Showing posts with label UN list of 51 for ICC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UN list of 51 for ICC. Show all posts

Sunday, April 30, 2023

What wasn't in Sudan peace talks before April 15?

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I'm in love with Cameron Hudson's brain.

Here is another link to the above video: https://twitter.com/_hudsonc/status/1652661922624405508

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Ex Sudanese president Bashir and 30 allies out of jail before Sudan's leaders started fighting 15 April 2023

Report from Reuters via The New Daily.com Australia

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nadine AwadallaReuters


Dated Wednesday 26 April 2023 - full copy:


Former president Omar al-Bashir and allies out of jail as Sudan fighting flares


Play Aljazeera Video - SUDAN TRAVEL EXPLOITATION? 

Sudanese civilians priced out of leaving conflict 


As foreign nationals are evacuated out of Sudan by their embassies, many Sudanese are being priced out of a journey.


Sudan’s capital has resounded with gunfire and explosions, eroding a truce amid collapsing basic services, dwindling food supplies and the opening of a prison that let out allies of a jailed former autocrat.


With the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) showing no sign of easing, the army said former president Omar al-Bashir had been transferred to a military hospital before hostilities started on April 15.


It said Bashir was moved from prison with 30 former members of his regime, including Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, who along with the former president is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes for atrocities during an earlier conflict in the Darfur region.


The whereabouts of Bashir came into question after a former minister in his government, Ali Haroun, announced on Tuesday he had left Kober prison in Khartoum with other former officials.


Haroun is also wanted by the ICC on dozens of war crimes charges.


Thousands of convicted criminals, including some sentenced to death, were held in the vast prison, along with senior and lower-ranking officials from the Bashir regime, which was toppled four years ago.


Play France24 Video - Sudan fighting: Clashes between army and RSF underway despite truce. 


The US-brokered ceasefire in Sudan is now in its second day.  


But reports of new air strikes show just how fragile that truce between two warring generals really is. 


Civilian life has come to a standstill in Sudan. 


The country's residents are now facing major shortages of food, water, fuel 

and electricity. 


Sudan was already heavily dependent on humanitarian aid before the violence began nearly two weeks ago. 


But the situation has now been plunged into chaos. 


FRANCE 24's regional correspondent Bastien Renouil has the latest from Djibouti.


Sudanese authorities and the RSF traded accusations over the release of inmates, with the police saying paramilitary gunmen had stormed into five prisons at the weekend, killing several guards and opening the gates.


The RSF blamed authorities for letting Haroun and others out.


The release of convicted criminals added to a growing sense of lawlessness in Khartoum, where residents have reported worsening insecurity, with widespread looting and gangs roaming the streets.


“This war, which is ignited by the ousted regime, will lead the country to collapse,” said Sudan’s Forces of Freedom and Change, a political grouping leading an internationally backed plan to transfer to civilian rule derailed by the eruption of fighting.


Bashir came to power in a 1989 military coup and was ousted in a popular uprising in 2019.


Two years later, the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, with support from the RSF, took over in a coup.


The present conflict between the army and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo broke out in part over disagreements about how quickly to integrate the RSF into the army under the planned transition to civilian rule.


The ICC in The Hague has accused Bashir of genocide, and Haroun of organising militias to attack civilians in Darfur in 2003 and 2004.


The ICC declined to comment on Bashir, Haroun and Hussein’s prison transfers.


Play Video - WHO Warns of 'Biological Hazard' After Sudan Fighters Take Control of Laboratory 


On April 25, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a "high risk of biological hazard" after a central public laboratory was seized in war-torn Sudan.


The renewed battles were in Omdurman, one of Khartoum’s twin cities, where the army was fighting reinforcements to the RSF brought in from other regions of Sudan, a Reuters reporter said.


The army has accused the RSF of using a three-day truce to reinforce itself with men and weapons.


The truce was due to end on Thursday evening.


Thanks to the ceasefire, fighting between army soldiers the RSF was more subdued in the centre of Khartoum.


The fighting has turned residential areas into battlefields.


Air strikes and artillery have killed at least 459 people, wounded more than 4000, destroyed hospitals and limited food distribution in a nation where a third of its 46 million people rely on humanitarian aid.


United Nations special envoy on Sudan Volker Perthes told the UN Security Council on Tuesday the ceasefire “seems to be holding in some parts so far”.


But he said neither party showed readiness to “seriously negotiate, suggesting that both think that securing a military victory over the other is possible”.


