Thursday, April 27, 2023

Sudan: Attacks on prisons in Khartoum free thousands of inmates

Report from Radio Dabanga.org

Dated Tuesday 25 April 2023 c.13:50 BST UK - full copy:

Attacks on prisons in Sudanese capital free thousands of inmates

Kober Prison in Khartoum North (Radio Dabanga)


KHARTOUM – April 25, 2023 - Thousands of prisoners in the Sudanese capital were freed after men wearing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniforms launched attacks on several prisons. Among the freed prisoners is Mohamed Adam ‘Tupac’, who was held in El Huda Prison in Omdurman.


In a statement on Saturday, Army Commander Abdelfattah El Burhan accused the RSF of storming the El Huda Prison and killing its guards. “The release of the inmates poses a grave security threat and illustrates the state of indiscipline the rebelling [RSF] forces have reached,” he said.


The commander of the RSF, Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, was quick to confirm that his forces did not attack the prisons. His media office had already denied “allegations circulating on social media regarding the forces’ storming of a prison and the release of prisoners”.


According to Hemedti, “The putschists and their collaborators tied to the ousted Al Bashir regime have launched a campaign of lies and misleading rumours to cover up their defeats on the battlefield.” He accused the army forces of disguising in RSF uniforms and carrying out criminal acts to blame the militia.


In an article published by Al Jazeera Net yesterday, Muzdalifa Osman reported that “although the RSF were quick to deny their connection to the attack on the El Huda Prison, and setting prisoners free, some of the escapees confirmed that the attackers belonged to the RSF, and that they wanted to free their comrades who had been sentenced for criminal cases”.


El Huda Prison, located north-west of Omdurman, is the second largest prison in the capital’s area, designed to accommodate 10,000 inmates.


Inmates of more prisons were freed. In central Omdurman, hundreds of women left the Omdurman Women Prison after it was bombed during violent clashes in the vicinity of the national radio and television building.


In Soba Prison, in the south-eastern part of Khartoum, inmates escaped as well. They staged “a stormy rebellion” since Saturday morning, protesting the lack of food and water for three days. “The doors were therefore opened for the prisoners,” eyewitnesses stated.


According to the testimony of one of the escapees in a video clip, the number of those released from Soba Prison reached 6,000 inmates. The Ministry of Interior has yet to issue any clarifications regarding these events, nor did officials respond to inquiries about the Soba Prison events.


Kober Prison

“With the successive reports of inmates escaping, all eyes turned towards Kober Prison [in Khartoum North], where several leaders of the former regime – who are being tried on charges of undermining the regime and seizing power in 1989- are being held,” Osman writes.


Press reports published on Saturday spoke of an RSF force launching an attack on Kober Prison on Tuesday, on the side where the leaders of the former regime are being held.


El Sudani newspaper reported that the attack aimed to kidnap the leaders of the ousted Omar Al Bashir regime from prison, but protection forces were able to repel the attack. The army command reportedly took over the security of the prison in anticipation of more attacks.


Earlier last week, former President Al Bashir and several his senior aides were transferred to an army hospital, allegedly based on a medical recommendation.


Mohamed Adam ‘Tupac’

After reports of the escape of El Huda prisoners, a member of the defence team of  Mohamed Adam, better known by his nickname Tupac, told Al Jazeera Net that they did not know the fate of their client who was held in El Huda Prison. 


Later, Nidal Suleiman – the mother of the accused – informed Al Jazeera Net that her son had arrived at the house after walking for many hours, and that they decided to keep him in a safe place until the situation stabilises, after which he will appear before the court and continue the case.


Tupac himself recounted in a video clip that the RSF attacked the prison and released all the inmates, stressing that he would not take advantage of the incident to escape and would return to detention until his case was completed and he and his comrades’ innocence was confirmed.


Radio Dabanga previously reported on the detainment of Tupac and two others who were held on January 14 last year on charges of killing a police officer and their subjection to torture in detention


View original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/attacks-on-prisons-in-sudanese-capital-free-thousands-of-inmates


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Pope Francis appeals for end to violence in Sudan

Report from Catholic Leader, Australia

By CNA AND STAFF WRITERS 


Wednesday 26 April 2023 - full copy:


Pope Francis appeals for end to violence in Sudan

Prayers: Pope Francis. Photo: CN

POPE Francis has appealed for an end to violence in Sudan and a return to dialogue.


“I invite everyone to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters,” he said after reciting the midday Regina Coeli prayer with people gathered in St Peter’s Square on April 23.


