transition plan after day of violence
04 June 2019
Khalid Abdelaziz

Sudanese protesters are seen near burning tyres used to erect a barricade on a street, demanding that the country's Transitional Military Council handover power to civilians, in Khartoum, Sudan June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan’s opposition on Tuesday rejected a plan by its military rulers to hold elections within nine months, a day after the worst bout of violence since Omar al-Bashir was ousted as president in April.

At least 35 people were killed on Monday when security forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum, according to doctors linked to the opposition.

The military council that has ruled since Bashir’s overthrow afterwards canceled all agreements with the main opposition alliance.

But Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) opposition alliance, said an open-ended civil disobedience campaign would continue to try to force the council from power.

The opposition rejected all that Transitional Military Council (TMC) Head Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in his statement, Madani told Reuters.

“What happened, killing protesters, wounding and humiliation, was a systematic and planned matter to impose repression on the Sudanese people,” he said.

The atmosphere in the capital Khartoum was very tense on Tuesday as many roads were barricaded by protesters, many shops were shut and streets were mostly empty. Security forces were trying to clear the barricades, a Reuters witness said.

Rapid Support Forces vehicles were patrolling the streets in Omdurman, on the other side of the River Nile from Khartoum, and firing into the air.

The leaders of protests that forced Bashir from power after three decades of authoritarian rule in April have demanded preparations for elections during a transitional period led by a civilian administration.

The military council has also been under both domestic and international pressure to hand over power to civilians. It had agreed to a three-year transition period with the DFCF.

RISK OF ESCALATION
The main protest organizers, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), accused the security forces of perpetrating “a massacre” when they raided the camp amid heavy gunfire.

Council spokesman Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi denied this and said security forces were pursuing “unruly elements” who had fled to the protest site and caused chaos.

Sudan has been rocked by unrest since December, when anger over rising bread prices and cash shortages broke into sustained protests that culminated in the armed forces ousting Bashir.

But talks between a coalition of protesters and opposition parties ground to a halt amid deep differences over who will lead a transition to democracy that both sides had agreed will last for three years.

In a televised address in the early hours of Tuesday morning, council leader Burhan said the opposition coalition was equally responsible for the delay in coming to a final agreement.

The council had decided to cancel all agreements with the protest groups and called for elections within nine months, which he said will be organized under regional and international supervision.
“Gaining legitimacy and a mandate does not come but through the ballot box,” Burhan said.

He also announced that a government would immediately be formed to run the country until elections are held.
Burhan also said he regretted the violence and it would be investigated.

The security forces’ operation drew condemnation from Europe, the United States and the African Union.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it was clear they had used excessive force on civilians, while British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt called the dispersal “outrageous”.

The European Union urged a speedy transfer of power to civilians. Neighboring Egypt called for “calm and restraint”, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it hoped that dialogue would prevail in Sudan.

The Soufan Group, a security and intelligence think-tank, warned that the situation could escalate swiftly to more violence.

“There are clear parallels to some of the Arab Spring protests that eventually progressed to full-blown insurgencies, including Syria, where indiscriminate shelling of civilians by the military initially galvanized protest movements that helped launch a broader uprising,” it said in an analysis.

“There is a real risk that the situation could spiral into full-blown civil war, which would significantly affect the region, with spillover violence impacting the ongoing conflict in Libya.”

However, Hamid Eltgani Ali, a professor at the American University in Cairo, predicted that the protest movement would succeed in forcing the military to step down.

There were two competing visions for Sudan’s future, he told Reuters.

“The vision of hate and division is led by the Janjaweed (militias) and military resisting to preserve their economic interests they enjoyed during Bashir’s rule, while the vision of hope is led by professional associations and syndicates. They want a democratic, open Sudan with a strong developmental vision,” Ali said.

Sudan has been on a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism since 1993 that denies the country access to financial markets and strangles its economy.

Washington lifted a 20-year trade embargo against Sudan in 2017 and was in discussions to remove it from the sponsor of terrorism list when the military stepped in to depose Bashir.

Reporting by Ali Abdelaty, Nadine Awadalla, and Yousef Saba, Editing by Angus MacSwan

Sudan opposition rejects military's transition plan after day of violence

Sudan's opposition on Tuesday rejected a plan by its military rulers to hold elections within nine months, a day after the worst bout of violence since President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in April.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudanese opposition rejects military's transition plan after day of violence
04 June 2019
Khalid Abdelaziz


View attachment 7507
Sudanese protesters are seen near burning tyres used to erect a barricade on a street, demanding that the country's Transitional Military Council handover power to civilians, in Khartoum, Sudan June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan’s opposition on Tuesday rejected a plan by its military rulers to hold elections within nine months, a day after the worst bout of violence since Omar al-Bashir was ousted as president in April.