Foreign powers have evacuated thousands of diplomats and private citizens in recent days, including 1674 from 54 countries helped out by Saudi Arabia.


Sudanese along with citizens of neighbouring countries have also been leaving en masse.


More than 10,000 people crossed into Egypt from Sudan in the past five days, authorities in Cairo said, adding to an estimated 20,000 who have entered Chad.


Others have fled to South Sudan and Ethiopia, despite difficult conditions there.


-Reuters


View original: https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2023/04/26/omar-al-bashir-out-of-jail-sudan/


[Ends]

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

WAR CRIMES AND HUMANITARIAN CRISES ALERT: ICC must indict Sudanese leaders Burhan and Daglo

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: 


Over the past twenty years I have been behind this screen watching and waiting for peace and civilian rule to blossom in Sudan and South Sudan. 


During the latter part of Mr Bashir's presidency I posted here saying I disagreed with him being indicted because the time was not right. In those days Sudan was ruled by tribal leaders and warriors such as Musa Hilal. 


Now I believe the time is right to arrest Sudan's current leaders Messrs Burhan and Daglo. If they are not, I believe, given their history and psychopathy, there will be humanitarian crises unlike anything before. Rule of law will evaporate, looting and civil disobedience will reign.


In my view, we are now witnessing the start of humanitarian crises in and around Sudan while Russia aims for a naval base in Port Sudan on Red Sea for ships with nuclear capability in exchange for military equipment.


All I can think to do is use this blog as a lighthouse flashing a light into a dark stormy sea with sirens warning not to believe a word from Burhan and Daglo. Their evilness and greed knows no bounds. They may end up like Libya's Gadaffi and must be removed from their thrones while alive.


In short, I believe it is now up to the ICC to have these two serial killers arrested and put in the dock in The Hague to answer for the atrocities of the past 20 years in Sudan starting with Darfur in western Sudan.


Longtime readers of Sudan Watch, of which there are many around the world, will know I am not a political activist or doing this for personal gain. I am an anti-poverty campaigner wanting peace to flourish in Sudan.


A few minutes ago I emailed this post to the ICC. I state it here for the record so whatever transpires from now on they can't say they were not warned. The ICC must act now or be dismantled as a waste of money.


God bless the people of Sudan, keep them safe and well with food and water, medical care and security. This time, thanks to progress in technology and satellite communications, the world really is watching.


[Ends]

Monday, April 17, 2023

Message to ICC: Sudan's leaders are fighting each other while killing fellow citizens and aid workers

From:  BBC News LIVE REPORTING

Monday 17 April 2023 10:47 GMT UK 

By James Copnall, BBC Sudan analyst

Conflict intensifying and peace in short term unlikley

My guess is a negotiated solution to this conflict  is not likely to happen, in the short term at any rate.

Over the weekend, General Hemeti of the Rapid Support Force (RSF) called Sudanese army General Burhan a dog, talked about hunting him down and called him a criminal - while the army have basically said they will not stop until the RSF is dissolved.

While these are statements from a few days ago, they show the mindset both sides have right now.

It's also my feeling that the intensity of the conflict has increased today, certainly compared to yesterday.

Speaking to friends in Khartoum, Omdurman and other places, they are talking about air strikes carried out by the Sudanese armed forces.

Presumably they are targeting RSF bases, who are then firing back up at the planes.

So this is urban warfare between two heavily armed forces and neither sides appears willing to back down.

My initial feeling is we're likely to see a lot more fighting over the next few days and perhaps when it becomes clear which side will win, perhaps we will get closer to talks.

Although it's a difficult picture to fully discern, it seems like the Sundanese military have the upper hand - backed by that air power.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-65285254

[Ends]

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Hamdok's video message to Al-Burhan, Mohamed "Hemeti" Dagalo, and leaders of the SAF and RSF

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Many years before Sudan's president Bashir was jailed he fondly nicknamed Dagalo "Hemeti". He saw him as his replacement and the son he never had. He dislikes being called Hemeti. 
- - -

From: BBC News LIVE - full copy
Saturday 15 April 2023 at 16:37 GMT UK

Edited by Rob Corp


Fighting must stop immediately - former  Sudanese prime minister


Copyright: Getty Images

Abdallah Hamdok in 2021

Image caption: Abdallah Hamdok in 2021


Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has made a statement in a video posted on his Facebook account.