The Pope had already expressed his concern about Sudan after the midday prayer on April 16; fighting between forces loyal to two different generals has led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians since April 13.


The power struggle has brought violence, shootings and bombings to the capital Khartoum and elsewhere.


Electricity, internet and access to food and water have been cut off for many of the people.


“Unfortunately, the situation in Sudan remains grave, and therefore I renew my appeal for an end to the violence as soon as possible and for a return to the path of dialogue,” Pope Francis said.


The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported April 20 that between 10,000 and 20,000 people had fled Sudan’s western Darfur region in the previous few days and sought refuge in neighboring Chad, which already hosts more than 370,000 Sudanese refugees.


“The majority of those arriving are women and children, who are currently sheltering out in the open,” it said in a press release.


“The initial most pressing needs are water, food, shelter, health care, child protection and prevention of gender-based violence. Due to the violence experienced by those crossing the border, psychosocial support is also among our top priorities.”


Meanwhile, Priest and Church workers are among civilians fearing for their lives as armed forces struggle for control of key installations in Sudan’s capital.


Kinga von Schierstaedt, from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, spoke with one of the charity’s project partners in Khartoum – near to an area held by the Rapid Support Forces , the state-backed paramilitary group fighting with government troops.


Mrs von Schierstaedt stressed that all civilians were being affected by the conflict.


“The Catholic Church in Sudan is very small, as over 95 per cent of the population is Muslim. As this is not an ideological or religious conflict, all citizens are equally affected. Believers, priests and religious are unable to leave their houses. 


Mass on Sunday has been stopped, and priests are no longer celebrating daily Mass in the church. In the crisis zones the life of faith continues only in people’s houses,” she said.


“Many people are leaving the inner-city areas where the shooting is taking place.


“Besides that, some of them lack electricity, and the water they need to survive, so they are fleeing to friends and relatives, mostly outside the city.


“We don’t yet have any reports of big waves of refugees or refugee camps, but there is certainly a flight from the cities.”


OSV/Zenit


Related Stories

Brisbane’s Sudanese Catholics joyfully prepare for Christmas

Sudan bishop says military coup was predictable

Stephen Kamal is sending a container filled with 30,000 books to the other side of the world


View original: https://catholicleader.com.au/news/pope-francis-appeals-for-end-to-violence-in-sudan/


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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Sudan former president Bashir accused of genocide and wanted by the ICC may be free after prison attack

Report from The Guardian

By Guardian staff and agencies


Wednesday 26 April 2023 00.01 BST

Last modified on Wed 26 Apr 2023 00.17 BST - full copy:


Sudan former president Bashir accused of genocide may be free after prison attack


Rival forces say Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the international criminal court, has either been released or taken to a different location after attack


An attack on the prison holding deposed Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has raised questions about his whereabouts, with one of the warring sides saying he is being held in a secure location and the other alleging he has been released.


Al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades was overthrown during a popular uprising in 2019. He is wanted by the international criminal court (ICC) for genocide and other crimes committed during the conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur region in the 2000s.


The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which together had removed al-Bashir from power during mass protests, are now battling one another across the capital. The fighting reached the prison over the weekend, with conflicting reports about what transpired.


Military officials told The Associated Press that Bashir, as well as Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein and Ahmed Haroun – who both held senior security positions during the Darfur crisis – had been moved to a military-run medical facility in Khartoum under tight security for their own safety.


The army later accused the RSF of donning military uniforms and attacking the prison, saying they released inmates and looted the facility. The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, denied the allegations and claimed that the military “forcibly evacuated” the facility as part of a plan to restore al-Bashir to power.


Former official Haroun, who is also wanted by the (ICC), said that he and other former officials of Bashir’s government had been allowed to walk free, in a statement aired on Sudan television. 


He said they left the prison for their own safety because of the fighting and a lack of food or water.


Haroun also said he was ready to appear in front of the judiciary whenever it was functioning and would take responsibility for his own protection. It was not immediately clear if Bashir, who has spent extended periods in a military hospital, with him.


Both the military and the RSF have sought to portray themselves as allies of the country’s pro-democracy movement who are trying to restore its transition to civilian rule. But both joined forces to remove civilian leaders from power in a coup less than two years ago.


Kober prison held a number of activists detained after the coup. One of them who walked free, Ahmed al-Fatih, said he was willing to surrender at a police station but could not find any that were functioning amid the unrest, according to a statement released by his defence lawyers. Both activists said their lives were in danger at the prison as food and water ran low.


Videos circulating online appear to show a long line of prisoners leaving the facility with bags of belongings slung over their shoulders.


