THIS tweet by US's Molly Phee (@AsstSecStateAF) dated 10 July 2023 is heartwarming to see. Sudanese PM Hamdok was and still is the best. It was sad to see him treated so badly. Let's hope we hear more of him soon and that he receives full support from his fellow Sudanese. The tweet says:
"Proud to meet with former Sudanese PM Hamdok today to discuss U.S. support for civilian initiatives to chart a new process to establish a civilian-led democratic transition. Agreed on the need to support an inclusive and transparent process that represents the full diversity of the Sudanese people, including civil society, Resistance Committees, the peripheries, youth and women."
Proud to meet with former Sudanese PM Hamdok today to discuss U.S. support for civilian initiatives to chart a new process to establish a civilian-led democratic transition. Agreed on the need to support an inclusive and transparent process that represents the full diversity of… pic.twitter.com/gVDxBGtabd
— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) July 10, 2023
The tweet is timestamped 9:03 10 July 2023.
Note, Dr Hamdok was born in South Kordofan, Sudan and currently resides in the UAE. He was educated at the University of Khartoum in Sudan and the University of Manchester in England, UK. He married fellow economist Muna Abdalla in 1993 in south Manchester. They have two sons; one studying at Exeter University in England, UK as of 2019 and one who graduated from a university in the US in the late 2010s. [Source: Wikipedia]
NOTE from Sudan Watch Ed: In the following video, transcript and report featuring a message for the people of Sudan from US Secretary of State Mr Antony Blinken, I hope he's saying what I think and hope he's saying.
Maybe I'm wrong but this idea kept going through my mind over past 2 weeks: why don’t Sudanese civilians in Resistance and Neighbourhood Committees go ahead and start forming a civilian-led government for Sudan.
Or maybe I’m overtired and reading too much into the message from Secretary Blinken or it’s just wishful thinking on my part. Whatever, his message clearly says: "civilians must define Sudan’s path forward".
Surely if Sudanese civilians form a government now, they'll be ready soon. Here is the video of Mr Blinken's message for the people of Sudan plus a transcript I made, and a report at Radio Dabanga (beige highlight is mine).
Note, Mr Blinken says ceasefire will be backed by a remote monitoring mechanism. Perhaps it's satellite technology to monitor 24/7 and prove to a court, such as the International Criminal Court, who did what, where, when.
People across the world will support the Sudanese civilians endeavour. No doubt if they convey what they need via social media and mainstream news reports, it will be given. God bless Sudan and South Sudan.
Transcript of video message for the people of Sudan from US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken dated Tuesday 23 May 2023:
"This message is for the people of Sudan.
The violence committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces over the past month has been tragic; senseless, and devastating. The whole world has been united in calling for an end to this conflict and insisting on a negotiated solution.
The seven-day ceasefire that goes into effect today is designed to allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and repair of essential services and infrastructure. Agreement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to this short-term ceasefire agreement was the result of intensive diplomacy and the close partnership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States.
It will be backed by a remote monitoring mechanism supported by the United States. If the ceasefire is violated, we’ll know. And we will hold violators accountable through our sanctions and other tools at our disposal.
We facilitated this ceasefire but it’s the responsibility of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to implement it. The Jeddah talks have had a narrow focus - ending violence and bringing assistance to the Sudanese people. A permanent resolution of this conflict will require much more.
I want to be clear that Sudans civilians must be the ones to define Sudan’s path going forward. You should lead a political process to restore Sudan’s democratic transition and form a civilian government.
Sudan’s political future belongs to you the people of your great great nation. Your military should withdraw from governance and focus on defending the national from external threats.
The Unites States of America supports a democratic government that represents the full diversity of the Sudanese people, including populations from the periphery who have long been marginalised and women whose voices have long been ignored.
Only a civilian government can succeed in delivering stability and security, and fulfilling your aspirations for freedom, for peace, for justice.
We have always been a partner to the people of Sudan as you bravely resisted military dictatorship and demanded civilian rule and you can count on us to remain by your side until you achieve this goal."
Secretary Blinken's video message to the Sudanese people.
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The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President's chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President's foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
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(WASHINGTON) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has encouraged the warring Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to abide by the seven-day humanitarian ceasefire that took effect last night. In a video message to the people of Sudan, he highlights that Sudan’s civilian population must define the way forward.
The USA is a co-broker with Saudi Arabia of the Jeddah talks that led to the short-term ceasefire agreement on Saturday. In light of frequent violations of previous truces by both sides, Blinken reminds parties that the agreement includes monitoring by a remote US-Saudi-international monitoring mechanism. “If the ceasefire is violated, we’ll know. And we will hold violators accountable through our sanctions and other tools at our disposal,” Blinken warns.
In his video message, Secretary Blinken notes that “the violence committed by the SAF and RSF over the past month has been tragic, senseless, and devastating. The whole world has been united in calling for an end to this conflict and insisting on a negotiated solution.
‘If the ceasefire is violated, we’ll know. And we will hold violators accountable…’
He explains that the seven-day ceasefire is designed to allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and repair of essential services and infrastructure. Blinken highlights that the agreement by the SAF and the RSF to this short-term ceasefire was the result of intensive diplomacy and the close partnership of USA and Saudi Arabia.
“We facilitated this ceasefire but it’s the responsibility of the SAF and RSF to implement it,” he says. “The Jeddah talks have had a narrow focus – ending violence and bringing assistance to the Sudanese people. A permanent resolution of this conflict will require much more.”