At least 35 people were killed on Monday when security forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum, according to doctors linked to the opposition.

The military council that has ruled since Bashir’s overthrow afterwards canceled all agreements with the main opposition alliance.

But Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) opposition alliance, said an open-ended civil disobedience campaign would continue to try to force the council from power.

The opposition rejected all that Transitional Military Council (TMC) Head Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in his statement, Madani told Reuters.

“What happened, killing protesters, wounding and humiliation, was a systematic and planned matter to impose repression on the Sudanese people,” he said.

The atmosphere in the capital Khartoum was very tense on Tuesday as many roads were barricaded by protesters, many shops were shut and streets were mostly empty. Security forces were trying to clear the barricades, a Reuters witness said.

Rapid Support Forces vehicles were patrolling the streets in Omdurman, on the other side of the River Nile from Khartoum, and firing into the air.

The leaders of protests that forced Bashir from power after three decades of authoritarian rule in April have demanded preparations for elections during a transitional period led by a civilian administration.

The military council has also been under both domestic and international pressure to hand over power to civilians. It had agreed to a three-year transition period with the DFCF.

RISK OF ESCALATION
The main protest organizers, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), accused the security forces of perpetrating “a massacre” when they raided the camp amid heavy gunfire.

Council spokesman Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi denied this and said security forces were pursuing “unruly elements” who had fled to the protest site and caused chaos.

Sudan has been rocked by unrest since December, when anger over rising bread prices and cash shortages broke into sustained protests that culminated in the armed forces ousting Bashir.

But talks between a coalition of protesters and opposition parties ground to a halt amid deep differences over who will lead a transition to democracy that both sides had agreed will last for three years.

In a televised address in the early hours of Tuesday morning, council leader Burhan said the opposition coalition was equally responsible for the delay in coming to a final agreement.

The council had decided to cancel all agreements with the protest groups and called for elections within nine months, which he said will be organized under regional and international supervision.
“Gaining legitimacy and a mandate does not come but through the ballot box,” Burhan said.

He also announced that a government would immediately be formed to run the country until elections are held.
Burhan also said he regretted the violence and it would be investigated.

The security forces’ operation drew condemnation from Europe, the United States and the African Union.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it was clear they had used excessive force on civilians, while British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt called the dispersal “outrageous”.

The European Union urged a speedy transfer of power to civilians. Neighboring Egypt called for “calm and restraint”, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it hoped that dialogue would prevail in Sudan.

The Soufan Group, a security and intelligence think-tank, warned that the situation could escalate swiftly to more violence.

“There are clear parallels to some of the Arab Spring protests that eventually progressed to full-blown insurgencies, including Syria, where indiscriminate shelling of civilians by the military initially galvanized protest movements that helped launch a broader uprising,” it said in an analysis.

“There is a real risk that the situation could spiral into full-blown civil war, which would significantly affect the region, with spillover violence impacting the ongoing conflict in Libya.”

However, Hamid Eltgani Ali, a professor at the American University in Cairo, predicted that the protest movement would succeed in forcing the military to step down.

There were two competing visions for Sudan’s future, he told Reuters.

“The vision of hate and division is led by the Janjaweed (militias) and military resisting to preserve their economic interests they enjoyed during Bashir’s rule, while the vision of hope is led by professional associations and syndicates. They want a democratic, open Sudan with a strong developmental vision,” Ali said.

Sudan has been on a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism since 1993 that denies the country access to financial markets and strangles its economy.

Washington lifted a 20-year trade embargo against Sudan in 2017 and was in discussions to remove it from the sponsor of terrorism list when the military stepped in to depose Bashir.

Reporting by Ali Abdelaty, Nadine Awadalla, and Yousef Saba, Editing by Angus MacSwan

Sudan opposition rejects military's transition plan after day of violence

Sudan's opposition on Tuesday rejected a plan by its military rulers to hold elections within nine months, a day after the worst bout of violence since President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in April.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Sudan deal scrapped, election call made
Written by Reuters -
4th Jun 2019

Sudan’s ruling military council cancelled all agreements with the main opposition coalition and called for elections within nine months, following the worst violence since President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April.

