Church leader’s Christmas message “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan” especially refugees & displaced

Rafaat Mosad, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Community in Sudan, sent a Christmas message yesterday “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan”, with special mention of refugees and displaced peoples. Read more.

From Radio Dabanga - dabangasudan.org
Dated Tuesday, 26 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Church leader’s Christmas message to Sudan’s Christians

'King David of Makuria', one of the early Christian (circa 13th Century) paintings found in Old Dongola, called Tungul in Old Nubian (Photo PCMA UW) (See below)*

Rafaat Mosad, the president of the Council of the Evangelical Community in Sudan, sent a Christmas message yesterday “to all Sudanese in and outside Sudan”, with special mention of refugees and displaced peoples.

In his message, Mosad wished “love, peace and abundant mercy” to all, wishing a good year on the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. He expressed his hopes that this Christmas will be the last one in which Sudan will witness war and conflict.

“We thank God for every church that celebrated Christmas within Khartoum and across Sudan despite the nation’s pain, as they eased the people and all those who suffer in the country by celebrating them.”

He also thanked every evangelical church and school which opened its doors to the displaced in Sudan, and “shared with them a simple bite and simple joys, shared and endured their pain”. He urged the churches and their members to “continue to do good”.

“To all the displaced, refugees and dispersed: God is with you and will not forget you.” He prayed for God’s “peace, patience, mercy and intervention to stop the fighting and conflicts in our country”.

The priest thanked God for “everyone who did not give in to despair, did not give in to death, did not give in to all frustration, and still clings to the God of hope, and put his hope on a better tomorrow because God exists and has not forgotten him”.

During the reign of Islamic dictator Omar Al Bashir (1989-2019), non-Muslims were regularly oppressed. Christian worshipers were prevented to visit churches on Sundays, and a number of church buildings, many of them belonging to the poor Church of Sudan, were demolished. Since 2017, Christian schools were forced to follow the Muslim week calendar from Sunday to Thursday.

One of the first decisions made by the then Transitional Military Council after the ousting of Al Bashi, concerned the permission to enjoy Sunday as the official weekend recess day for Christian schools throughout Sudan.

* Archaeologists from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW), have made stunning discoveries in Old Dongola (Tungul) in Sudan’s Northern State. Announced in April, the Polish team discovered a complex of rooms made of sun-dried bricks, the interiors of which were covered with murals showing figural scenes of early Christian art.

View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/church-leaders-christmas-message-to-sudans-christians

ENDS

Sudan FFC opens first meeting in Cairo to end conflict

THIS is Sudan’s Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) first meeting since the outbreak of fighting aimed at forming an initiative to end the conflict in Sudan. It is one in a series of regional visits across Sudan’s neighbouring capitals including Kampala, N’Djamena, and Addis Ababa. Read more.

Report from Ahram Online
By Habiba Hamdy
Published Monday 24 Jul 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudan FFC opens first meeting in Cairo to end Sudan war

Sudan’s Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) opened its two-day meeting in Cairo on Monday in a bid to end the war in Sudan.

Members of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) commence their planned meeting in Cairo on Monday

This is the FFC’s first meeting since the outbreak of the war aimed at forming an initiative to end the conflict in Sudan. It is one in a series of regional visits across Sudan’s neighbouring capitals including Kampala, N’Djamena, and Addis Ababa.

The present challenges necessitate stopping the war and restoring Sudan’s path towards civil democratic transition, the FFC said in a statement.

The FFC will consult with leaders of Sudanese society in Egypt on ways of building a new future for Sudan and resolving the issues facing the Sudanese people, the bloc added.

Malik Agar, deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, held a series of meetings and political consultations in Cairo recently. He also met with leaders of the FFC to discuss points of view and create national consensus on Sudanese issues.

It is imperative to stop any opportunity for the pre-2019 regime to turn the current conflict into a civil war, the FFC said.

The coalition called on the opposing Sudanese sides, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to reach a ceasefire in the Jeddah talks.

The FFC delegation expressed the need for a comprehensive and equitable political solution in Sudan that would establish a unified national army, democratic civilian rule, and sustainable peace.

The FFC meeting in Cairo is part of Egypt’s efforts to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict.

Earlier in June Egypt hosted the Sudan's Neighbouring Countries' Summit to address the crisis.

Both the SAF and RSF welcomed the results of the meeting where it was agreed that Sudan’s neighboring countries will form a ministerial mechanism  comprising foreign ministers to address the conflict.

The FFC thanked Egypt for hosting the conference and affirmed Egypt’s pivotal role in helping to end the war in Sudan.

Forces of Freedom and Change

The FFC was formed in 2019 following the 2018 civilian protests and subsequent uprising. It consists of many political and rebel factions and formed the main opposition group in the revolution.

They participated in negotiations with the Transitional Military Council and previously signed the Constitutional Declaration that was meant to pave the road for democratic elections.  

The FFC faced multiple criticisms from other Sudanese groups such as the Democratic Bloc and the Sudanese Communist Party for signing the agreement which they believe did not fulfil the needs and demands of the Sudanese people.

