Sudan’s Burhan names post-coup transitional council

HERE is a copy of report published at France24.com

Dated Thursday 11 November 2021 - 21:47

Written by Agence France-Presse (AFP) 

Sudan’s Burhan names post-coup transitional council without main bloc demanding civilian rule

Burhan on October 25 dissolved the government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, detained the civilian leadership, and declared a nationwide state of emergency, sparking a wave of international condemnation.

His latest announcement comes just two days ahead of planned mass protests against the coup.

In New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the latest developments were "very concerning."

"We want to see a return to the transition as quickly as possible," he told reporters.

"We want to see the release of the prime minister as well as all other politicians and leaders that have been detained."

At a closed-door Security Council meeting, UN special envoy Volker Perthes warned that "the window now is closing for dialogue and for a peaceful resolution", according to Britain's ambassador Barbara Woodward

Sudan's information ministry, which has remained loyal to the deposed government, quoted ousted minister Hamza Baloul as saying the council's formation was "an extension of the coup measures".

Under the decree, Burhan, who chaired Sudan's ruling council formed in August 2019 following president Omar al-Bashir's ouster, keeps the post.

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, remains his deputy in the 14-member council.

The mixed military-civilian body also retains Shamsaldine al-Kabashi, Yasser al-Atta, and Ibrahim Gaber, all senior army figures.

But the civilian representatives of the Forces for Freedom and Change, the umbrella alliance which spearheaded the anti-Bashir protests, were dropped from the council.

Among the civilian members is former parliamentarian Abou al-Qassem Bortoum, a businessman supporter of Sudan's normalisation with Israel.

Salma Abdelgaber from Al-Gazira state in central Sudan, Youssef Gad Karim from North Kordofan state, Abdelbaqi al-Zubair representing Khartoum state and Rajaa Nicola, a Copt, are also on the list.

Ex-rebel leaders Malik Agar, Alhady Idris and Altaher Hagar, who signed a 2020 peace deal with the government, also kept their seats.

One member from east Sudan has yet to be named pending consultations, according to state television.

International pressure

Last month's military takeover sparked nationwide anti-coup protests which were met by a bloody crackdown that left at least 14 people killed, according to medics.

Scores of pro-democracy activists have since been arrested as Sudan has largely remained under a rigorous internet outage.

On Thursday, the telecommunication authority said the internet cut was ordered to "safeguard national security" and would to remain in force until further notice.

A court ruling had ordered an end to the outage.

On Thursday, security forces arrested activist Mohamed Nagi al-Assam, according to an independent medics union.

Assam was a leading activist during the 2019 protests which led to Bashir's ouster.

The military power grab has triggered international condemnation, punitive aid cuts and demands for a swift return to civilian rule.

Burhan insists it was "not a coup" but a move to "rectify the course of the transition".

Sudan's army has said that the formation of a new civilian government is "imminent".

On Tuesday, Burhan met with diplomats from the US, UK and Norway who called for Hamdok's "restoration" to office and the release of all detainees.

"We discussed our strong desire to see Sudan's democratic transition put back on track. We warned against unilateral action," the diplomatic troika said.

Hamdok was briefly detained immediately after the coup but later placed under effective house arrest.

Last week, the military released four civilian members of the ex-government but key officials are still detained.

On Thursday, several EU ambassadors called for "a return to constitutional order".  (AFP)

VIDEO: In this May 17, 2021 file photo, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan attends a news conference during the International Conference on Sudan at the temporary Grand Palais in Paris, France. © Sarah Meyssonnier, Pool/Reuters/File

View video and two tweets at the original copy here: https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20211111-sudan-s-burhan-names-post-coup-transitional-council-without-main-bloc-demanding-civilian-rule

Sudan: International Red Cross must visit detainees

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: According to various news reports such as the one copied here below, more than 100 government officials, political leaders, activists and protesters have been detained in Sudan since the military coup on October 25. 

Twenty-five of those detained including Ibrahim al-Sheikh face charges of inciting troops to rebel against their leaders, according to El Tahir Maki Idris, one of the lawyers working with those detained and a family member of al-Sheikh. They could face life imprisonment if convicted.

Also, since the military coup at least 14 anti-coup protesters have been killed due to excessive force used by Sudan's security forces, according to Sudanese doctors and the United Nations and the internet is still cut off.

