IGAD gives Sudan’s warring factions 2 weeks to meet

SEEMS the following demands made at today's (Saturday) IGAD meeting in Kampala, Uganda occurred after Sudan suspended its membership of IGAD:

"In a communique, read by Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the heads of states, including Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, along with representatives of the European Union, African Union and the United Nations, outlined their demands to the warring factions.

According to the communique, the conflict must be resolved by the Sudanese without any external interference. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse". Read more.

From Observer Uganda

Written by VOA (Voice of America)

Dated Saturday, 20 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

IGAD gives Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet

South Sudan President Salva Kiir at IGAD meeting

East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has given Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet face-to-face to de-escalate the situation.

The meeting, which also discussed the tension between Ethiopia and Somalia, made it clear that Somalia’s integrity must be respected. The IGAD meeting in Kampala described the conflict and political tension in the Horn of Africa and Sudan as a disturbing, senseless and devastating development.

Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, also the IGAD chairperson, said the group’s heads of state met with a sense of urgency as the region grapples with challenging times. The conflict in Sudan broke out in April between the national army, led by Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces. Since then, 7 million people have been displaced and 12,000 have been killed.

Sudan suspended its participation in the Kampala IGAD summit, accusing the regional body of violating its sovereignty and setting a dangerous precedent.

In a communique, read by Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the heads of states, including Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, along with representatives of the European Union, African Union and the United Nations, outlined their demands to the warring factions.

According to the communique, the conflict must be resolved by the Sudanese without any external interference. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse.

The Rapid Support Forces has specifically been accused of mass killings and use of rape as a weapon of war, especially in Darfur. Both parties have been accused of war crimes. Meanwhile, IGAD expressed concern about relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Early this month, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, giving Ethiopia access to the sea. In return, Ethiopia would consider recognizing Somaliland as an independent country. IGAD reaffirmed that any such agreement should be with Somalia.

Mike Hammer, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, said the US is particularly concerned that the agreement could disrupt the fight that Somalis, Africa and regional partners are waging against the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

"We have already seen troubling indications that al-Shabab is using the MOU to generate new recruits," he said. "We urge both sides to avoid precipitous actions including related to existing Ethiopian force deployment to Somalia that could create opportunities for al-Shabab to expand its reach within Somalia and into Ethiopia."

The African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urged both Somalia and Ethiopia to engage without delay, saying the tension compounds an already difficult time for the region.

View original: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/80338-igad-gives-sudan-s-warring-factions-two-weeks-to-meet

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Sudan suspends membership of IGAD

NOT seen this before, a news report from China using 'urgent' in a headline. Their reporting is good, accurate, measured, factual without sensationalism. 

Speaking of IGAD, wonder what became of EASF (Eastern Africa Standby Force) and why it or any other force is not being deployed to provide humanitarian corridors in Sudan, Chad and South Sudan for aid workers to reach people in urgent need of food, water, shelter, medical supplies.

Report from Xinhua

Dated Saturday, 20 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Urgent: Sudan suspends membership in eastern African block

KHARTOUM, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday the country has frozen its membership in the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, an eastern African bloc. Enditem

View original: http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2024-01/20/content_116954268.htm

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Sudan reaffirms readiness to reestablish ties with Iran

From Tehran Times

Dated Saturday, 20 January 2024 - 22:47 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan reaffirms readiness to re-establish ties with Iran

In a meeting with Iran's First-Vice President Mohammad Mokhber on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Uganda, Sadeq expressed Sudan's regret over the severance of ties with Iran in 2015 under foreign pressure, emphasizing the shared stances of the two nations in supporting the Palestinian people and seeking an end to Israeli atrocities in Gaza.

Mokhber, in turn, highlighted the Palestinian resistance movement's efforts to break the Zionist regime's hegemony in the region, calling for increased international pressure to lift the Gaza blockade and provide immediate relief to the besieged enclave.

The vice president expressed deep concern over the recent unrest and conflicts in Sudan, which he attributed to the conspiracy of foreign interventionists, including the Zionist usurping regime. 

Photo: TEHRAN- Sudan's acting Foreign Minister Ali Sadeq reiterated Khartoum's desire to revive diplomatic relations with Tehran.

He affirmed Iran's unwavering support for the Sudanese people and the legitimate government in their quest for peace and stability.

Sadeq elaborated on the recent events in Sudan, linking them to the interference and collusion of the Zionist regime and its regional allies, asserting that Sudan remains a victim of foreign machinations.

Sadeq attributed the Zionist regime's support for the unrest in Sudan to the country's refusal to normalize relations with Israel. 