He says the "exchange of fire must stop immediately" and calls on the Sudanese people to "stay strong". 


Quote Message: My first message is to General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the leaders of the Sudanese military, and to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 


The exchange of fire must stop immeditately, and the voice of reason must rule, everyone will lose, and there is no victory when it is atop the bodies of our people." from Abdallah Hamdok Former Prime Minister of Sudan


My first message is to General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the leaders of the Sudanese military, and to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The exchange of fire must stop immeditately, and the voice of reason must rule, everyone will lose, and there is no victory when it is atop the bodies of our people."

Abdallah Hamdok

Former Prime Minister of Sudan


He asks the Sudanese people not to allow "the drums of war to take over", before issuing a plea to the international community to "do their duty in finding a solution".


Hamdok served from 2019 until he was ousted in the October 2021 coup, before being reinstated again a month later.


He resigned last year after long-running disagreements with the army.


Source and further updates by the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-65285254


[Ends]

- - -


From BBC Live 



Saturday 15 April 2023 at 7:02 GMT UK - full copy

Military action will not resolve situation - UK foreign secretary

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has tweeted in the last few moments. 

He says the violence in Sudan "must stop immediately". 

Quote Message: The UK calls on the Sudanese leadership to do all they can to restrain their troops and deescalate to prevent further bloodshed. 
Quote Message: Military action will not resolve this situation." from James Cleverly UK Foreign Secretary
James CleverlyUK Foreign Secretary

[Ends]

- - - 

Saturday, December 04, 2021

URGENT MESSAGE TO ICC: Sudan’s Dagalo, Burhan, Bashir must be tried for alleged war crimes - Ethiopia’s war triggers fears in Kenya, South Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: After 18 years of gathering news on Sudan and South Sudan for documenting at this site, the below copied report by Al Jazeera.com is, to me, the last straw. I'm shocked that on Fri, 26 Nov. 2021 Al Jazeera decided to publish the report containing its exclusive interview with Gen Dagalo aka Hemeti, deputy of military coup leader Gen Burhan.

Something seems to have changed at Al Jazeera. A recent news report at its website showed a video of a man talking (probably Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok, I can't recall). The video's audio consisted of a male narrator seemingly providing, in English, an interpretation of what was being said by the man on film. There were no subtitles showing what the man on film was saying. Also, in that report (or another video report on Sudan) Al Jazeera used sinister, anxiety provoking music in the background, like the beating of an electronic war drum. To my ears the music and beat sounded Arabic.

My point is, after 18 years - and after seeing Aljazeera's interview with Hemeti (see link below) and noting its date - I believe the time has now come for Messrs Dagalo, Burhan and Bashir to be put on trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as soon as humanly possible. There is no time to waste.

In the interview, Hemeti shows his true colours for all to see by wearing civilian clothing: a dark navy blue suit and tie, white shirt, black footwear, a small enamel Sudanese flag on his lapel in an effort to appear worldly and presidential. Surely, the interview is evidence of Hemeti's intention to preside over Sudan even if it's not what the people want or in the best interest of the country. The people of Sudan want civilian, not military rule. If memory serves, former Sudanese President Bashir fondly nicknamed Dagalo "Hemeti" his little boy, the son he never had. Hemeti is Bashir's heir. 

Reportedly, an editor at Al Jazeera was recently arrested by the junta and released soon after. Who knows whether Al Jazeera was forced into doing the interview to include in a news report at its website as a condition of the editors’s safety and release. I wonder how the interview came about and when and where it took place. I have not seen much publicity about the film.

I have no doubt that Al Jazeera accurately quoted Hemeti in its report and that the timing of its publication and interview is an attempt by Hemeti to reduce the power, support and popularity of PM Hamdok in order to justify the coup and frame Hamdok as a complicit participant in it for personal gain.

Here at Sudan Watch there is a copy of a recent news report by AP featuring one of PM Hamdok's former colleagues recently released from detention who said they felt a coup could happen but didn't know when. 

This is the exact quote: "Faisal Saleh, an advisor to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, told The Associated Press that security forces took him blindfolded from his home in the early hours of Oct. 25. “We were expecting that there was a military coup coming," said Saleh, who also served as minister of information from 2019 until earlier this year. ”We just didn't know how or when it would take place." 

Aljazeera's interview with Hemeti catches him red handed on film working against Sudan blatantly risking its destabilisation and causing suffering to its people again. He's poorly educated, dim witted and doesn't understand English. He's so ruthless and cruel he could be a psychopath. For him to be in charge of Sudan would be a disaster. It'd plunge the country back into the dark ages upending millions of Sudanese lives.