‘Sudan’s civilians must be the ones to define Sudan’s path going forward…’
Addressing the Sudanese public directly, Blinken emphasises: “I want to be clear that Sudan’s civilians must be the ones to define Sudan’s path going forward. You should lead a political process to restore Sudan’s democratic transition and form a civilian government.
‘Your military should withdraw from governance and focus on defending the nation from external threats…’
“Sudan’s political future belongs to you, the people of your great nation. Your military should withdraw from governance and focus on defending the nation from external threats. The USA supports a democratic government that represents the full diversity of the Sudanese people, including populations from the periphery who have long been marginalised and women whose voices have long been ignored.
“Only a civilian government can succeed in delivering stability and security, and fulfilling your aspirations for freedom, for peace, for justice. We have always been a partner to the people of Sudan as you bravely resisted military dictatorship and demanded civilian rule and you can count on us to remain by your side until you achieve this goal,” Blinken’s message concludes.
$245 million US aid
In a separate statement from Washington today, the US Dept of State says that last week, the USA announced $245 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan and neighbouring countries countries experiencing the impacts of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. These funds include nearly $143 million from the Department of State’s Bureau for Population, Refugee and Migration and $103 million in additional humanitarian assistance from the US Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
“With this funding, our humanitarian partners can respond to the new needs arising from the current conflict, which has displaced approximately 840,000 people within the country and forced another 250,000 to flee since April 15,” the US State Dept says.
According to the statement, this announcement brings total US humanitarian assistance for Sudan and neighbours Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic to nearly $880 million in the 2023 financial year.
Sanctions
On May 2, US President Joe Biden called the violence in Sudan a ‘tragedy’, and signed an executive order paving the way for the USA to impose sanctions on “certain persons destabilising Sudan and undermining the goal of democratic transition”. The order extends existing sanctions but does not impose any specific additional sanctions at this time.
In a statement following the signing, Biden called the current conflict in Sudan “a betrayal of the Sudanese people’s clear demand for civilian government and a transition to democracy.”
Biden’s order expands the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067 of November 3, 1997 (blocking Sudanese government property and prohibiting transactions with Sudan), and expanded by Executive Order 13400 of April 26, 2006 (blocking property of persons in connection with the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region), finding that “the situation in Sudan, including the military’s seizure of power in October 2021 and the outbreak of inter-service fighting in April 2023, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the USA.”
Sudan’s warring parties ‘detain activists, hold volunteers incommunicado’
(Social media)
(KHARTOUM / WAD MADANI) – Both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly detained ‘hundreds of activists and volunteers’ in the country’s capital. Two young activists charged of killing a police officer in Khartoum more than a year ago were held in Wad Madani, El Gezira, on Tuesday.
Military Intelligence held Saddam Juma, Amer Abboud, and Mujahid Anwar three members of the Khartoum North (Khartoum Bahri) Neighbourhood Committees from their homes on Tuesday and took them to El Zakheera camp in El Kadaro in the northern part of the city.
The same day, RSF paramilitaries seized volunteer Mohamed Ezzeldin near the Arkoweet Emergency Room in Khartoum while he was collecting medicines and distributing them to patients in the neighbourhood. It is unclear where he has been taken.
In a statement posted on social media yesterday, Sudan’s Emergency Lawyers strongly condemned “the targeting by both sides of the armed conflict of members of resistance committees and volunteers helping out in the various emergency rooms” in Khartoum.
“Illegal detention is considered a crime under the Sudanese Penal Code, the Bill of Rights and Freedoms, and international covenants,” the Emergency Lawyers stated.
“We hold the two sides of the fighting responsible for the lives and safety of the detainees. The humanitarian conditions at the places of detention are extremely complex and insecure, because of the ongoing clashes, battles, and aerial bombardments. We call on them to immediately release the detainees.”
‘Prevalent’
“Kidnapping is prevalent in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, mainly carried out by the RSF, which is currently holding hundreds of innocent civilians in unknown locations,” Hala Elkarib, founder of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) tweeted from Khartoum yesterday.
“Volunteers who are providing aid to communities are frequently being kidnapped. While the SAF is detaining members of the resistance committees, the RSF is abducting them. Sadly, there is no progress being made toward establishing safe humanitarian passages.”
Unknown destination
In Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira, Mohamed Adam ‘Tupac’ and Ahmed El Fateh ‘El Nana’ were detained by members of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police/Forces on Tuesday.
Adam, El Fateh, and two other young men were detained in Khartoum in January 2022 and charged with killing a police officer during pro-democracy protests earlier that month.
The three were held in Kober Prison, where they, and in particular Adam, the main suspect, was repeatedly tortured. They were transferred to El Huda Prison in Omdurman in December last year after the judge dealing with the case ordered a criminal investigation against the director of Kober Prison. On April 15 fierce fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF in the Sudanese capital. About a week later, RSF attacked El Huda prison and released all the inmates.
Adam stated in a video clip at the time that he would not take advantage of his escape and would return to detention until his case was completed and he and his comrades’ innocence was confirmed.
He and El Fateh, and their families later fled the violence in the city and sought refuge, with thousands of others, in Wad Madani.
Members of their defence team said in a statement last week that when the two young men volunteered to aid the many displaced people squatting in primary schools.
A school principal reported their presence to the Central Reserve Police which then seized Adam and El Fateh and took them to an unknown destination.
On March 21 last year, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the paramilitary Central Reserve Police that stand under the command of the police, for serious human rights violations since the October 2021 joint SAF-RSF coup d’etat.
Many people in Darfur dread the forces of the Central Reserve Police (popularly known as Abu Teira or Abu Tira), remembering they used to terrorise people in villages and camps for the displaced in the region.