This site Sudan Watch has received visits from China but, unusually, not Sudan. I have not yet found news of any neutral aid organisations such as the International Red Cross being called upon by the UN to visit the 100+ detainees to verify their wellbeing and living conditions.

Surely there are international laws in place such as the Geneva Conventions [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions ] to protect people from being arrested and detained at secret locations where there is no evidence of how they are being treated and when they will be released. 

Here is a full copy of a news report from and by Rédaction Africanews

Dated Wednesday 10 November 2021

Sudan coup: Detained minister's wife Amani Malik Ibrahim worried

Amani Malik Ibrahim has seen her husband detained many times during his fight for democracy in Sudan, but she never thought once he became a government minister he would be subjected to the same thing.

Yet armed soldiers knocked on the door in the early hours of October 25, before putting a gun to Ibrahim al-Sheikh's head and one to his wife's chest.

As al-Sheikh was being detained, his son Mohammed managed to take a few pictures, quickly sending them to his sister in Egypt.

A few hours later the internet was cut off in Sudan.

This was hours before top general Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan dissolved the transitional government and detained other government officials including al-Sheikh, and the country's prime minister Abdalla Hamdok.

More than 100 government officials, political leaders, activists and protesters have been detained since October 25.

The coup came more than two years after a popular uprising forced the military's removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019.

Al-Sheikh, was the minister of industry during the country's fragile planned transition to democratic rule.

He is also the head of the Sudanese Congress Party.

Ibrahim, his wife, is a lawyer and says the whole family has a history of detentions in the fight for democracy.

She says al-Sheikh has been arrested at least 15 times throughout his lifetime. His longest stint in detention was 100 days.

While they are used to the stress of detention, this time al-Sheikh's health is weak.

"At the end of the day, we are human. It shook us," Ibrahim said from their family home in Bahri.

Ibrahim says her husband has diabetes and high blood pressure, and was already ill before he was taken away.

After 12 days without news, al-Sheikh along with many others detained was allowed to call their family but his voice worried Ibrahim.

Ibrahim is working along with an association of lawyers on her husband's case along with others detained.

Twenty-five of those detained including al-Sheikh face charges of inciting troops to rebel against their leaders, according to El Tahir Maki Idris, one of the lawyers working with those detained and a family member of al-Sheikh.

They could face life imprisonment if convicted.

But little information is given to the lawyers who have been working furiously on the case but hear little back from the prosecutor's office.

In the days since October 25, there have been massive protests in the streets of Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.

Sudanese have taken to the streets in masses against the coup.

The protest movement insists on a full civilian government to rule Sudan during the transition.

Since the takeover, at least 14 anti-coup protesters have been killed due to excessive force used by the country's security forces, according to Sudanese doctors and the United Nations.

Military leaders have maintained they were compelled to take over because of alleged quarrels among political parties that they claimed could lead to civil war.

See video posted at the original report here:  https://www.africanews.com/2021/11/10/sudan-coup-detained-minister-s-wife-amani-malik-ibrahim-worried-over-his-health/

Sudanese court orders telcos to restore internet

SEVERAL Sudanese told The National  they have resorted to using word of mouth and leaflets to organise demonstrations against the military takeover because internet access was cut. Read more:

From The National by Nada AlTaher

Dated Wednesday 10 November 2021 

Sudan still without internet despite court order to restore services

Photo © MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH Thousands of Sudanese have joined mass protests against the military takeover on October 25. Reuters

A Sudanese court has ordered the three main telecoms providers in the country to restore internet access, but services were still disrupted more than two weeks after they were first cut off.

Internet activity monitor NetBlocks reported on Tuesday that the disruption, which began on October 25 when a military takeover deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, largely continued after the court order.

The US Agency for International Development Mission in Sudan said cuts to internet services were a breach of international law and a “suppression of freedom of speech".

On Tuesday, Sudan's military chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan issued a decision to form a group to strip financial support from the Empowerment Removal Committee.

The committee, which has been suspended, was established after former president Omar Al Bashir was ousted. It was set up to dismantle Al Bashir's regime and dissolve his National Congress Party.

Sudanese opposition groups have called for another “march of millions” protest to be held on Saturday, November 13.

Several Sudanese told The National they have resorted to using word of mouth and leaflets to organise demonstrations against the military takeover because internet access was cut.

Large protests were staged on October 30 to mark the anniversary of the 2019 uprising, with thousands of people taking to the streets to show their opposition to the removal of Mr Hamdok.

