Showing posts with label UMMA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UMMA. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

SAF seems open to mediation initiatives. Saudi-US initiative is advanced, resumption of talks imminent

Report at Radio Dabanga - www.dabangasudan.org/en

Published Tuesday 18 July 2023 - here is a full copy:


Army remarks spark rumours that resumption of Jeddah talks is ‘imminent’

Army general and member of the Sovereignty Council Shamseldin Kabbashi (file photo: SUNA)


KHARTOUM – July 17, 2023


The leadership of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) seems open to mediation initiatives. SAF Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan praised the Saudi Arabia-USA-led mediation efforts in Jeddah and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Shamseldin Kabbashi said that the army is open to ‘any serious initiative’ to stop the war.


El Burhan thanked the governments of Saudi Arabia and the USA for facilitating the negotiation process in the Saudi city of Jeddah and highlighted the importance of the initiative.


Kabbashi told Al Jazeera TV channel on Saturday that the army is “open to any serious initiative to stop the war that guarantees the preservation of national sovereignty”.


He supports a comprehensive political dialogue and noted that the Saudi-American initiative is “advanced”.


The dialogue should lead to the formation of a civilian government to lead the transitional period and prepare for elections.


“The conspiracy against the country is great” and the armed forces are carrying out their constitutional duty, Kabbashi said.


On Saturday, Sudanese government sources reported that government representatives had arrived in Saudi Arabia to resume talks with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).


These developments followed a Saudi-US statement, in which the two countries pledged their shared commitment to ending the conflict in Sudan.


In a summit in Egyptian capital Cairo last week, seven of Sudan’s neighbouring countries also agreed on ‘mechanism’ to end the war.


In a visit to Nairobi, Kenya, Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sisi stated that the summit complements other regional efforts aimed at ending the conflict and moving to peaceful dialogue.


Wide welcome


Within Sudan, Kabbashi statements were welcomed. Maj Gen (Retd) Fadlallah Burma, interim head of the National Umma Party (NUP), praised Kabbashi’s statements as “positive” on Sunday.


He called on the commanders of the warring SAF and RSF to immediately turn to the negotiating table in Jeddah to reach a comprehensive ceasefire and end the war.


NUP Secretary-General El Wasig El Bereir said in a post on Twitter yesterday that Kabbashi’s statements are “a courageous position that contributes to restoring stability in the country”. 


‘A courageous position that contributes to restoring stability in the country’

El Wasig El Bereir (NUP)


The head of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP), Omar El Degeir, also welcomed Kabbashi’s statements and called for an immediate cessation of the war.


Khaled Omar Yousef, another leading member of the SCP and official spokesperson of the political process that saw the signing of the Framework Agreement, said in a post on Twitter that he welcomed Kabbashi’s statements and considered them an important step towards stopping the war.


He expressed his hope that negotiations will resume through the Jeddah platform soon and that Sudanese, international, and regional efforts will be coordinated in a unified negotiating platform.


Mohamed El Faki, former member of the Sovereignty Council and member of the Federal Assembly, said that the statements of General Kabbashi are a step in the right direction.


Criticism


Mubarak El Fadiu, head of a NUP breakaway faction, commented that if El Burhan agrees to return to a truce after the losses it caused to the people, he will have failed the people.


He accused the Biden administration of “seeking to salvage what remains of the RSF” in a post on Twitter. 


He stressed that “there should be no negotiations with the RSF, except for their surrender”.


Three-month truce


Journalist and political analyst Abdallah Rizig said that Gen Kabbashi and the RSF have an opportunity to promote a peaceful choice in practice through a ceasefire agreement.


The RSF should, as a first stage, withdraw to its positions before April 15 and the ceasefire should be properly monitored.


Both El Burhan and Hemedti, or their representatives, need to fully follow the roadmap that was agreed upon in the Jeddah platform. Rizig also stressed the need for an explicit declaration from the RSF not to seek to take power through war, as an affirmation of good faith.


Liaison Committee


On Saturday, the RSF formed a liaison committee with political and societal groups and rebel movements in the country.


The committee, set up by RSF Commander Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, is chaired by his adviser Yousef Ezzat and aims to hold “wide-ranging consultations to address the roots of the accumulated national crisis”.