Nowadays, wars like the current one between the US and China need not be conducted in the old ways of the past. They can be a war of words and cyber attacks. The pen is mightier than the sword. Note the tags at the end of this post and the one labelled '51 names for ICC’. 

Right now, the world is in a precarious state. Russia is agitating to undermine the west. Ethiopia is suffering war (see maps below). France and others and the UN have advised their people in Ethiopia to leave. 

I've waited 18 years for the time to be right for Messrs Bashir, Burhan, Dagalo to be tried by the ICC. The people of Sudan deserve to see justice served and to know that anyone suspected of a crime can be apprehended and tried fairly in a court and treated as innocent until proven guilty.

If a suspected criminal is innocent, they’d have nothing to fear. They'd be fairly treated and released if found innocent. The people of Sudan need to know that criminals and war criminals cannot walk freely with impunity. 

Only by holding Messrs Dagalo, Burhan, Bashir to account will young Sudanese people understand that what is happening now, and why, is the culmination of a 30+ year story filled with death, destruction and unspeakable horrors inflicted on millions of Sudanese civilians, forcing survivors to flee for their lives with just the clothes they were wearing.

I'm writing this in haste. Time is of the essence. If there are any errors in this urgent open message to the ICC, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Dagalo, Burhan and Bashir are questioned under oath, asap.

I’ll leave this note with a link to Aljazeera's report and its must-see video interview at the top of this page before I go on strike in protest of the wicked claims made by Hemeti in his power-grab for the presidency.

I shan't return until the ICC issues a statement explaining its findings and intentions regarding Messrs Bashir, Burhan, Dagalo. Sad to say, Darfur is under attack again. God help the Sudanese people. Peace and love, Ingrid x

Here is a copy of an exclusive report at Al Jazeera.com

Written by Al Jazeera.com English - reprinted online by MSN.com

Published at Al Jazeera.com dated Friday 26 November 2021 c.11am GMT

Title: Sudan’s PM Hamdok backed military takeover, says general

Deputy head of Sudan’s sovereign council, General Dagalo, tells Al Jazeera that reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was part of discussions leading to the military takeover in October.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was deposed by the military on October 25 but reinstated as interim premier November 21 [File: Ashraf Shazly/AFP]


The deputy head of Sudan’s governing sovereign council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has said that Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was aware of last month’s military takeover before it happened and was “completely agreeable” to it.

Hamdok was deposed by the military on October 25 but reinstated as interim premier after signing a deal on Sunday with Sudan’s top general to restore the transition to civilian rule.

“What happened on October 25 was the ultimate outcome of a long process. Many discussions were made, and many initiatives proposed,” Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview released on Friday.

“The prime minister himself proposed two initiatives during the meetings. We were left with three options, the best of which was the move we took, and it was completely agreeable to the prime minister himself,” said Dagalo. “We did not make such a move on our own.”

Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said that the claims were a “bold allegation” since many Sudanese people have been asking whether Hamdok was part of the military takeover or had been aware it would happen.

“When I asked him, he said he didn’t know that the military coup was coming,” said Atas, referring to a recent interview with the prime minister after he was reinstated this week.

“Now the deputy chairman says they had actually discussed it with Hamdok and he knew of the military takeover before it took place,” said Atas.

“People were already questioning his independence. After this allegation, people will question his legitimacy even more,” he added.

On October 25, top General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the government, arrested the civilian leadership, and declared a state of emergency – drawing widespread international condemnation and triggering widespread anti-coup protests.

Hamdok was placed under house arrest after the military seized power.

On November 11, al-Burhan issued a decree creating a new 14-member ruling sovereign council, with himself at the head.

The coup, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir, derailed a transition towards democratic elections and drew international criticism.

The 14-point deal between Hamdok and the military, signed in the presidential palace in Khartoum on Sunday, provided for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup and stipulated that a 2019 constitutional declaration be the basis for a political transition, according to details read out on state television.

Following the deal, the reinstated premier told Al Jazeera that he would form a “technocratic government” made up of qualified professionals to lead the country to elections by June 2023.

The deal was largely welcomed by the international community, but Sudanese pro-democracy activists have rejected it as an “attempt to legitimise the coup”.