Cuts to internet access during political unrest is not uncommon in Sudan. Services were disrupted during the nationwide protests that toppled Al Bashir.

Mediation efforts between the military and civilian leaders continue to stall.

See two tweets in original copy here: https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/world/sudan-still-without-internet-despite-court-order-to-restore-services/ar-AAQwN72

Sudan cuts off internet despite court order to restore

Technology & internet accessibility are a human right. Shutting down an entire country for 16 days is a violation of #humanrights and should be recognised as such.

I didn’t speak to my mother & family in 16 days. This in 2021.#InternetShutDown #SudanCoup#Amnestyinternational https://t.co/BwUtSk5sJs

— Jia (Juwayria) (@Jia_Elhassan) November 10, 2021

Day 16 Sudan military distrupts internet and telecoms

For the 16TH DAY in #Sudan that began Oct. 25 when the military forcibly took power, the military continues to block access to Internet & phone lines, suppressing #FreedomOfSpeech & access to information for an entire nation - a violation of international law.#السودان @netblocks https://t.co/MWsdfX96Hq

— USAID Sudan (@USAIDSudan) November 9, 2021

Sudan coup leader Burhan names council for post-coup transition - Hemeti remains his deputy

HERE is a copy of an AFP news report published at MSN News.com

Dated Thursday 11 November 2021 

Written by Agence France-Presse (AFP) 

Sudan general names council for post-coup transition

Burhan on October 25 dissolved the government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, detained the civilian leadership, and declared a nationwide state of emergency, sparking a wave of international condemnation.

His latest announcement comes just two days ahead of planned mass protests against the coup.

In New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the latest developments were "very concerning." 

"We want to see a return to the transition as quickly as possible," he told reporters.

"We want to see the release of the prime minister as well as all other politicians and leaders that have been detained."

At a closed-door Security Council meeting, UN special envoy Volker Perthes warned that "the window now is closing for dialogue and for a peaceful resolution", according to Britain's ambassador Barbara Woodward.

Sudan's information ministry, which has remained loyal to the deposed government, quoted ousted minister Hamza Baloul as saying the council's formation was "an extension of the coup measures".

Under the decree, Burhan, who chaired Sudan's ruling council formed in August 2019 following president Omar al-Bashir's ouster, keeps the post.

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, remains his deputy in the 14-member council.

The mixed military-civilian body also retains Shamsaldine al-Kabashi, Yasser al-Atta, and Ibrahim Gaber, all senior army figures.

But the civilian representatives of the Forces for Freedom and Change, the umbrella alliance which spearheaded the anti-Bashir protests, were dropped from the council.

Among the civilian members is former parliamentarian Abou al-Qassem Bortoum, a businessman supporter of Sudan's normalisation with Israel. 

Salma Abdelgaber from Al-Gazira state in central Sudan, Youssef Gad Karim from North Kordofan state, Abdelbaqi al-Zubair representing Khartoum state and Rajaa Nicola, a Copt, are also on the list.

Ex-rebel leaders Malik Agar, Alhady Idris and Altaher Hagar, who signed a 2020 peace deal with the government, also kept their seats.

One member from east Sudan has yet to be named pending consultations, according to state television.

- International pressure -

Last month's military takeover sparked nationwide anti-coup protests which were met by a bloody crackdown that left at least 14 people killed, according to medics. 

Scores of pro-democracy activists have since been arrested as Sudan has largely remained under a rigorous internet outage.  

On Thursday, the telecommunication authority said the internet cut was ordered to "safeguard national security" and would to remain in force until further notice.

A court ruling had ordered an end to the outage. 

On Thursday, security forces arrested activist Mohamed Nagi al-Assam, according to an independent medics union. 

Assam was a leading activist during the 2019 protests which led to Bashir's ouster. 

The military power grab has triggered international condemnation, punitive aid cuts and demands for a swift return to civilian rule.

Burhan insists it was "not a coup" but a move to "rectify the course of the transition".

Sudan's army has said that the formation of a new civilian government is "imminent".

On Tuesday, Burhan met with diplomats from the US, UK and Norway who called for Hamdok's "restoration" to office and the release of all detainees. 

"We discussed our strong desire to see Sudan's democratic transition put back on track. We warned against unilateral action," the diplomatic troika said.

Hamdok was briefly detained immediately after the coup but later placed under effective house arrest. 

Last week, the military released four civilian members of the ex-government but key officials are still detained.

