Sudan: UNHCR supporting 18,000 displaced by violence in Darfur & rushing relief to 40,000 IDPs in W. Darfur & 5,500 Sudanese in 12 villages in Chad

NOTE from Sudan Watch editor: Further below is a copy of UNHCR's SUDANFLASH Update dated 08 January 2020. It says it is supporting 18,000 people displaced by violence in Darfur and is rushing relief to 40,000 displaced people in West Darfur and that 5,500 people fled to 12 villages in Chad. 

I say, it is sad to note once again the lack of sanitation facilities, water and inadequate humanitarian aid: UNHCR provided plastic sheets to support construction of 50 emergency latrines (50 latrines for thousands of people!); the 5,500 who fled to Chad are staying in the open or under makeshift shelters, offering little to no protection from the elements. 

How on earth is a multi-billion dollar organisation such as UNHCR and partners managing to get away with providing inadequate basic aid after spending 15 years in Sudan to get it right in Darfur and nearby Chad?

• Additional distributions should bring the total number of recipients to 18,000 by 8 January. 
• More Non Food Items (NFIs) are in the pipeline. 
• A majority of the displaced, currently scattered at 25 gathering points, found shelter in schools, mosques and government buildings that are not equipped for this purpose and lack sanitation facilities and water. UNHCR provided plastic sheets to support the construction of 50 emergency latrines. 
• In addition to the internal displacement in West Darfur, some 5,500 individuals fled to 12 nearby villages in Chad, as assessed by a joint mission of UNHCR and Chadian authorities. They are staying in the open or under makeshift shelters, offering little to no protection from the elements. 

Extract from a report by Radio Dabanga.org 

Dated 09 January 2010 - EK GENEINA /KHARTOUM, SUDAN

UNHCR

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that it and its partners are supporting 18,000 people displaced by violence in Darfur with urgently needed blankets and relief items.

In a flash update issued yesterday [Sudan Watch ed: see copy of UNHCR SUDANFLASH dated 08 Jan 2020 further below] the agency says that an inter-agency response through the Non-Food Item Pipeline, managed by UNHCR, is rushing relief items to some 40,000 displaced men, women and children in West Darfur. In addition, a UNHCR mission in Chad found some 5,500 Sudanese men, women and children who had fled across the border to seek shelter in 12 villages.

In the first days of the distribution, UNHCR distributed non-food item (NFI) kits to over 8,000 vulnerable people. Together with the UN Migration Agency IOM and SRCS (Sudanese Red Crescent Society), an additional 3,000 men, women and children received critical NFIs, including blankets, sleeping mats and jerry cans. Additional distributions should bring the total number of recipients to 18,000 by 8 January. More NFIs are in the pipeline, the statement says.

Photo: UNHCR and partners organising distribution of aid in El Geneina on 6 January. (Photo: UNHCR)

A majority of the displaced, currently scattered at 25 gathering points, found shelter in schools, mosques and government buildings that are not equipped for this purpose and lack sanitation facilities and water. UNHCR provided plastic sheets to support the construction of 50 emergency latrines.

In addition to the internal displacement in West Darfur, some 5,500 individuals fled to 12 nearby villages in Chad, as assessed by a joint mission of UNHCR and Chadian authorities. They are staying in the open or under makeshift shelters, offering little to no protection from the elements.

View Original: https://www.dab

angasudan.org/en/all-news/article/high-committee-west-darfur-crisis-not-tribal

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NOTE from Sudan Watch editor: 
Here is a copy of UNHCR SUDANFLASH UPDATE dated 08 January 2020:

WEST DARFUR 

UNHCR and partners support 18,000 people displaced by violence in Darfur with urgently needed blankets and relief items 

An inter-agency response through the Non-Food Item Pipeline, managed by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is rushing relief items to some 40,000 displaced men, women and children in West Darfur. 

In recent weeks, intercommunal clashes between Massalit and Arab tribes in El Geneina, West Darfur, displaced tens of thousands of people, most of whom had already been displaced before and resided in three camps for internally displaced people (IDPs). Current estimates put the total number of displaced at 40,000. In addition, a UNHCR mission in Chad found some 5,500 Sudanese men, women and children who had fled across the border to seek shelter in 12 villages. 

In the first days of the distribution, UNHCR distributed non-food item (NFI) kits to over 8,000 vulnerable people. Together with the UN Migration Agency IOM and SRCS (Sudanese Red Crescent Society), an additional 3,000 men, women and children received critical NFIs, including blankets, sleeping mats and jerry cans. Additional distributions should bring the total number of recipients to 18,000 by 8 January. More NFIs are in the pipeline. 

A majority of the displaced, currently scattered at 25 gathering points, found shelter in schools, mosques and government buildings that are not equipped for this purpose and lack sanitation facilities and water. UNHCR provided plastic sheets to support the construction of 50 emergency latrines. 

In addition to the internal displacement in West Darfur, some 5,500 individuals fled to 12 nearby villages in Chad, as assessed by a joint mission of UNHCR and Chadian authorities. They are staying in the open or under makeshift shelters, offering little to no protection from the elements. 

A Coordinated Response by UNHCR and Partners 

■ UNHCR coordinated the humanitarian response to the serious and evolving situation at the outset. In the meantime, OCHA has taken over this coordination. 