They demand that the military should not be part of any future Sudanese government and Sudanese people have continued to protest against the military’s involvement in politics since the agreement was signed.

“Tens of thousands of people have been back to the streets, insisting on their demands,” said Serdar, who added that the formation of a new cabinet and the release of political prisoners are the two main issues yet to be resolved.

Twelve cabinet ministers also submitted their resignation to Hamdok in protest against the deal between the prime minister and the military.

At least 41 people have been killed during confrontations with security forces since the coup, as security forces have at times used live rounds to disperse anti-coup demonstrators.

View reprint at MSN: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/sudan-e2-80-99s-pm-hamdok-backed-military-takeover-says-general/ar-AAR9JCg

View original report and Aljazeera's 26-minute video interview with Hemeti entitled Sudan's General Dagalo: Military takeover was the 'best option'https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/26/sudan-pm-hamdok-backed-military-takeover-general-dagalo

________________________________________________________________________________

Ethiopia’s war triggers fears in Kenya, South Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Here are two maps showing Ethiopia's proximity to Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Eritrea, Somalia.


______________________________________________________________________________

From the website of The International Criminal Court (ICC) 
Trying individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression

The Court is participating in a global fight to end impunity, and through international criminal justice, the Court aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and to help prevent these crimes from happening again. 

​​The Court cannot reach these goals alone. As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement, not replace, national Courts. Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute, the ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court. 

Towards stability and lastin​g peace

Justice is a key prerequisite for lasting peace. International justice can contribute to long‐term peace, stability and equitable development in post‐conflict societies. These elements are foundational for building a future free ​of violence. ​​

Read more: https://www.icc-cpi.int/about

Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir

President of the Republic of Sudan since 16 October 1993 at time of warrants. Arrest warrants: 4 March 2009 and 12 July 2010

Charges: five counts of crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape; two counts of war crimes: intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, and pillaging; three counts of genocide: by killing, by causing serious bodily or mental harm, and by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction, allegedly committed at least between 2003 and 2008 in Darfur, Sudan

Read more: https://www.icc-cpi.int/darfur/albashir

See the other defendants at large including Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, Ahmad Muhammad Harun ("Ahmad Harun"), Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain here: 


Friday, December 03, 2021

RSF's Hemeti Dagalo is blackmailing the international community into recognising his control of Sudan

Thursday, December 02, 2021

Sudan: Chairman Burhan commends Dagalo's efforts in political agreement and praises efforts of the Sufis

Here is a full copy of a news report at Sudan News Agency (SUNA)

Dated Sunday 21 November 2021

Al-Burhan commends Abdel Rahim Dagalo's efforts in political agreement


© Provided by Sudan News Agency (SUNA)


Khartoum, Nov. 21 (SUNA) - The Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has commended the efforts and stances of the second commander of the Rapid Support Forces Lieutenant-General Abdel Rahim Daglao.

During his address to the signing ceremony of the political agreement with Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdouk, Al- Burhan noted that Abdul Rahim Dagalo has been playing a pivotal national role in the past period and exerted great efforts in maintaining security and stability, extending thanks all the national efforts that played roles in making the situations calm.

He also praised the efforts of the Sufis to bring the ranks and unity of the word to preserve stability. (ta)

View original: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/other/al-burhan-commends-abdel-rahim-dagalos-efforts-in-political-agreement/ar-AAQZGEr

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Calling the UN and International Red Cross - Released Sudan official describes ordeal since coup arrest

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I cannot understand why the UN is not ensuring that these prisoners are identified and visited by the International Red Cross or such like. Surely there are laws in place to protect prisoners.

According to the following report, a rights lawyer representing many of the detained estimated earlier this month that at least 100 Sudanese government members were rounded up in the early hours of the coup. 

Also, activists estimated hundreds of protesters and activists have also disappeared into undisclosed prisons. Saleh (pictured) himself is unsure of who else is being held, but remains worried for their safety.

Many were taken from their homes during the morning of Oct. 25 and have been since kept in undisclosed locations, with no ability to contact family or lawyers. Why isn't the UN helping with legalities? Read more in this report.

By ASHRAF IDRIS Associated Press (AP)

Published at www.abcnews.go.com

Dated 24 November 2021, 19:47

Released Sudan official describes ordeal since coup arrest

A Sudanese government official says he was kept in isolation for nearly a month after being arrested during a military coup that plunged the country into crisis

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- A Sudanese government official said Wednesday he was kept in isolation for nearly a month after being arrested during a military coup that plunged the country into crisis.