On Thursday, several EU ambassadors called for "a return to constitutional order". (bur/hc)

Photo AFP © - A young Sudanese man rolls a tyre before setting it on fire in front of a street barricades built by anti-coup demonstrators in the capital Khartoum

Photo © AFP Ashraf SHAZLY Sudan's top army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

View original:  https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/world/sudan-general-names-council-for-post-coup-transition/ar-AAQB42U

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemns military coup in Sudan - Calls for release of all detainees

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has condemned the military coup in Sudan and called on the military to place the democratic transition back on course.

From:

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP

Published Friday 5 November 2021

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

The United Kingdom strongly condemns the military coup in Sudan on 25 October. In 2019, the Sudanese agreed on a unique partnership between civilians and military in order to steer Sudan’s transition to full democracy. That partnership delivered huge progress, from abolishing oppressive laws to economic reforms and the Juba Peace agreement to help end decades of conflict.

The military’s unilateral actions threaten all of these gains. In detaining civilian politicians and activists, and unilaterally amending the 2019 Constitutional Declaration, the military have undermined the spirit and letter of both that hard-won 2019 compromise, and also the Juba Peace Agreement. The Sudanese people have taken to the streets in their millions in recent days to reject these actions. International condemnation has been fast and widespread.

It is still however possible for Sudan’s transition to get back on course. The United Kingdom welcomes and supports mediation efforts and urge the military to engage in a spirit of compromise. We note the release of four detainees on 4 November, but call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained since 25 October, the restoration of the Constitutional Declaration as a starting point for dialogue, and for security forces to respect the right to peaceful protest.

The United Kingdom will continue to support the Sudanese people in their demands for freedom, peace and justice. The military have the opportunity to put the transition back on course; the United Kingdom urges them to do so now.

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

Published 5 November 2021

View original:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-condemns-military-coup-in-sudan

العربية

EU raises Sudan flag to honour the Sudanese people

HERE, thanks to Google translate, is a translation of the below copied tweet by Luis Miguel Bueno @EUinArabic, the EU Arabic Spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, 5 Nov 2021:

 #جمعة_مباركة We raised the Sudanese flag in the European Union to honor the Sudanese people and to express our support for the aspirations of the Sudanese. We support the efforts of the international community to return to the democratic path led by civilians. #السودان

#جمعة_مباركة
رفعنا العلم السوداني في الاتحاد الأوروبي لتكريم الشعب السوداني و للتعبير عن دعمنا لتطلعات السودانيين. ندعم الجهود الرامية من قبل المجتمع الدولي للعودة إلى المسار الديمقراطي بقيادة المدنيين.#السودان pic.twitter.com/6BN7yCemxx

— Luis Miguel Bueno🇪🇺 (@EUinArabic) November 5, 2021

UK's Simon Manley @UN_HRC: Sudan's civilian-led govt must be restored, detainees freed, and human rights respected

This afternoon the @UN_HRC sent a strong, clear and united message: that Sudan’s civilian-led government must be restored, detainees freed, and human rights respected.

My thanks to our 🇩🇪🇳🇴🇺🇸 partners and all those delegations who worked so intensively with us this week. pic.twitter.com/OQOptVbUks

— Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCDO) November 5, 2021

UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Sudan - Adoption of draft resolution HRC/S-32/L.1

Speech. UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Sudan: Adoption of the resolution. Simon Manley, UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, delivered the UK statement during the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Sudan.

From:

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Simon Manley CMG

Published on: Friday 5 November 2021

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Delivered on: Friday 5 November 2021 

(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Photo: Simon Manley CMG the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, United Nations and other International Organisations based in Geneva

Thank you Madam President.

On behalf of the Core Group consisting of Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, I am is pleased to introduce this draft resolution HRC / S-32 / L.1, as orally revised. The oral revisions have been posted on e-delegate.

Madam President,

Swift, effective and strong action by this Council in response to the military takeover of 25 October in Sudan, is the reason we and others called for today’s Special Session.

The draft resolution we present today, in our view, achieves that. It has been the product of extensive consultations over the last few days, including with Sudan as the country concerned, the African Group, and other delegations. We are deeply grateful to all those who have worked with us so constructively and intensively on the draft resolution that we have before us today.

Madam President, this draft resolution delivers three key outcomes:

First, it condemns in the strongest possible terms the military takeover of 25 October in Sudan, and joins the calls made elsewhere, including by the African Union and the United Nations Security Council, for the immediate restoration of its civilian-led government, and the release of all those detained arbitrarily, since the takeover began.

