UK urges accountability at UN for abuses in Sudan

THE UK called for an emergency meeting of UN Human Rights Council held today to push for accountability over violence and rights abuses in Sudan. 

Report from MSN.com

By REUTERS

Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Matthias Williams

Published Thursday 11 May 2023 c.10:00 am BST UK - full copy:

Britain urges accountability at UN for rights abuses in Sudan

GENEVA (Reuters) – Britain urged the U.N. Human Rights Council to push for accountability over violence in Sudan at an emergency meeting in Geneva on Thursday but Sudan pushed back, saying the events unfolding there were an “internal affair”.

Britain’s minister of state for development and Africa Andrew Mitchell urged the 47-member council to “send a united message of concern and horror” ahead of an expected vote. Sudan’s ambassador told the council: “What’s happening in Sudan is an internal affair”.

Fleeing Sudanese seek refuge in Chad copyright Thomson Reuters

View original: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/britain-urges-accountability-at-un-for-rights-abuses-in-sudan/ar-AA1b2peL

[Ends]

Sudan: ICC Prosecutor briefs UNSC on Darfur 17 Jan

HERE is a full copy of What's in Blue report dated Tue 11 Jan 2022. Note that Sudan's Prime Minister Hamdok resigned on 2 Jan. The UN Security Council will receive the semi-annual briefing of the ICC Prosecutor on Darfur on 17 Jan. The following meeting was requested by the UK, the penholder on Sudan. 

Sudan: Meeting under “Any Other Business”

Tomorrow (12 January), following the open briefing and closed consultations on Yemen, Security Council members will discuss the situation in Sudan under “any other business”. The meeting was requested by the UK (the penholder on Sudan), together with Albania, France, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, and the US. Special Representative for Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes is expected to brief.

Perthes is expected to update members on the latest developments in the ongoing political crisis in Sudan following the military coup d’état of 25 October 2021, particularly in light of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s resignation on 2 January. Perthes last briefed the Council on 10 December 2021 (S/PV.8925) on the Secretary-General’s most recent 90-day report on UNITAMS (S/2021/1008). (For background, see our What’s in Blue story from 9 December 2021.)

Hamdok announced that he is stepping down in a televised address, during which he referred to failed mediation attempts between civilian and military leaders and said that the country is at a “dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival”. His resignation came against the backdrop of ongoing widespread protests in the country against the 25 October 2021 coup and the subsequent power-sharing agreement between the civilian and military entities announced on 21 November 2021, which included Hamdok’s reinstatement as prime minister. Several parties have rejected the agreement, including the main opposition alliance, the Forces for Freedom and Change Coalition (FFC).

The crackdown on protestors since 25 October 2021 is another area of immediate concern for Council members. As at 9 January, according to the medical group Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, 62 people have been killed and hundreds have been injured during protests involving the excessive use of force by security forces since 25 October 2021. Some Council members may emphasise the need to conduct timely investigations into casualties during the demonstrations and the importance of accountability for this violence.

Secretary-General António Guterres took note of Hamdok’s resignation in a 3 January statement and expressed regret that “a political understanding on the way forward is not in place despite the gravity of the situation in Sudan”. He also condemned the “continued violence targeting protestors”. In a 4 January statement, the Troika on Sudan (Norway, the UK and the US) and the EU emphasised that “Sudanese stakeholders will need to work on the basis of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration on how to overcome the nation’s current political crisis, select new civilian leadership, and identify clear timelines and processes for the remaining transitional tasks – including establishing the legislative and judicial branches of government, creating accountability mechanisms, and laying the groundwork for elections”. The statement urged “stakeholders to commit to an immediate, Sudanese-led and internationally facilitated dialogue” and said that the killing and injuring of protestors “is unacceptable”, while calling for independent investigations and accountability for perpetrators. The statement was reportedly rejected by the military.

At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members will be interested in hearing more from Perthes on the role of UNITAMS, particularly regarding the “UN-facilitated intra-Sudanese political process” announced by Perthes in an 8 January statement. The political process is “aimed at supporting Sudanese stakeholders in agreeing on a way out of the current political crisis and agree[ing] on a sustainable path forward towards democracy and peace”, according to the statement. Noting that “measures taken to date have not succeeded in restoring the course of this transformation”, the statement says that “all key civilian and military stakeholders, including armed movements, political parties, civil society, women’s groups, and resistance committees will be invited to participate”.

The 8 January announcement about the UN-facilitated process followed international pressure to find a way forward in resolving the political crisis. The announcement was welcomed in a statement by the Quad on Sudan (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US), which expressed “strong support for the “UN-facilitated, Sudanese-led dialogue initiative”.

In a 10 January press briefing, Perthes announced the commencement of consultations on the way forward and provided further details, emphasising that the UN would play a facilitation role in the process, which will be Sudanese-led. Council members will likely seek further details on the next steps in this process, including an assessment of the various stakeholders’ willingness to participate. According to media reports, the Sudanese Professionals Association—an umbrella association of several trade unions—rejected participation in the initiative, while the FFC said that they would announce a position when further details are available. The military-led Transitional Sovereign Council reportedly welcomed the announcement of the UN-facilitated process, while also calling for AU involvement. (On 26 October 2021, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) adopted a communiqué suspending Sudan from the AU “until the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority”. The AU PSC decided, according to a 24 November 2021 communiqué, to “promptly dispatch a mission to Sudan”, which has yet to take place.)

In addition to political developments, members may want to hear more about the situation in Darfur, including after looting and attacks against UN facilities, equipment and supplies which took place during December 2021. On 24 December 2021, there was looting and violence at the former UN/AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) base in El Fasher, North Darfur, which was handed over to local Sudanese authorities three days earlier. On 28 December 2021, a World Food Programme warehouse in El Fasher was attacked by unknown armed groups. Over 1,900 metric tons of food commodities meant to feed 730,000 vulnerable people were stolen, according to the Secretary-General’s spokesperson.

Looking ahead, the Council will receive the semi-annual briefing of the ICC Prosecutor on Darfur on 17 January.

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2022/01/sudan-meeting-under-any-other-business.php

Sudan protest march Nov 30: New police violence

Here is a copy of a report at and by Radio Dabanga.org

Dated Tuesday, 30 November 2021 

Sudan Marches of the Millions: New police violence today

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum, as well as other cities across Sudan today, in the November 30 Marches of the Millions, called by the resistance committees, to express their rejection of the military coup d’état of October 25, and the subsequent political agreement, signed by coup leader Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan and Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok.

In Khartoum, several demonstrators were injured as the marches turned into hit-and-run operations with police when the demonstrators closed a number of main roads using barricades.

Meme promoting the Marches of the Millions across Sudan today (RD)

A demonstrator carries tyres for barricades (RD)

Read more: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-marches-of-the-millions-new-police-violence-today

Report 26 Nov 2021: Resistance Committee members beaten and humiliated as detentions continue

Sudan protest: “This barricade cannot be removed, This barricade is being guarded by men behind it"

Sudan Watch Ed: I love these little boys standing behind their barricade!

“ altars da ma binshaal
Altaras warahu rujaal”
“This barricade cannot be removed,
This barricade is being guarded by men behind it”
Chant these little boys standing behind their barricade today in one the outskirts of the capital city khart#الردة_مستحيلة pic.twitter.com/EGnyOY6ngM

— Sudanese Translators for Change STC (@SudaneseTc) November 26, 2021

Hat tip Eric Reeves https://twitter.com/sudanreeves

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#

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

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

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