He stressed that Sudan remains committed to its principles and will not compromise its independence.

The two officials agreed to further enhance cooperation between Sudan and Iran, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and cultural exchange. They expressed their commitment to advancing the cause of Palestine and promoting regional peace and stability.

View original: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/493969/Sudan-reaffirms-readiness-to-re-establish-ties-with-Iran

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Sudan: Prominent doctor Abdel Moneim Banga Abdel Hafeez shot dead by Sudanese army in Omdurman

Report at Sudan Tribune
Dated Wednesday, 17 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Doctor assassinated by Sudanese army in Omdurman

Abdel Moneim Banaga Abdel Hafeez

January 17, 2024 (OMDURMAN) – A prominent doctor has been assassinated by Sudanese army forces in Omdurman, according to eyewitnesses. The doctor, Dr Abdel Moneim Banga Abdel Hafeez, was accused of working with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Dr Banga’s cousin, Nabil Babikir Abdel Hafeez, told Sudan Tribune that the doctor was caring for his uncle, who has a complex medical condition, as well as his wife and sick brother in the Al-Mawradah neighbourhood. He also regularly went to the Abbasiya neighbourhood to get medical supplies and food.

On the day of his killing, Dr Banga went to Abbasiya to buy medical and nutritional supplies. He was stopped at a checkpoint by a group of army soldiers, who accused him of being an RSF intelligence officer. Despite showing them his doctor’s ID, he was shot dead.

The soldiers who recently regained control of large parts of the city accused him of being a member of the RSF Intelligence.

“Despite his pleas of innocence, stating that he was responsible for caring for his sick uncle and wife, they shot him dead,” said Babikir.

Residents of the neighbourhood witnessed the incident and confirmed that the army had left the doctor’s body behind after shooting him.

Babiker commended the residents of Abbasiya for taking care of the doctor’s body and burying him. He also called for the family to be moved to a safe place as they are now in need of support.

Human rights activists expect similar violations to occur in the future when the army regains control of areas occupied by the RSF.

The most recent clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces have taken place in several neighbourhoods of Omdurman since last week.

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has resulted in the deaths of over 12,000 civilians, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of more than 7 million people. 

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article281412/

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Sudan: "Now the future is dark. No one knows what will happen next." The people of Sudan have suffered too long. They need an end to the fighting now!

“Now the future is dark. No one knows what will happen next.”

9 months of conflict in #Sudan. The people of Sudan have suffered too long.

They need an end to the fighting now! pic.twitter.com/CQ7jtOIvk3

— IOM Sudan 🇺🇳 (@IOMSudan) January 15, 2024

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Sudan: Christian man killed by RSF militia. Baraka Parish church at Hajj Yusuf near Khartoum set on fire

CHRISTIANS in Sudan fear they are being increasingly targeted. “There are radical Muslims among RSF,” the pastor said in an online post. “I met some of them in Khartoum and Medani who badly harassed me when they learned that I was a pastor.” In Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Sudan was ranked No. 8, up from No. 10 the previous year. The Christian population of Sudan is estimated at 2 million, or 4.5% of the total population of more than 43 million. Read more.

From Morning Star News
By Morning Star News
Dated Friday, 19 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Christian man killed by militants in Sudan; church set on fire

Baraka Parish church at Hajj Yusuf, on the outskirts of Khartoum, Sudan, February 10, 2013. | Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

JUBA, South Sudan — A Sudanese Christian 85 miles southeast of Khartoum has succumbed to his injuries after militants from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assaulted him, sources said.

Personnel from the RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 15, severely assaulted Karbino Bla in Wad Medani, capital of Al Jazirah state on Jan. 1, following the militants’ takeover of the city on Dec. 18. The motives for the assault were unclear.

Bla, a member of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC), died on Jan. 5 as a result of the injuries, area sources said. He is survived by his wife and an infant daughter.

“This a great lost to the Evangelical church in Medani,” a relative said.

Rights organizations and area residents report the RSF has killed civilians, raped women and girls and looted homes and shops since taking control of the state in December.

Last Friday, Muslim extremists from the RSF set a church building on fire in Wad Medani, said area sources, including a SPEC pastor. The blaze destroyed Bibles, hymnbooks, important documents and chairs in the building, he said.

Christians in Sudan fear they are being increasingly targeted, the pastor said.

“There are radical Muslims among RSF,” the pastor said in an online post. “I met some of them in Khartoum and Medani who badly harassed me when they learned that I was a pastor.”

In Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Sudan was ranked No. 8, up from No. 10 the previous year.

Sudan had dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in six years when it first ranked No. 13 in the 2021 World Watch List.