Second, it requests the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to update the Council, at its next regular Session, on the human rights situation since the takeover. The continued excellent work of the OHCHR Country Office in Khartoum will be crucial to achieving this.

Third, the Council requests the High Commissioner to designate an Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, who will provide further monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation since the takeover, and present a comprehensive written report to the Council at its 50th session. The term of office of this Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, will conclude upon the restoration of its civilian led government. This restoration should be immediate.

Madam President,

The Core Group understands that this text enjoys the support of the country concerned, and of the African Group following our intensive consultations.

Accordingly, we hope that all States, members and non-members alike, will support wholeheartedly this resolution. In doing so, the Council will demonstrate clearly that it stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan in their struggle for democracy and human rights.

Thank you

Published 5 November 2021

View original: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/un-human-rights-council-special-session-on-sudan-adoption-of-the-resolution

____________________________________________________________________

Explore the topic Foreign affairs  Human rights internationally

World locations  Sudan  UK Mission to the WTO, UN and Other International Organisations (Geneva)

UK's @SimonManleyFCDO: “Sudanese democracy must - and will - prevail”

My statement this afternoon at the special session of the 🇺🇳 Human Rights Council on Sudan.

Sudanese democracy must - and will - prevail https://t.co/EPbXGtpBzO

— Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCDO) November 5, 2021

#SudanCoup #Sudan #الردة_مستحيل

#sudan our home that we love, grew up in & shaped the resilient people the world is witnessing today. The land of great poets , writers & Sufism. We are known for our kindness , love, generosity & unmatched strength. We are the power! #الردة_مستحيلة pic.twitter.com/hwBQGIx0VT

— Samah AbuG (@samahabug) November 1, 2021

#SudanCoup #SudancivilDisobediance #الردة_مستحيلة

In case you wondered what peaceful resistance could look like.#SudanCoup #SudancivilDisobediance pic.twitter.com/hPNzXQntjz

— Raga Makawi (@MakawiRaga) November 3, 2021

Sudan mediators hit 'hurdles' after coup

Here is a copy of a news report in full by Agence France-Presse (AFP) News 

Dated Tuesday, 2 November 2021 at 1:36 PM - reprinted by International Business Times.com

Sudan Mediators Hit 'Hurdles' After Coup

Just over a week after Sudan's top general locked up political leaders and seized power sparking mass protests and a deadly crackdown, mediators are seeking to restore the transition to civilian rule.

But experts warn that Sudan's military and civilian leadership are deeply divided, senior figures remain under military guard, and rebuilding trust between rival factions is a mammoth task.

"We sat with all actors from the military and civilian sides," one mediator said on condition of anonymity.

That intermediary is among a stream of leading Sudanese figures -- including businessmen, academics and journalists -- who have been trying to break the stalemate.

"We secured initial consent for talks, but hurdles remain in the way," the mediator added.

Sudan has enjoyed only rare democratic interludes since independence in 1956 and spent decades riven by civil war.

Since August 2019, the northeast African country had been ruled by a joint civilian-military council as part of the now derailed transition to full civilian rule.

But in a move widely condemned internationally, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan -- Sudan's de facto leader since the 2019 ouster of autocratic president Omar al-Bashir -- last week dissolved the government, detained the civilian leadership, and declared a state of emergency.

It triggered nationwide mass protests against the military -- demonstrations met by a deadly crackdown by security forces, resulting in at least a dozen people killed and scores wounded.

After armed troops were sent to crush protesters, street demonstrations have faded, although the situation remains volatile.

World powers demanded a swift return to civilian rule, and made punitive aid cuts that will hit hard in a country already mired in a dire economic crisis.

Last week, Burhan, a veteran general who served under Bashir's three-decades long iron fisted rule, vowed to form another civilian government.

Yet the two sides remain far apart.

"The civilians feel burnt by what their military partners did on October 25th," and will have "a high expectation" of guarantees to trust the military again, said Jeffrey Feltman, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa.

Both sides, however, are going to need to work together, Feltman added.

"One's not going to be able to sideline the military, just as the military should not be trying to sideline civilians as they are now."

He told reporters the US has been in touch with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to discuss Sudan's crisis.

The main civilian bloc, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) which led anti-Bashir protests, had just before the coup divided into two opposing factions, with a splinter group supporting the military.