View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/army-remarks-spark-rumours-that-resumption-of-jeddah-talks-is-imminent

[Ends] 

Saturday, November 27, 2021

UN envoy: Sudan's new deal saved the country from civil war

Here is a full copy of a news report published at abcnews.go.com

Written by NOHA ELHENNAWY Associated Press (AP)

Dated and published at abcnews.com on Friday 26 November 2021, 20:53

UN envoy: Sudan's new deal saved the country from civil war


The U.N. envoy to Sudan says a deal struck to reinstate the country's civilian prime minister after a military coup is imperfect but has saved the country from falling into civil strife


The Associated Press

Thousands of protesters take to the streets to renew their demand for a civilian government in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. The rallies came just days after the military signed a power-sharing deal with the prime minister, after releasing him from house arrest and reinstating him as head of government. The deal came almost a month after the generals orchestrated a coup. Sudan’s key pro-democracy groups and political parties have dismissed the deal as falling short of their demands for a fully civilian rule. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)


CAIRO -- The deal struck in Sudan to reinstate the prime minister following a military coup is imperfect but has saved the country from sliding into civil strife, the U.N. envoy to Sudan said on Friday.

Special Envoy Volker Perthes was speaking of the agreement between Sudan's military leaders and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, who was deposed and put under house arrest following the coup last month that stirred an international outcry.

The military takeover threatened to thwart the process of democratic transition that the country had embarked on since the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

The deal, signed on Sunday, was seen as the biggest concession made by the country's top military leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, since the coup. However, the country's pro-democracy groups have dismissed it as illegitimate and accused Hamdok of allowing himself to serve as a fig leaf for continued military rule.

“The agreement of course is not perfect,” Perthes told The Associated Press. “But it is better than not having an agreement and continuing on a path where the military in the end will be the sole ruler."

Both signatories felt compelled to make “bitter concessions” in order to spare the country the risk of more violence, chaos and international isolation, he added.

“It would not have been possible to exclude a scenario which would have brought Sudan to something close to what we have seen in Yemen, Libya or Syria,” Perthes said. He spoke to the AP via videoconference from Khartoum.

Sudan has been struggling with its transition to a democratic government since the military overthrow of al-Bashir in 2019, following a mass uprising against three decades of his rule.

The deal that Hamdok signed with the military envisions an independent Cabinet of technocrats led by the prime minister until new elections are held. The government will still remain under military oversight, although Hamdok claims he will have the power to appoint ministers.

The deal also stipulates that all political detainees arrested following the Oct. 25 coup be released. So far, several ministers and politicians have been freed. The number of those still in detention remains unknown.

“We have a situation now where we at least have an important step towards the restoration of the constitutional order,” said Perthes.

Since the takeover, protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets in some of the largest demonstrations in recent years. Sudanese security forces have cracked down on the rallies and have killed more than 40 protesters so far, according to activist groups.

Further measures need to taken to prove the viability of the deal, said Perthes, including the release of all detainees, the cessation of the use of violence against protesters and Hamdok's full freedom to choose his Cabinet members.

On Friday hundreds rallied in Khartoum and other Sudanese provinces to demand a fully civilian government and protest the deal for the second straight day. It came after thousands protested on Thursday.

One of the marches was led Siddiq Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, a leader of Sudan's prominent Umma Party, which has split with other pro-democratic groups over the deal to reinstate Hamdok. He told journalists that protesters must remain steadfast in their calls for the generals to surrender power . Al-Mahdi was among those who were arrested during the coup and was let go in recent days.

He refused the idea of further negotiations.

“As things currently stand, there is no opportunity for things to move forward,” he said.

View original: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/envoy-sudans-deal-saved-country-civil-war-81404904

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Sudan: FFC says attacks in El Geneina, W. Darfur killing 80+ and displacing 47,000+ was not tribal

Photo: A picture taken during the attacks by Arab herders on camps and villages near El Geneina on December 29-30 (RD)

FFC West Darfur delegation: ‘Violence fomented by deep state’
Report from Radio Dabanga.org
Dated 06 January 2020 - EL GENEINA

The delegation of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) that concluded a three-day visit to West Darfur yesterday, said that the violence in El Geneina last week that killed more than 80 people and displaced at least 47,000 was not tribal.

Dr Maryam El Sadig, co-vice president of the National Umma Party (NUP) and member of the FFC delegation, told the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) yesterday that all members of the delegation agreed on this.

She said that the attacks on the two Kerending camps, surrounding villages, and districts near the state capital El Geneina, were the result of “elements of the deep state achieving their personal interests”.