Fighting between the RSF and the SAF, which had shared military rule in Sudan following an October 2021 coup, has terrorized civilians in Khartoum and elsewhere, leaving more than 12,000 people dead and displacing an estimated 5.8 million others.

Christian sites have been targeted since the conflict began.

The SAF’s Gen. Abdelfattah al-Burhan and his then-vice president, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, were in power when civilian parties in March agreed on a framework to re-establish a democratic transition in April, but disagreements over military structure torpedoed final approval.

Burhan sought to place the RSF — a paramilitary outfit with roots in the Janjaweed militias that had helped former strongman Omar al-Bashir put down rebels — under the regular army’s control within two years, while Dagolo would accept integration within nothing fewer than 10 years. The conflict burst into military fighting on April 15.

Both military leaders have Islamist backgrounds while trying to portray themselves to the international community as pro-democracy advocates of religious freedom.

Following two years of advances in religious freedom in Sudan after the end of the Islamist dictatorship under Bashir in 2019, the specter of state-sponsored persecution returned with the military coup of Oct. 25, 2021.

After Bashir was ousted from 30 years of power in April 2019, the transitional civilian-military government managed to undo some Sharia (Islamic law) provisions. It outlawed the labeling of any religious group “infidels” and thus effectively rescinded apostasy laws that made leaving Islam punishable by death.

With the Oct. 25, 2021 coup, Christians in Sudan feared the return of the most repressive and harsh aspects of Islamic law. Abdalla Hamdok, who had led a transitional government as prime minister starting in September 2019, was detained under house arrest for nearly a month before he was released and reinstated in a tenuous power-sharing agreement in November 2021.

Hamdock had been faced with rooting out longstanding corruption and an Islamist “deep state” from Bashir’s regime — the same deep state that is suspected of rooting out the transitional government in the Oct. 25, 2021 coup.

Persecution of Christians by non-state actors continued before and after the coup.

The U.S. State Department in 2019 removed Sudan from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom” and upgraded it to a watch list. Sudan had previously been designated as a CPC from 1999 to 2018.

In December 2020, the State Department removed Sudan from its Special Watch List.

The Christian population of Sudan is estimated at 2 million, or 4.5% of the total population of more than 43 million.

Morning Star News is the only independent news service focusing exclusively on the persecution of Christians. The nonprofit's mission is to provide complete, reliable, even-handed news in order to empower those in the free world to help persecuted Christians, and to encourage persecuted Christians by informing them that they are not alone in their suffering.

View original: https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-man-killed-by-militants-in-sudan-church-set-on-fire.html

Related

Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) building in ruins after shelling on Wednesday (Nov. 1, 2023) in Omdurman, Sudan. 

(Morning Star News)

Morning Star News - November 6, 2023

Christian Buildings Targeted in Military Conflict in Sudan

Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) structure in Omdurman left in ruins.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit https://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.  

Full story: https://morningstarnews.org/2023/11/christian-buildings-targeted-in-military-conflict-in-sudan/

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Sudan Watch - January 14, 2024

Sudan: Unidentified arsonists raze the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Wad Madani, Aj Jazirah State

According to this very sad report, unidentified arsonists razed the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Wad Madani, Aj Jazirah State, Sudan. The fire, based on the information gathered, was deliberate and aimed to destroy the Christian community’s religious facilities and obliterate the church’s history, which spans over a century.

Full story: https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/01/sudan-unidentified-arsonists-raze.html

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Sudan: Shells hit Khartoum killing 10+ civilians

From BBC News
By Yussuf Abdullahi
BBC Monitoring
Dated Friday, 12 January 2024, 6:58 - here is a copy in full:

Shells hit Sudan capital killing civilians

AFP Copyright: AFP Image caption: Many civilians have been killed in indiscriminate shelling in Khartoum (file photo)

At least 10 civilians have been killed after Sudan's army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group exchanged artillery fire in the south of the capital Khartoum.

Activist Muhammad Kindasha told Sudan Tribune news website that some of the victims died when an artillery shell hit “a house where a social event was being held” on Thursday.

He added that there were “fierce confrontations” between the army and the RSF in residential areas, describing the situation as “catastrophic”.

Shells also reportedly hit a local market.

Many civilians have been killed in indiscriminate shelling in Khartoum since the war between the army and the RSF began in April 2023.

Clashes between the two sides have intensified over the past week in the capital and the adjacent cities of Omdurman and Bahri, with the army claiming advances.

The conflict has killed at least 12,000 people and displaced more than seven million others, according to the United Nations.

Click here to view original. 

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