Faisal Saleh, an advisor to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, told The Associated Press that security forces took him blindfolded from his home in the early hours of Oct. 25

“We were expecting that there was a military coup coming," said Saleh, who also served as minister of information from 2019 until earlier this year. ”We just didn't know how or when it would take place."

Saleh is one of dozens of government officials who have been locked up since the country's top general, Abdel-Fattah Burhan led a coup against the country's interim civilian government. It has upended plans for the country to transition to democracy, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Saleh was released late Monday [22 Nov] after 29 days of detention and immediately set about learning the events of the past month. He's still catching up and recovering from a chest infection that he contracted during his time in prison.

It remains unclear how many remain in detention, but in recent days activists' posts have indicated that several prominent opposition figures have been let go.

A rights lawyer representing many of the detained estimated earlier this month that at least 100 government members were rounded up in the early hours of the coup. The country's prime minister, Hamdok, was held under house arrest for weeks before being reinstated just days ago.

Activists estimated hundreds of protesters and activists have also disappeared into undisclosed prisons. Saleh himself is unsure of who else is being held, but remains worried for their safety.

Many were taken from their homes during the morning of Oct. 25 and have been since kept in undisclosed locations, with no ability to contact family or lawyers. The military leaders have also cut off mobile and internet communications across the country.

Saleh said after his arrest he was taken to a room locked from the outside, with a bed, dresser and toilet. He was given two meals a day and told he had access to a doctor if needed. He slowly concluded that he was being held in a military facility in Khartoum, the country's capital.

But his captors made one thing clear: He was only allowed contact with the guards who brought his food. He suspected colleagues of his were in the same building but had no way to know. Nor did he hear about the violence that followed the coup.

“I think being together with other people makes it easier,” said Saleh, who was also imprisoned under al-Bashir. “But this time I was alone, and I didn’t know what was happening outside the room.”

Since the takeover, protesters have flooded the streets in the biggest demonstrations since those that ended al-Bashir’s three-decade reign in 2019, and security forces have killed more than 40 demonstrators since the coup, according to doctors' groups.

Saleh is trying to acquaint himself with a new and frightening political landscape. He says he hopes soon to be able to sit down with his former boss. He is also calling for all detainees to be released, whether they are politicians or protesters.

“Only then we can look into the next steps,” he said.

The military reached a deal with Hamdok on Sunday [21 Nov] that would reinstate him as the head of a new technocratic Cabinet ahead of eventual elections. But the agreement has splintered Sudan’s pro-democracy movement, many of whom accuse Hamdok of allowing himself to serve as a fig leaf for continued military rule.

Saleh's account comes as the country slowly emerges from weeks of limited mobile and internet access.

On Wednesday, the internet advocacy group NetBlocks said that social media and messaging platforms were now fully functioning in the country for the first time since the coup.

View original: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/released-sudan-official-describes-ordeal-coup-arrest-81378472#

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/

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Hundreds of political detainees still imprisoned in Sudan - New mass marches called for November 25

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Incredibly brave Sudanese civilians will be taking to the streets to participate in a new mass march in the country's capital Khartoum on Thursday 25 November 2021. It will be the first test of the junta's sincerity and its agreement with newly reinstated Prime Minister Hamdok. It stands to reason that the junta will be keen to avoid being linked to any violations against peaceful protestors. 

Various peaceful protests in the past in Khartoum were infiltrated by criminal elements and gangs in disguise - even to the extent of wearing stolen military or police uniforms - organised by people with something to gain from ruining peace deals by arranging for infiltrators to violate protestors or act as protestors inciting violence in order to cause conflict and mistrust between signatories of peace deals. 

What's different this time is the sophisticated satellite and communications technology that is used by powerful nations around the world. Millions of people work hard to help Sudan and its people. The world will be watching with ways to identify spoilers, imposters and perpetrators of crimes. 

Please god keep everyone and PM Hamdok safe and strong. PM Hamdok is a good, decent, honourable man who wants the best for Sudan and its people. He is well connected with many supporters and peacemakers in high places around the world. It is in the world's interest that Sudan becomes stable. 