El Sadig said the people the delegation spoke to assured them of their commitment to peaceful coexistence, non-aggression, adherence to the law, and the spirit of the revolution.

‘Situation contained’

The acting military governor of West Darfur said that the efforts of the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers to contain the situation have been successful. They managed to address “90 per cent of the causes of the problems”. He claimed arrangements are underway to reach an ultimate solution.

The curfew has been lifted to open the way for humanitarian organisations to deliver aid to those affected.

The governor also said the markets have reopened and commercial trucks that had been stranded in Zalingei because of the violence are arriving from Omdurman.

Many of the victims blame ‘janjaweed’ or ‘militant herders in vehicles belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia’ for the violence. They also claim the West Darfur state government had prior knowledge of the attacks that started on December 28 and did nothing to prevent or stop it.

Attorney General Tajelsir El Hibir appointed a fact-finding investigation committee into the El Geneina violence on Thursday. El Hibir took part in the government delegation that visited El Geneina last week in order to assess the situation.

Earlier today, El Hibir announced that the investigation committee has started its work. It will do so “in full neutrality, transparent and highly professional” and it is “ready to receive complaints from the public”.

Aid

The Businessmen’s Association announced the launch of a “They Are Relatives” initiative to help the victims of the El Geneina attacks.

The Association's information secretary, Mohamed El Amin Tebeidi, said at a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday that the association “so far collected more than SDG 1 million to support those affected with food and medicines”.

The businessmen also plan to set up a campaign in the area raising awareness of the importance of peace, spreading love, lending a hand, helping families affected by the war in the region, and removing grievances.

Sudanese activists started solidarity projects last week.

Members of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHA) visited El Geneina, as part of a broader delegation, which included government officials from the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Social Development and Welfare, and representatives of WFP and Unicef.

According to OCHA some 40.000 people have been displaced. Approximately 5,000 people have crossed the border into Chad, seeking refuge in villages near the border with Sudan.

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High Committee: ‘West Darfur crisis not tribal’
Report from Radio Dabanga.org
Dated 09 January 2020 - EL GENEINA / KHARTOUM
Photo: Displaced children play among salvaged belongings after the violence in El Geneina (RD)

The High Committee for Managing the West Darfur Crisis, which began on December 28, 2019 around El Geneina, and claimed dozens of lives last month, asserts that “the events were not tribal, as has been reported by the media”. International humanitarian efforts are underway to assist more than 40,000 people displaced by the violence.

On Wednesday, the committee said in a press conference held at the Teiba Press Hall in Khartoum that based on evidence and facts, such as audio recordings, written evidence, and a statement by the University of El Geneina, in addition to the circumstantial facts in the place of the events, such as killing, fire, rape, and theft, confirm that the events are not tribal.

The committee holds the responsibility for the incidents to “the state’s governor, the security committee, and other defendants”.

Member of the committee, lawyer Abdo reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) government militia in El Geneina is holding members of the regular forces and civilians.

He said that these detainees have not been charged. He described the step as a crime, noting that the RSF do not have the jurisdiction to detain any person, and demanded that the authorities release the detainees immediately.

The High Committee for the Management of West Darfur Crisis stated that 180 cases of assault with gunfire, nine cases of murder, three cases of rape, and 18 armed robberies in West Darfur preceded the recent events.

The committee noted in the conference that throughout these events, individuals or groups did not move to attack an ethnic group, village or settlement in a sign that affirming that the events were not tribal.

The committee appealed to international organisations and others to contribute to resolving the crisis, noting that the affected people are now in urgent need for tents, shelter, water, food, and health services.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Sudan: Hemeti and RSF, Sudan's ticking time bomb (Part 5)

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor:  The below copied article from The New Arab is dated 25 May 2015. It is published here as part of a series of blog posts featuring Sheikh Musa Hilal of North Darfur, Sudan.  