The mainstream FFC remains committed to civilian rule. It says civilian leaders -- including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is effectively under house arrest -- must be freed before negotiations can progress.

"We insisted on the release of civilian detainees and resumption of the power-sharing deal as a prerequisite for talks," said Kamal Ismail, an FFC leader, after meetings with African Union officials.

"We believe these are not conditions. They are simply our rights."

The AU last week suspended Sudan's membership "until the effective restoration of the civilian-led transitional authority", and a team from the bloc's Peace and Security Council is expected in Khartoum on Wednesday.

United Nations officials and Western diplomats have called for the return of the government.

"We're engaging with all Sudanese across a very broad political spectrum," said Volker Perthes, UN special representative to Sudan, said Monday.

Neighbouring South Sudan, which contributes significantly to Khartoum through fees for sending its oil to export through a pipeline in Sudan, sent presidential adviser Tut Gatluak to try to help broker talks.

"We seek to bring all sides to hold a comprehensive dialogue on all issues," Gatluak said.

Other senior Sudanese mediators have held two meetings with Burhan on behalf of the FFC.

"He listened to the demands, and said he would take them into consideration," one mediator said on condition of anonymity.

However, the mediator warned they did not expect a resolution any time soon.

"We don't expect the military to heed these demands on the first attempt," he added, citing "ongoing tensions and the lack of trust."

PHOTO: A man walks past gas cylinders in Sudan's capital Khartoum on November 2, 2021 as talks to broker peace between rival factions continue Photo: AFP / Ashraf SHAZLY

IMAGE: Key economic indicators for Sudan. AFP / Jonathan WALTER

PHOTO: AFP / - Sudanese anti-coup protesters gathered in their thousands on October 30, 2021 to express their support for the country's democratic transition 

PHOTO: AFP / ASHRAF SHAZLY: Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, seen here in August 2020, has been pressing for the United States to delist his nation as a state sponsor of terrorism 

Copyright AFP. All rights reserved.

View original:  https://www.ibtimes.com/sudan-mediators-hit-hurdles-after-coup-3329722

Sudan's patchy telecoms - Khartoum airport open

Full copy of news report by Radio Dabanga.org

Dated Monday 1 November 2021 

Internet blackout continues, mobile phone service restored in Sudan

(Khartoum) - The week-long internet blackout imposed in Sudan after the military coup last Monday continues, with very little internet traffic possible. Telecommunications services began to be restored after a break that lasted for more than a day during to the October 30 Marches of Millions.

Sources told Radio Dabanga that phone calls continued to be difficult despite the restoration of some services on Sunday afternoon. They also complained about the continuing internet blackout.

The US Embassy in Khartoum confirmed in a report yesterday that the Salanco satellite internet network for Internet & Surveillance is still working, while the Maxnet wireless broadband service provider has been cut.

Khartoum International Airport reopened on Wednesday, and some airlines resumed flights during the weekend.

View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/internet-blackout-continues-mobile-phone-service-restored-in-sudan

Sudan: Hamdok says solution hinges on return of govt

NOTE from Sudan Watch editor:  Although there is a lack of news about Sudan’s cabinet ministers, their current whereabouts and how well they are being treated, it is clear that the UN Security Council and many ambassadors and diplomats round the world are following events closely and doing everything possible to ensure Mr Hamdok and his detained ministers and politicians are being kept safe and well.

Shortly after the military coup, a news report stated that a cabinet minister had been arrested at home during the night and taken to an unnamed location still wearing his night clothes. 

The following copy of a news report by AFP says PM Hamdok is quoted as saying "the release of the cabinet ministers and the full reinstatement of the government could pave the way to a solution”. The source of the quote is the Facebook page of Sudan’s information ministry.

The report reveals that the coup leader Gen Burhan said the detainees were being kept in "a decent place" and that those facing charges "will be moved to where the accused are usually taken while the rest will be released."

I have no verifiable news about current internet access in Sudan, cut off by the junta during the coup.

Here is a full copy of a news report written by Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Published at France24 dot com

Dated Monday, 1 November 2021, 9:23 pm

Sudan's ousted PM says solution hinges on return of govt: ministry

Sudan's ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said Monday [Nov 1] the reinstatement of his government, dissolved in a military coup, could pave the way to a solution in the country, the information ministry said.

Hamdok spoke during a meeting at his home, where he is under effective house arrest, with the ambassadors of the United States, Britain and Norway, the ministry which remains loyal to the prime minister said.