Related

Multiple initiatives on Sudan

Sudan violence rages as paramilitaries deny Darfur war crimes

View original: https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/26/1259/505321/War-in-Sudan/War-in-Sudan/Sudan-FFC-opens-first-meeting-in-Cairo-to-end-Suda.aspx

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Sudan: Mudawi Ibrahim says Sovereign Council appointment of the Chief Justice is unconstitutional

Here is a copy of a report at and by Sudan Telegraph.com

Dated and published Friday 26 November 2021

Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim: The appointment of the Chief Justice is unconstitutional

Yesterday [Thur 25 Nov], the Transitional Sovereignty Council appointed Abdul Aziz Fath al-Rahman Abdeen Muhammad as chief justice, while postponing the decision on the appointment of the attorney general.

In its new composition, the council held a meeting chaired by Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, the first in which a decision was taken.

Council member and spokeswoman Salma Abdul-Jabbar said in a press statement that the council appointed Abdul Aziz Fath al-Rahman as head of the judiciary, within the framework of complementing the state’s judicial and human rights structures.

Fateh al-Rahman was appointed as the head of the judiciary during the last period.

Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim, a member of the Whole Initiative Committee, rejected the appointment of the chief justice by the Sovereign Council and considered it unconstitutional, because the framework agreement clearly indicated that the Sovereign Council is discussed by the political forces and is formed with their consent. As long as this did not happen, the current council has no right to take any decision, as it is only a supervisor of the executive body, according to Al-Jarida newspaper.

View original: https://sudantelegraph.com/news/dr-mudawi-ibrahim-the-appointment-of-the-chief-justice-is-unconstitutional/

Sudan's Hamdok says investigation launched into violations against protesters

Here is a full copy of a report by Reuters

Reporting by Lilian Wagdy and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Chris Reese and Aurora Ellis

Published at au.finance.yahoo.com

Tuesday, 23 November 2021, 10:36 pm

Sudan's Hamdok says investigation launched into violations against protesters

CAIRO (Reuters) - An investigation has been launched into violations committed against protesters since the military power grab on Oct. 25, Sudan's newly reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said, according to a statement from his office.

Hamdok's comments came during a meeting on Tuesday evening with a group from the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), the main civilian coalition opposing military rule. FFC had previously said on Sunday that it does not recognize any political agreement with the military leadership.

The group stressed during the meeting the importance of laying out a roadmap to implementing the political agreement, reversing all political appointments that took place after the military takeover and reinstating all those who were fired during that period, according to the statement.

Last week, protesters and a Reuters witness said they saw security forces chase protesters into neighbourhoods and homes to carry out arrests. At least 15 people were shot dead during the anti-coup protests, according to medics.

Hamdok and the group called for political prisoners to be released as soon as possible and for the right to peacefully protest to be respected.

Under the agreement signed with military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Hamdok, first appointed after the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 uprising, will lead a civilian government of technocrats for a transitional period.

The deal faces opposition from pro-democracy groups that have demanded full civilian rule since Bashir's ouster and have been angered by the deaths of dozens of protesters since the Oct. 25 coup.

FILE PHOTO: Sudan's then-Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, speaks during a Reuters interview in Khartoum

View original: https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/sudans-hamdok-says-investigation-launched-223629020.html

Sudan: PM Hamdok meets members of FFC

• Here is a full copy of a report at and by SUNA-news.net
• Dated Wednesday 24 November 2021

• Dr Hamdouk Meets Members of FFC Central Leadership Council

• Khartoum Nov. 24 2021 (SUNA) - Prime Minister Dr Abdalla Hamdouk met on Tuesday [Nov 23] evening eight members of the Central Leadership Council of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC).
• The meeting discussed the political crisis in the country and the political agreement between the Prime Minister and the President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council.
• The FFC delegation announced its agreement to the political agreement and expressed support to the Prime Minister.
• The Prime Minister and the FFC leaders stressed necessity of expediting release of all detainees in the capital and regions, protection of peaceful processions, guaranteeing freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration and organization across the country, in addition to importance of reaching  consensus over political charter  between the all active political forces in the Sudanese society to secure success of the remaining civilian democratic transitional period.
• The delegation affirmed importance of putting a roadmap for implementation of the political agreement and stop and review decisions of appointment made during the past period and reinstatement of all who have been dismissed from their jobs.
• The attendees from members of the FFC Central Leadership Council expressed appreciation and support for the Prime Minister and for his patience with the events of the past period as keenness from the Prime Minister on restoring the path of the civil democratic transition.
• The meeting discussed role of the all political forces in explaining and implementing the political agreement.
• For his part, the Prime Minister thanked the members of the FFC Central Leadership Council for the communication and support made by a number of the council's leaders in helping reach a political agreement.
• Dr. Hamdok presented a briefing to the delegation about the priorities of the coming period in the importance of the success of the political agreement to preserve the gains of the past period in the economy, peace and public freedoms; with  importance of completing the process by holding elections and completion of  rest of the democratic transformation processes. ab/ab
• View original: https://www.suna-news.net/read?id=726778

VIDEO CNN EXCLUSIVE: Newly-freed Sudan PM Hamdok made deal to avoid bloodshed and a civil war

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: In this excellent exclusive video interview with CNN, the newly-freed Sudan Prime Minister Hamdok explains why he compromised in a deal with Sudan's military. 