Musa Hilal and his relatives and comrades have spent the past two years incarcerated in Omdurman prison, not far from Sudan's capital Khartoum. They were arrested in North Darfur in November 2017 by Hemeti's Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Hemeti ordered his RSF, formerly known as Janjaweed, to arrest his cousin and former boss, Musa Hilal, and bring him to Khartoum alive or dead. Some points from the article:
  • Observers feared Hemeti's ambition, which some said could end up destroying the country after the concessions the government has granted him.
  • The Janjaweed have played a major role in quelling rebellions in Sudan.
  • They are associated with the Sudanese Armed Forces.
  • The Janjaweed militia emerged as a powerful political player in Sudan, but the history of militias getting involved in politics suggests all may not end well.
  • The Sudanese government allowed 3,000 Janjaweed to deploy in various areas of Khartoum.
  • In 2014 the Janjaweed militias were brought under a united command and given their new official name - the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).  Read more:
Article from and by The New Arab www.alaraby.co.uk
Dated 25 May 2015
The Janjaweed, Sudan's ticking time bomb
The Janjaweed have played a major role in quelling rebellions in Sudan [AFP]

Analysis: The Janjaweed militia has emerged as a powerful political player in Sudan, but the history of militias getting involved in politics suggests all may not end well.

The name Janjaweed strikes fear into the hearts of many Sudanese people. 

The Janjaweed, now formally known as the Rapid Support Forces, first gained international notoriety in 2003 at the beginning of the Darfur conflict. Today, the Janjaweed are being accused of new violations - accusations that their leaders and the Sudanese government strongly deny.

The Janjaweed established their presence on the Sudanese political scene very quickly. They are associated with the Sudanese Armed Forces, fighting alongside them in the Sudanese states of the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, as well as in the Darfur region.

A spoiled child or a ticking bomb?
The Janjaweed, however, also enjoy advantages over the official Sudanese army. Their equipment is more advanced and their salaries are higher. Some people here call them the "spoiled child of the Sudanese regime".

However, others see the Janjaweed as a ticking time bomb. By supporting them, the Khartoum government is digging its own grave, they believe, especially as the government has allowed 3,000 Janjaweed to deploy in various areas of the capital itself.

The Janjaweed started out as Arab tribal militia which the government used to suppress the 2003 Darfur rebellion. The government relied on them heavily for this, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir stated they were responsible for quelling the revolt.

On an international level, the Janjaweed, who have also been known by several other names including the "Border Guards", have been accused of human rights violations in Darfur, including rape and burning villages. These accusations have led the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for President al-Bashir and other Sudanese officials, including Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein.

The Janjaweed have also been accused of recruiting foreigners from Arab tribes in Niger, Chad and Mali. 

The government denies this, however, while the leader of the Janjaweed, Mohamed Hamdan Hamidati [aka Hemeti or Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo], says most of his forces are from the Arab tribes of Darfur - and there are no foreigners among them. 

He says he is willing to provide the government with 100,000 fighters if it requests them, and considers fighting for the government a form of paid employment.

In a documentary, Hamidati, who is 43 years old, said he was called to a meeting with Bashir, who requested his help in quelling rebellions in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, offering him money in exchange.

In 2014, the Janjaweed militias were brought under a united command and given their new official name - the Rapid Support Forces. In order to regularise their status, they were placed under the command of the security forces.

It is believed the Sudanese army refused to integrate the Janjaweed within its ranks, because it considered the Janjaweed to be a chaotic militia following a tribal code, rather than a code of combat.

Hamidati admitted as much when he was sacked as a security adviser in South Darfur. "I am a free human being," he said at the time. "I have my clan and my own army and resources. The state governor cannot reduce my authority."

Official status
At the end of 2014, the Sudanese parliament amended the country's interim constitution, turning the security forces into an official state force, like the army and police. This allowed the Rapid Support Forces to become the military branch of the security forces, fighting in several areas.

Most recently, the Janjaweed played a key role in the Battle of Nakhara in south Darfur, inflicting heavy losses on the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). President Bashir celebrated with the Janjaweed near the front lines, rewarding them, promoting their leaders and handing out medals.

Some sources say Hamidati made any participation by the Janjaweed in battle on the government side conditional on the regularisation of their status.

A source close to him said he "learned from the experience of his cousin, Musa Hilal, who took part in the creation of the Border Guards and participated in the government's military campaigns, before being purposely sidelined by the government - despite his status as an MP and his appointment to a federal ministerial post".

Before the constitutional amendment, Hamidati said that he had asked for a law to be passed allowing the Border Guards, whose intelligence operations he headed, to have powers and military ranks similar to those of the regular forces.

Hamidati demanded participation in government and the development of the areas inhabited by Rihal Arabs in Darfur, pointing to their role in ending the rebellion there and making a success of the Khartoum and Doha negotiations with armed Darfur rebel groups.