The ICC indicted Bashir, Hussein and Haroun on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur.


The Darfur conflict erupted when rebels from an ethnic African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum. Al-Bashir launched a scorched-earth campaign that included air raids and attacks by notorious Janjaweed militias – tribal fighters who stormed into villages on horses and camels.


Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report


View original: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/26/sudan-former-president-accused-of-genocide-may-be-free-after-prison-attack?ref=upstract.com


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US confirms second American death in Sudan, seeks extended cease-fire

Report from Arab News

By Reuters


Dated Wednesday 26 April 2023 13:32 - full copy:


US confirms second American death in Sudan, seeks extended cease-fire

A man walks by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AP)


Kirby told reporters the violence had gone significantly down in Sudan


WASHINGTON: A second American has died in Sudan, the White House said on Wednesday, adding that it was helping a small number of US citizens seeking to leave the country amid ongoing clashes even as overall violence appeared significantly down.


White House national security spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, said the Biden administration was continuing to work with both sides of the conflict to strengthen the cease-fire in order to allow in more humanitarian assistance.


“We urge both military factions” to abide by the cease-fire “and to further extend it,” Kirby told reporters, adding that the violence “levels... generally appear to have gone significantly down.”


“The levels are down, but we want to see the levels at zero,” he added.


The White House’s comments come as fighting between Sudan’s army and a paramilitary force flared on the outskirts of the capital of Khartoum despite a truce aimed at quelling the 11-day conflict.


Kirby said US President Joe Biden “has asked for every conceivable option to help as many Americans as possible,” and that it “was actively facilitating the departure of a relatively small number of Americans” who wanted to leave.


Some US citizens had arrived at Port Sudan to evacuate and were being supported, and the United States was continuing to support other limited evacuation efforts, he added.


USAID has deployed teams in the region and is prepared to help provide humanitarian assistance but any cease-fire would have to remain in place and be extended, Kirby told reporters. 


View original: https://arab.news/8dnbd


Condolences. RIP  + +  +

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/


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Sudan army launches manhunt for escaped prisoners

Report from BBC News LIVE Reporting

By Wycliffe Muia, BBC News

Wednesday 26 April 2023 12:27 BST UK - full copy:


Sudan army launches manhunt for escaped prisoners


Sudan's army and the police say they have launched an operation to bring back prisoners who have escaped during the fighting between rival military factions, including war crimes suspect Ahmed Haroun.


The interior ministry said in a statement that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is battling the army, broke into five prisons and released an unknown number of inmates.


The ministry said the raid on Kober Prison in the capital Khartoum led to the killing of two prison warders, and that the RSF released all inmates.


The jailbreaks took place between 21-24 April, according to the ministry.


A Sudanese army spokesman told Sky News Arabia this was a "major security threat".


The spokesman said the army was coordinating with the police to return inmates to prisons. He denied army involvement in the jailbreaks, saying the military "does not have any supervision over prisons".


View original here.


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Sudan: What is the significance of Haroun's prison escape?

Report from BBC News LIVE Reporting

By JAMES COPNALL

BBC World Service


Wednesday 26 April 2023 10:45 BST UK - full copy:


What is the significance of Haroun's prison escape?


As we’ve reported Ahmed Haroun has escaped from prison.


He played a key part in the Sudanese government’s brutal response to two long-running and still unresolved civil wars, in Darfur and South Kordofan.


He was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in the atrocities in Darfur, which has been described as the first genocide of the 21st century.


Haroun was a member of former President Omar al Bashir’s inner circle for much of his 30 years in power - and was locked up once Bashir was overthrown in 2019.


Now Haroun says he and other Bashir loyalists are out of Kober prison.


Plenty of Sudanese people will believe this is just the latest example of Gen Burhan trying to restore Bashir’s Islamist lieutenants to the forefront of Sudanese politics.


View original here,


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Former president al-Bashir moved to hospital before fighting began, says Sudanese army

Report from BBC News LIVE Reporting

Wednesday 26 April 2023 10:19 BST UK - full copy:


Former president al-Bashir moved to hospital before fighting began, says military


Former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was moved from prison to a military hospital before the outbreak of fighting earlier this month, according to the Sudanese army.


Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989 and ruled Sudan until 2019, when he was toppled by another coup after large-scale protests.


Following his ousting, he was convicted of corruption and sentenced to two years in prison.


The army said in a statement that Bashir and a number of others had been moved from the Kober prison, near capital Khartoum, to a military hospital under police custody on the recommendation of medical staff.