The video interview can be viewed in the original (see link below) of the following report. The interviewer asked good questions and received good answers from Mr Hamdok. 

It’s heartwarming to see that he looks strong, fit and well, proving that some news reports saying he looked 'frail' and 'haggard' are not true at all. Naturally, he must have been under a great deal of strain and exhausted from working non-stop ever since his shocking arrest with his wife at their home on Oct 25.

Ever since Mr Hamdok has been at home, there has been a stream of high level international visitors meeting with him in person throughout the time he was under house arrest with guards outside his home. 

Fortunately, he has a wonderful wife. They were arrested together and taken to the home of the military coup leader, Gen. Burhan, after which they were taken home and received high level contacts. More later. 

CNN EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW REPORT

• By Becky Anderson, Eoin McSweeney, Zeena Saifi and Noon Salih, CNN
• Yassir Abdullah and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report
• Updated 1710 GMT (0110 HKT) Tuesday November 23, 2021
• Newly-freed Sudanese PM tells CNN why he took military deal
• (CNN) Sudan's newly reinstated prime minister told CNN on Tuesday [Nov 23] that he compromised in a deal with the country's military in order to "avoid bloodshed" and a civil war.
• Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other ministers were detained during a military coup last month that saw the country's power-sharing government dissolved; more than 40 people have since been killed in protests.
• But the country's military chief, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, reinstated Hamdok on Sunday as part of a deal between the military and civilian leadership in the country,
• In an interview with CNN on Tuesday [Nov 23], Hamdok said he "regretted the bloodshed" that had followed the October 25 coup; he said the agreement had been signed in order to "avoid further killing."
• "This a not a personal interest for me," he said. "There is a motto that says you will die for country. I took the right decision."
• 
  
• Under the deal agreed by Hamdok and Al-Burhan, Hamdok again becomes leader of the transitional government, which was first established after strongman President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019.
• 
  
• The Council of Ministers, which was dissolved on October 25, will be restored and the civilian and military leadership will share power. The constitution will be amended to outline the partnership between civilians and the military in the transitional government.
• 
  
• But the agreement also includes as yet unspecified restructuring, according to Mudawi Ibrahim, a prominent official in the National Forces Initiative (NFI) which helped mediate the talks, and it has been met with resistance in Sudan.
• 
  
• Police fired tear gas at a large group of protesters near the presidential palace in Khartoum on Sunday, according to eyewitnesses on the ground.
• 
  
• The deal was rejected by Sudan's Forces of Freedom and Change coalition (FCC), which insisted there was "no negotiation, no partnership, nor legitimacy for the coup plotters."
• 
  
• On Monday, Ibrahim told CNN that the agreement was "very humiliating for the Prime Minister," adding that it had been accepted "for the sake of the country."
• 
  
• "There are so many people dying on the streets ... so the Prime Minister had to take this step and accept the humiliation," he said.
• But Hamdok, who had been held under house arrest until Sunday, refuted the idea he had been humiliated and insisted he had made the right choice.
• 
  
• He called the agreement with the military imperfect and deficient, but said the decision to sign it was taken in order to avoid a catastrophe.
• 
  
• "There is a perfect agreement and there is a workable agreement. If you wait for a perfect agreement, you will be waiting too long and it will be too late," he said.
• 
  
• He said he was confident in the military and pledged to work with them to "establish a fair roadmap" for the future of Sudan.
• 
  
• The deal, signed on live television, calls for the release of all political prisoners arrested by security forces following the coup.
• Only nine prisoners out of 31 have been released so far, Hamdok said; he called for the immediate release of those still in detention.
• 
  
• "This is the number one agenda item," he added. "I will not rest until all of them are released."
• 
  
• Yassir Abdullah and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.
• View original and the video interview here: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/23/africa/sudan-abdalla-hamdok-interview-ctw-intl/index.html

Sudan Transitional Military Council admits it ordered brutal crackdown on Khartoum protesters

SUDAN'S ruling military council has, for the first time, admitted it ordered the dispersal of a sit-in in capital Khartoum, which left scores dead, as diplomats from the United States and African nations step up efforts for a solution to the country's political crisis. 

The Transitional Military Council (TMC) "decided to disperse the sit-in", said spokesman Shams al-Din Kabashi on Thursday (13 June). "We ordered the commanders to come up with a plan to disperse this sit-in. They made a plan and implemented it ... but we regret that some mistakes happened," Kabashi said.

Photo: A military spokesman said the findings of an investigation into the incident would be released on Saturday, 15 June 2019. Credit Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

Full story: Al Jazeera - Friday 14 June 2019

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/sudan-military-admits-ordered-brutal-crackdown-protesters-190614042623354.html