On October 25, Sudan's top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the cabinet as well as the ruling joint military-civilian Sovereign Council which had been heading Sudan's transition towards full civilian rule following the 2019 overthrow of autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

In a move widely condemned internationally, Burhan declared a state of emergency and detained Sudan's civilian leadership, including Hamdok and members of his government.

Hamdok, an international economist, was later released and placed effectively under house arrest.

The ousted prime minister "insisted on the legitimacy of his government and transitional institutions", the information ministry said on its Facebook page.

He added that "the release of the cabinet ministers and the full reinstatement of the government could pave the way to a solution," the ministry said.

Hamdok, according to the statement, demanded that the situation in Sudan return to what it was before the coup, refusing to negotiate with the military rulers.

The statement added that the three ambassadors also informed Hamdok that the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, would arrive at dawn Tuesday in Khartoum "to pursue efforts to ease the crisis".

'Dangerous legal situation'

Earlier Monday [Nov 1] a Sudanese lawyer representing the detained civilian leaders said their whereabouts is unknown and that they are in a "dangerous legal situation".

Kamal al-Gizouli is the lead defence lawyer on a team of attorneys which has come forward to represent them with the backing of their families.

Gizouli said his team went to an agency "where they were believed to have been held but we found that they were not there."

Gizouli expressed concern about the well-being of the detainees and called on those holding them to reveal their location.

"These detainees are in the most dangerous legal situation" since nothing was known about their case nor who was heading the investigation, he added.

Little is known about the whereabout of his cabinet and the members of the council that had been tasked with paving the way to full civilian rule.

Burhan had since August 2019 chaired the council, working alongside Hamdok's government under a power-sharing deal that outlined the post-Bashir transition.

The arrangement came under strain, however, as splits deepened between the civilians and the military.

Jonas Horner, senior analyst for Sudan at International Crisis Group think tank, speaking to AFP earlier Monday, said Hamdok will "find that his political cache has been boosted" by recent events, "and that he is in fact strengthened from what was a relatively weak position previously."

Horner cited, for example, Hamdok's "principled stance" prior to the putsch in refusing to dissolve his government.

In a news conference last week, Burhan defended the military's takeover, saying it was "not a coup" but a move to "rectify the course of the transition".

The general also said the detainees were being kept in "a decent place" and that those facing charges "will be moved to where the accused are usually taken while the rest will be released."

Sudanese and international efforts have been made to mediate a way out of the crisis since the coup.

"We call on all sides mediating to resolve the crisis to demand that the whereabouts of these ministers and politicians be known," said Gizouli.

On Sunday, the UN special representative to Sudan, Volker Perthes, said options for mediation have been discussed with Hamdok and other Sudanese stakeholders.

Photo and caption: Sudan's ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, pictured in September 2021, has been effectively under house arrest since the military coup (AFP/-)

bur-mon/hkb/it

View original: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211101-sudan-s-ousted-pm-says-solution-hinges-on-return-of-govt-ministry

UK seeks urgent session of top UN rights body on Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: The penholder for 2021 in the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Sudan is the UK. Also, the US is the penholder for 2021 in the UNSC on South Sudan, Sudan/South Sudan, Sudan sanctions and South Sudan sanctions.  Source: List* of 2021 UN Security Council Chairs of Subsidiary Bodies and Penholders.

Over eighteen years have passed since I began this blog, Sudan Watch. In 2003 I couldn't find a map of Darfur on the internet. Today, when I look at these photos showing protests in Khartoum, many of the protestors look younger than this blog. All they've known is war. They deserve their voices to be heard and their protests to be heeded. They are the future.

The world wide web, invented and freely given to the world by Englishman Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has enabled the world to watch Sudan and South Sudan and to donate its hard earned cash to help to bring peace and prosperity to the two countries. God help anyone who does anything to harm Sudan’s prime minister Hamdok or his family or colleagues. The world will go mad.

Billions of people around the world wish that music could unite us all to make world peace. Everyone knows love is the most important thing. God bless all Sudanese people and bring them love and peace.