Hamidati holds the rank of brigadier and says he achieved it through his military successes, despite having never attended a military academy. He is also a leader of Darfur's Arab tribes, which fought against the rebels in that area.

He became a leader of the Border Guards, which Musa Hilal formed in 2003, and was appointed as a security adviser in South Darfur state. He was later sacked after being accused of involvement in violence in South Darfur.

His sacking occurred after his dispute with the former governor of South Darfur, Hamad Ismail. Ismail had targeted Hamidati's Ruzayqat al-Abalah tribe, the Janjaweed ledaer claimed. After the two men fell out, violence broke out in South Darfur.

After the latest violence, Hamidati became a more important figure, especially as Hilal's fortunes with the government waned. Hamidati said that if his tribe were disempowered in South Darfur, the rebellion would return.

He has become a rising star in the Sudanese press - and, at the same time, a widely feared figure.

Accusations of abuses
In addition to the human rights violations they are accused of in Darfur, his forces are accused of looting and killing people in areas they passed through when they returned from the battlefields of South Kordofan.

"Our forces are disciplined and do not commit violations," he said. "These violations are committed by others who happen to be leaving at the same time. There may be some indiscipline, but these are individual cases which we deal with straight away. Our troops are not angels and similar things happen in other armed forces."

Observers are concerned, however, with Hamidati's ambition, which some say could end up destroying the country after the concessions the government has granted him.

The government has shown its weakness by turning the Janjaweed into a force above criticism, punishing politicians who have expressed concerns about them, say analysts.

Their promotion has dealt a blow to national dialogue efforts, especially following the arrest of the opposition Umma Party leader, Sadiq al-Mahdi. Mahdi, one of the main figures expected to participate in this dialogue, had accused the Janjaweed of committing crimes and recruiting foreigners.

When Mahdi was arrested, Hamidati said the Janjaweed were now in charge of the country - and they were the ones who could decide whether to release Mahdi or keep him in prison.

Previously, Hamidati used to make statements portraying himself as a source of security and stability. 

When the 3,000 Janjaweed were deployed in Khartoum, Hamidati said they would be the main protection force for the Sudanese capital, allowing denizens to live in peace.

"We came to defend you and you should thank us," he said. "We could have left the rebels to attack you."

The Sudanese government is accused of using the Janjaweed to suppress the September 2013 protests against fuel prices. Hundreds of demonstrators were killed and injured.

In the 1980s the democratically elected government of Sadiq al-Mahdi armed the Masiriya and Ruzayqat tribes to fight against the rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), then led by John Garang. 

These became known as "Sadiq's militias".

They were resented by the army. In 1989, under Bashir's command, the army carried out a successful coup against Mahdi. On the day of the coup, Bashir challenged these militias to fight against the army. Some observers believe that the Rapid Response Units may now bring about the fall of the regime.

One military analyst, who asked not to be named in this article, told al-Araby al-Jadeed the bureacracy of the official state forces keeps them less favoured by officials.

"The police and army have well-established systems and traditions that can't be bypassed," he said. "The government has decided that militia warfare is best because of its flexibility. Armies were created to fight other armies and it is difficult for them to fight rebel guerrillas. However, mobilising militias comes at a price - they demand land, power, and money."

The analyst said arming militias always led to problems. He said the government needed to collect the 4,000,000 weapons in the country before the situation gets further out of control. If the situation stayed as now, there will be a new rebellion against the government, he said, leading to new alliances in Darfur that would lead to the region separating from Sudan, like South Sudan did.

Analysts said the inevitable outcome of the Janjaweed's deployment in Khartoum and the conflict zones will be a crisis which would bring chaos to Khartoum, as the Janjaweed are an undisciplined militia and their leader wants to gain power.

Some high-ranking officials from the ruling National Congress Party reportedly want to ally with him, explicitly for this purpose - and this makes the Janjaweed a ticking time bomb.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.


View original: https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/5/25/the-janjaweed-sudans-ticking-time-bomb

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FROM THE ARCHIVE OF SUDAN WATCH

African Sheikh Musa Hilal & Janjaweed - Misseriya and Rizeigat tribes sign peace deal in W. Darfur, W. Sudan
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Video Transcript of 2004 interview with alleged Janjaweed leader Sudan warlord Musa Hilal
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