Questions were raised about Bashir's whereabouts after a former minister in his government, Ali Haroun, announced on Tuesday that the former president had left the prison with other former officials.


Some reports had suggested that Bashir may have been released during an attack on the prison.


Both Bashir and Haroun are wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged atrocities in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.


Read the BBC's profile of Bashir here.


View original here,


[Ends]

Whereabouts of former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir unclear amid mass prison breaks

Report from BBC News LIVE Reporting

By BBC Monitoring


Dated Wednesday 26 April 2023 8:37 BST UK - full copy:


Whereabouts of former President Bashir unclear amid mass prison breaks


Detained ex-officials from the regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir have reportedly fled from Kober Prison in Khartoum, which has been the epicentre of Sudan's power struggle.


It is unclear if Bashir - who was jailed for corruption during his 30-year tenure - is among the escapees.


However, Al Jazeera on Tuesday cited family members saying he was still receiving treatment at a military hospital in the Sudanese capital.


And an official from the former governing National Congress Party (NCP) who fled from the prison told the Al-Sudani newspaper that they will "surrender to the judicial authorities when the situation allows".


"We made a decision to protect ourselves due to lack of security, water, food and treatment, as well as the death of many prisoners in Kober [prison]," Ahmed Haroun said.


Haroun is wanted for alleged war crimes, which he has previously denied. They relate to the alleged incitement of violence against civilians in Darfur. He was arrested in 2019 following the coup against Bashir.


Prisons have reportedly been targeted as fighting between the rival military factions rage for a second week.


In South Darfur's capital of Nyala, at least 750 prisoners reportedly escaped following protests and riots by inmates, while hundreds of others have escaped from other prisons in Khartoum and Omdurman.


View original here.


[Ends]

Sudan crisis: UK troops set to take command at Khartoum airfield and can use force if necessary

Report from the i

By Hugo Gye, Political Editor

Tuesday 25 April 2023 6:49 pm (Updated 8:20 pm)


Sudan crisis: UK troops set to take command at Khartoum airfield and can use force if necessary


It remains unclear how many of the British citizens currently stranded in Sudan can be evacuated by the Government

British troops on their way to Sudan (Photo: LPHOT Mark Johnson/MoD)


British troops are poised to take control of the airfield in Sudan where evacuation flights have been taking British citizens out of the war-torn country.


Military and civilian officials will oversee operations at the facility outside Khartoum, including security in the event that the airfield comes under attack from local militias.


Three flights were due to be completed by Wednesday morning with several more expected throughout the day – but the UK Government does not know whether it will be able to evacuate all the British nationals who want to leave.


Officials are based at the Wadi Saeedna airfield but ministers have ruled out expanding operations beyond that area, meaning that only people who can make it there on their own will be eligible for evacuation


There are 120 British troops at the base including members of 40 Commando, who flew in from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.


i understands the UK troops will be ready to use force if required to protect the airfield, should it come under attack during the airlift.


Government officials are hopeful the operation can be carried out without any exchange of fire, with the troops primarily there to assist with logistics.


Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed i‘s reporting on Tuesday evening, telling LBC Radio: “The Germans are leaving tomorrow, and we will take over the facilitation at the airfield.


“And the reason the Germans are leaving is people have stopped coming in large numbers.”


Mr Wallace said only one nation can facilitate the airfield at a time.


He added: “If the Spanish or the Italians or anyone else wants to fly, we’ll be the ones giving permissions effectively.”


The minister also said 99 per cent of the British nationals who have registered with the Foreign Office are in the capital Khartoum.


The Government is still working on other options including an evacuation by boat from the coastal city of Port Sudan.


The start of the mission came after the announcement of a ceasefire between the two warring forces currently tearing Sudan apart. 


It also followed an agreement between the UK Government and the armed forces of Sudan to give British nationals safe passage out of the country.


The Foreign Office has made contact with the Rapid Support Forces, which is fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces of the internationally recognised government.


A processing centre at the airfield is being run by staff from the Foreign Office and Border Force after the entire embassy team was evacuated on Sunday over fears they would be directly targeted by militias. The site, used by several different Western governments, was being operated and guarded by the German military but as of Wednesday evening they were preparing to end their mission and hand over to the UK.


There are no plans to help British nationals to access the evacuation mission because of the dangers of travelling even short distances within Sudan. And if the current ceasefire breaks down, there is no guarantee the evacuation efforts can continue, Government sources have said.


Rishi Sunak rejected the suggestion that the Government was too slow to act to help British citizens, saying: “I’m pleased that we were actually one of the first countries to safely evacuate our diplomats and our families. And it was right that we prioritised them because they were being targeted.