* https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/working_methods_penholders_chairs.pdf

Here is a full copy of a news report by Reuters

Reporting by STEPHANIE NEBEHAY; editing by GILES ELGOOD

Dated Monday, 1 November 2021 3:50 PM GMT UK

Britain seeks urgent session of top UN rights body on Sudan

Photo and caption: Protesters carry a banner and national flags as they march against the Sudanese military's recent seizure of power and ousting of the civilian government, in the streets of the capital Khartoum, Sudan October 30, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin

Photo and caption: Protesters gesture and shout slogans as they demonstrate against the Sudanese military's recent seizure of power and ousting of the civilian government, in the capital Khartoum, Sudan October 30, 2021. Credit: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin/File Photo

GENEVA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday that it had requested that the U.N. Human Rights Council convene an emergency session on Sudan following last week's military coup.

The request was sent to the president of the 47-member Geneva forum on behalf of 18 member states, more than the one-third required to convene a special session. It was backed by 30 countries with observer status, including the United States.

"The actions of the Sudanese military are a betrayal of the revolution, the transition & the hopes of the Sudanese people," Simon Manley, Britain's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said in a tweet.

Last week, Sudan's military took power in a coup, detaining civilian officials and politicians, and promising to establish a new government of technocrats. The coup has been met with opposition and street demonstrations over the last week.

Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Giles Elgood

View original:  https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/britain-seeks-urgent-session-top-un-rights-body-sudan-2021-11-01/

Sudan’s PM Hamdok well but under house arrest

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: The following news report confirms that Mr Volker Perthes, the UN special representative to Sudan, said yesterday (Oct 31) that he had met Sudan’s prime minister, Mr Abdalla Hamdok, who is being held under armed guard by the ruling military junta. “He remains well but under house arrest,” Perthes said.

I say, looking at this report's photograph taken yesterday one can’t help wondering how many people it took to fetch and carry all the bricks that were needed to keep on creating barricades. This report tells us that as soon as the bricks were removed by the security forces, many of the barricades were put back when the security forces left :)  Good Sudanese people are so great, they make me laugh. I’m sure some Britishness and British sense of humour have seeped into their DNA somewhere along the line of history.

Here is a full report by The Guardian UK

Reporting by Guardian Correspondent and Agencies

Dated Sunday 31 October 2021 18.33 GMT UK

Sudan coup protesters return to barricades on seventh day of unrest

Militia and police personnel target protesters in south Khartoum a day after deadly crackdown

Photo: A brick barricade on a street in east Khartoum on Sunday [Oct 31]. Credit AFP/Getty Images

Sudanese anti-coup protesters gathered behind barricades in Khartoum on Sunday, a day after a deadly crackdown on mass rallies.

Tens of thousands of people turned out across the country for Saturday’s demonstrations, and at least three people were shot dead and more than 100 people wounded, according to medics. Police denied the killings or using live bullets.

On Sunday the feared Rapid Support Forces militia and police special forces ejected some protesters from barricades in al-Daim neighbourhood, in the south of Khartoum, as a defiant civil disobedience campaign against the military takeover extended into a seventh day.

Mustafa Hassan told the Guardian he had been sitting outside having coffee under a tree near where he lives in south Khartoum when the forces came in carrying guns and sticks.

“They beat me and everybody on the street including an elderly man, shouting at us to remove all the barricades. They do not have mercy, they do not respect old people. I felt sorry for the old man,” he said.

Another protester said many of the barricades were put back up when the security forces left.

“They ran away when the security forces came in here, but when they removed the barriers and left, they came back to build new barricades,” said the man, who did not want to give his name.

“The opposition to this coup is huge, it is on the social level. I was sitting here upstairs and seeing even children and women and young girls are all part of the resistance. That’s what the opposition lacked for years during [the former dictator Omar al-] Bashir’s time.”

The protests are in response to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolving the government on 25 October, declaring a state of emergency and detaining Sudan’s civilian leadership.

Sudan had been ruled since August 2019 by a joint civilian-military council as part of a now derailed transition to full civilian rule.

Volker Perthes, the UN special representative to Sudan, said on Sunday he had met the detained prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, who is being held under armed guard by the ruling military junta.

“He remains well but under house arrest,” Perthes said.

“We discussed options for mediation and the way forward for Sudan. I will continue these efforts with other Sudanese stakeholders.”

The independent Central Committee of Sudan’s Doctors said on Sunday that militias had shot dead a protester on the day of the coup, pushing its overall tally to 12 dead. A senior US official had estimated that at least 20 to 30 people were killed before Saturday’s protests.

The coup has sparked a chorus of international condemnation and punitive aid cuts, and world powers have demanded a swift return to civilian rule and called for the military to show restraint against protesters.

View original: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/31/sudan-coup-protesters-man-barricades-on-seventh-day-of-unrest