Here is a full copy of a must-read report at and by Radio Dabanga.org

Dated Wednesday 24 November 2021 - KHARTOUM / EL GEDAREF / DARFUR

Hundreds still detained in Sudan – new mass marches called for tomorrow

  • IMAGE: Poster calling for renewed Marches of the Millions tomorrow [Nov 25, 2021]
  • While the military junta in Sudan has released some detainees, several are still imprisoned, despite the undertaking in the political agreement signed in Khartoum on Sunday by Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan and Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, that stipulates the release of all political detainees. The resistance forces have called on the public to take to the streets again tomorrow in an unrelenting campaign of civil disobedience to the coup, and the political agreement.
  • On Tuesday morning, Military Intelligence held Moataz Abdallah, leading member of the Salvation Initiative, from his shop in El Koada Market in El Gedaref.
  • In Sennar, the authorities detained on Tuesday Ghazi Abdallah, Zaher Hasan and Mohamed Jibril, members of the Resistance Committees of Abu Hajjar, and took them to an unknown location.
  • In East Darfur, the authorities detained four members of the resistance committees in Yasin locality on Monday.
  • In El Gedaref, on Monday evening, the authorities released five detainees held during the November 21 Marches of the Millions, including members of resistance committees, a teacher and a member of the Salvation Initiative. One of them, Waliedin Abdelgadir, a member of the Resistance Committees, was severely beaten, which led to his serious injury, activists pointed out.
  • The court of El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, acquitted 19 members of the resistance committees of the charges brought against them under the State of Emergency laws. Activist Mohamed Ahmed told Radio Dabanga that the court acquitted the members of the resistance committees who had been detained earlier when they were holding public speeches at markets to announce the November 17 Marches of the Millions.
  • He explained that the authorities detained about four activists in the department in a malicious report. He noted the continuation of the resistance committees in their nightly and propaganda parades and their preparations for the November 25 Marches of the Millions.
  • Darfur Bar Association
  • The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) reported that there are more than 250 detainees in police stations, detention centres and prisons in Khartoum, and many other detainees in the states.
  • During a meeting of its delegation with the head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, on Tuesday at his workplace, the DBA called for the international community to follow up on the conditions of detainees and to demand the immediate release of all detainees.
  • The lawyers explained that the failure to hold the perpetrators accountable for the killing of peaceful demonstrators encouraged the widespread phenomenon of systematic killing and impunity.
  • The DBA warned that the current coup scene may be repeated after the end of the second transitional period. “The partnership balance is currently imbalanced in favour of the military component, which is devoted to disrupting the democratic transition.” The Association called for the continuation of international oversight and measures on the status quo to secure the democratic transition in Sudan and to protect civilians.
  • Lawyers demo
  • Lawyers organised a demonstration on Tuesday in front of the Supreme Court in Khartoum to protest against the killing of demonstrators and the urgent demand for retribution and the rejection of military coups. The participants in the demonstration chanted slogans calling for the immediate release of the detainees. Others denounced the military coup. It demands the lifting of the State of Emergency.
  • Zain telecommunications company employees carried out a protest vigil in response to the call of the Information and Communications Technology Syndicate, rejecting the military coup and denouncing the blocking of social networking sites.
  • In Sennar, lawyers organised a protest in front of the Sennar court on Tuesday, rejecting the coup. In Kassala, medical and health cadres organised a protest sit-in, rejecting the coup and denouncing the coup.
  • November 25 marches
  • The Khartoum Resistance Committees announced that the agreement between El Burhan and Hamdok does not concern them in anything and affirmed their adherence to their firm position that there is no negotiation, no partnership, no bargaining.
  • In a statement, the Khartoum Resistance Committees called on the masses of the Sudanese people to come out on November 25 “in honour of the martyrs” and for “the overthrow of the military and civilian coup d'état”. The Committees will publish the tracks of the Marches of the Millions through its field committees in the neighbourhoods.
  • The Khartoum Resistance Committees called on the masses of Sudanese abroad to demonstrate in front of embassies and international bodies, in refusal to legitimise the coup and affirming the Sudanese's rejection of any international support provided to the coup plotters.
  • The Central Council of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) considers the political agreement between El Burhan and Hamdok as an extension of the coup measures announced by El Burhan on October 25
  • In a press statement after the Central Council’s meeting on Monday, the FFC reiterated their rejection of the agreement as a response to the goals and pacts of the December revolution.
  • The Sudanese Professionals Association said that the El Burhan-Hamdok agreement means accepting the guardianship of the Military Council over the political process. The move is considered a serious setback, and “could lead to a new coup”.
  • View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/hundreds-still-detained-in-sudan-new-mass-marches-called-for-tomorrow