The decision by the Transitional Military Council (TMC) is likely to fuel anger among protest leaders who demand preparations for elections during a longer transitional period led by a civilian administration.

The TMC is under domestic and international pressure to hand power to civilians.

At least 35 people were killed when security forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defence Ministry in central Khartoum on Monday amid heavy gunfire, according to a group of doctors linked to the opposition. The group earlier said at least 116 people were wounded.

Main protest organisers the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) accused the TMC of perpetrating “a massacre” as it broke up the camp, a charge denied by the council.

TMC spokesman Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi said security forces were pursuing “unruly elements” who fled to the protest site and caused chaos.

The camp is the focal point of pressure on the country’s military rulers to hand power to civilians.

Sudan has been rocked by unrest since December, when anger over rising bread prices and cash shortages broke into sustained protests culminating in the armed forces ousting Bashir.

Talks between a coalition of protesters and opposition parties ground to a halt amid differences over who will lead a transition to democracy both sides agree will last three years.

In a televised address in the early hours of Tuesday, TMC leader Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the opposition coalition was equally responsible for the delay in reaching a final agreement.

The TMC decided to cancel all agreements with protest groups and call for elections within nine months, which will be organised under regional and international supervision.

“Gaining legitimacy and a mandate comes through the ballot box,” Burhan said.

He announced a government would immediately be formed to run the country until elections are held.

Protest organisers have not officially responded to Burhan’s decision. They earlier condemned the violence and vowed to escalate protests to force military rulers to hand power to civilians.

Burhan regretted the violence accompanying what he described as “an operation to clean Nile Street” and said it will be investigated.
The operation drew condemnation from Europe, the United States and the African Union.

Sudan has been on a US list of states that sponsor terrorism since 1993 that denies the country access to financial markets and strangles its economy.

Washington lifted a 20-year trade embargo against Sudan in 2017 and was in discussions to remove it from the sponsor of terrorism list when the military stepped in on April 11 to depose Bashir, who ruled Sudan for 30 years.

Sudan deal scrapped, election call made - defenceWeb

Sudan’s ruling military council cancelled all agreements with the main opposition coalition and called for elections within nine months, following the worst violence since President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April. The decision by the Transitional Military Council (TMC) is likely to fuel...

www.defenceweb.co.za

 

[Khafee]

China, Russia Block UN Action on Sudan as Western Powers Denounce Election Plan
Wednesday, 5 June, 2019

Sudanese protesters are seen near burning tyres used to erect a barricade on a street, demanding that the country's Transitional Military Council handover power to civilians, in Khartoum, Sudan June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

China, backed by Russia, blocked a bid at the UN Security Council on Tuesday to condemn the killing of civilians in Sudan after the United States, Britain and Norway denounced a plan by Sudanese military rulers to hold elections within nine months.

During a closed-door council meeting, Britain and Germany circulated a press statement that would have called on the military rulers and protesters to "continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis," according to the draft seen by Agence France Presse.

But China firmly objected to the proposed text while Russia insisted that the council should await a response from the African Union, diplomats said.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the proposed statement was "unbalanced" and stressed the need to be "very cautious in this situation."

The council met a day after nearly 40 people were killed when security forces ended a weeks-long sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum by protesters demanding an end to military rule.

Army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced Tuesday that he was scrapping a plan for a three-year transition period and would hold elections within nine months.

"By ordering these attacks, the Transitional Military Council has put the transition process and peace in Sudan in jeopardy," Washington, London and Oslo, which are active on Sudan, said in a joint statement.

"The people of Sudan deserve an orderly transition, led by civilians, that can establish the conditions for free and fair elections, rather than have rushed elections imposed by the TMC's security forces," they said.

"We call for an agreed transfer of power to a civilian-led government as demanded by the people of Sudan," the United States, Britain and Norway said.

Hours earlier, Moscow threw its support behind Burhan’s move.

“We welcome the statement by TMC head Burhan on the establishment of a technocratic government to govern the country during the transitional period and the holding of general elections in Sudan in nine months," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that Moscow is against external pressure on Sudan.

According to analysts, Sudan is at risk of getting bloodier with more violence and chaos gripping the country.

Hassan Saouri, a political science professor at Neelain University in Khartoum, said the violence could spark more political uncertainty.

The northeast African nation could be headed "towards all kinds of chaos -- politically, militarily and societally," he told AFP from Khartoum.

"The chaotic scene could see younger military officers either joining the ranks of the revolution or backing the military council," he added.

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