“The security situation on the ground in Sudan is complicated, it is volatile and we wanted to make sure we could put in place processes that are going to work for people, that are going to be safe and effective.”


The UK’s military presence in the region may enable the Government to bring humanitarian aid to Sudan once the evacuation mission is complete, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told MPs. He said: “It could well be that it stops becoming an evacuation and in fact it becomes a humanitarian crisis that we have to deal with, that is the challenge on the ground in Sudan is the food and water access as a result of the conflict.”


Oliver Dowden, the new Deputy Prime Minister, chaired the latest in a near-daily series of Cobra meetings to co-ordinate the response of multiple different Whitehall departments to the crisis.


View original: here.

U.S. Navy Sea Base to reposition off Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Wow. The Americans have not just one of these humongous floating islands but three! Who knew such vessels existed. Info within this report says the ship is self propelled.

Report from The War Zone

By Joseph Trevithick


Tuesday 25 April 2023, 1:51 AM GMT+1


U.S. Navy Sea Base To Reposition Off Sudan For Evacuation Contingency

The U.S. Navy's Expeditionary Sea Base ship USS Lewis B. Puller is on its way to take up a position off the coast of Sudan where it could support evacuation efforts if required. The ship's unique abilities to support these kinds of operations are among the exact reasons why the Navy began working to acquire vessels of this type more than a decade ago.

Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that Puller was headed for Sudan earlier today at a routine press conference. The Navy had already deployed the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Truxtun to the area, where it is also on call, if necessary. The deployment of Puller follows a U.S. military operation this weekend to help American diplomats and their dependents evacuate Sudan's capital Khartoum. [...]

The Navy currently has three Expeditionary Sea Bases (ESB) in service, including Puller, which was commissioned in 2017, and is in the process of acquiring three more, Full story here.

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Sudan humanitarian situation extremely dire

Report from Radio Dabanga

By Radio Dabanga


Tuesday 25 April 2023


Sudan humanitarian situation extremely dire


View full report here.

Photo: KHARTOUM, Associated Press / Sky News.com Tue 25 Apr 2023

RSF child soldiers with AK-47s roam Khartoum Sudan

Report from Sky News UK


Tuesday 25 April 2023 13:57 BST - excerpt:


'A 14-year-old with an AK-47 is a very dangerous individual'


Defence and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke has said there are reports of child soldiers on the streets as part of the Rapid Support Force rebels, providing an insight into just how dangerous the situation on the ground in Sudan is for civilians.


"A 13 or 14-year-old with an AK47 who thinks he's a big shot is a very dangerous individual. 


"So just getting a family to the airfield, or anywhere, in this situation is very dangerous," he said.


View original, with thanks to Sky: here.

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

VIDEO: Devastation on streets of Khartoum. Gunfire in Port Sudan Prison. RSF blamed for storming prisons

Report and video from Sky News UK

Timestamped 12:24 BST Tuesday 25 April 2023 


Devastation on the streets of Khartoum


The streets of the Sudanese capital have been left looking like something out of a disaster movie by the intense fighting.


Desolate roads littered with rubble are flanked by scorched, windowless buildings.


People wandering the streets were seen carrying supplies either by hand or some in wheelbarrows.


View original and video here.

Getty Images Copyright: Getty Images
Image caption: Buildings across Khartoum are pockmarked from more than a week of heavy fighting


There are also reports of gunfire inside Port Sudan prison. An army spokesman told Sky News Arabia that the RSF was responsible for "storming prisons". Source: BBC News Live Reporting.

French special forces soldier shot on Sudan rescue

Sadly, a French special forces soldier has been seriously injured after being shot while helping French government officials escape from Khartoum, according to Britain’s Africa minister Andrew Mitchell.


Here is a report from The Telegraph


Tuesday 25 April 2023 9:13am BST - excerpt:


French special forces soldier shot on Sudan rescue mission


A French special forces soldier is "gravely ill" after a French team was shot at out outside the embassy as they evacuated diplomats, a British minister has revealed. 


"When the French were seeking to evacuate their diplomats, and some people from the wider French government platform... they were shot at as they came out through the embassy gateway and I understand one of their special forces is gravely ill," Andrew Mitchell, Africa minister for the UK Foreign Office, said in parliament on Monday.


It came as British troops flew to Port Sudan to carry out a reconnaissance mission as the Government continues efforts to rescue stranded citizens.  

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/04/24/sudan-latest-news-uk-diplomats-evacuation/

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