ISSUE NO. 1 – 8 JANUARY 2020 

Photo: UNHCR and partners organizing the distribution at the Municipality Distribution Center, El Geneina Town, West Darfur on 6 January 2020. ©UNHCR 

• NHCR together with IOM, ICRC and NGO partners, such as Catholic Relief Services and SRCS, is currently distributing urgently needed NFIs to the most vulnerable households. 
• UNHCR has informed over 100 IDP representatives on criteria how to identify and prioritize the most vulnerable. 
• WFP, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and NGO partners are supporting the health and nutrition responses, ranging from in-patient kits to ready-to-use therapeutic food. 
• Key Challenges 

• Security remains a major concern at distribution points and when dispatching materials to West Darfur. 
• Provision of sustainable shelter: Once people have relocated to a safe location, more sustainable shelter solutions, complemented with NFIs such as plastic sheeting and kitchen sets, will have to be provided. 

NFI Pipeline - Explained 

UNHCR manages the NFI Common Pipeline which is a source of reliable, predictable Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items for partners. 

UNHCR procures, warehouses and transports NFIs to the locations of distribution in Darfur and beyond. Standardized processes reduce costs, avoid duplications of efforts, harmonize the quality and type of items, and thus promote effectiveness. 

This ensures a better response to urgent needs of newly displaced and disaster-affected populations who have lost their household belongings. The provision of NFIs has an important impact on health and dignity of refugees and IDPs by protecting them from the elements, providing physical protection (sun, rain and privacy), thus reducing health risks and increasing safety. 

[CONTACT US] 

Roland Schönbauer 

Senior External Relations Officer UNHCR Office Khartoum 

Tel.: +249 1 83 472 424 Email: schoenb@unhcr.org Twitter: @R_Schoenbauer

Doris Kuen 

Associate Reporting Officer (Protection) UNHCR Office Khartoum 

Tel.: +249 91 215 7165 Email: kuen@unhcr.org 

View Original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/uploads/media/5e1739bcc2be7.pdf

Sudan: Inquiry by PHR finds that authorities armed and orchestrated security forces that killed more than 200 pro-democracy protesters

An inquiry by the New York-based advocacy organisation Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) finds that authorities armed and orchestrated security forces that killed more than 200 pro-democracy protesters in June 2019. 

PHR is calling on UN member states to sanction the Sudanese officials responsible for the human rights abuses and for Sudan’s civilian-military government to include human rights, rule of law and accountability protections in the nation’s new constitution. Full story:

Sudan accused of masterminding lethal attacks on Khartoum protesters

Inquiry finds that authorities armed and orchestrated security forces that killed more than 200 pro-democracy protesters

Report from The Guardian.com 

Global development

By Kate Hodal @katehodal

Dated Thursday 05 March 2020 13.03 GMT, Last modified 8.07 GMT - here is a copy in full:

Photo: Demonstrators hold a banner bearing images of protesters allegedly killed in unrest in Khartoum in June 2019. Photograph: Marwan Ali/EPA

Sudanese security forces systematically planned and coordinated a series of deadly attacks that killed up to 241 pro-democracy protesters and injured hundreds more at a Khartoum sit-in last year, an inquiry has found.

Authorities “purposefully pre-positioned” state security forces armed with tear gas, whips and assault rifles in the month before the protests began, and “intentionally targeted” medical personnel and facilities during and after the protests, according to the New York-based advocacy organisation Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which led an investigation into the violence.

The findings were based on interviews with 30 survivors of the 3 June massacre, eyewitness accounts, and analysis of thousands of still and video images of the protests, among other sources of information. They contradict previous theories that the attacks on the protest camp were spontaneous, or the work of “rogue” military personnel, as a government-led inquiry indicated.

“The June 3 massacre against Sudanese civilians at the hands of government security forces is an egregious violation of human rights,” said Phelim Kine, PHR’s director of research and investigations.

“Security forces’ horrific tactics – sexual violence, including rape, use of tear gas, whips, batons, and live ammunition – killed and critically injured hundreds of civilians. To support the national commission charged with investigating these crimes, the Sudanese legal and human rights community, as well as international bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union, must conduct further investigation into the full scope of government-perpetrated violence on June 3.”

Photo: Sudanese forces deployed to disperse the Khartoum sit-in are seen around army headquarters on 3 June, 2019. Photograph: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images

Grassroots pro-democracy protests began in December 2018 [ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/25/sudan-clashes-between-security-forces-and-anti-bashir-protesters-prompt-concern ] in the centre of Khartoum in opposition to three decades of autocratic rule by Omar al-Bashir. The unrest continued after the president was ousted by military generals in April 2019 as protesters called for power to be ceded to civilians.

On 3 June, armed men in military uniform – many of whom declared themselves to be members of the Rapid Support Forces – stormed the peaceful sit-in that had been camped for months outside the military headquarters, shooting, stabbing, beating, raping and humiliating protestors.

Interviewees told PHR how security forces taunted them while beating, burning, and cutting them. One witness described an attempt by armed men to sexually assault him after they detained and tortured him, cutting open a healed wound and putting out cigarettes in it. Several interviewees said they had seen women gang-raped in broad daylight. 

Others described being shot at, beaten with whips and batons, and suffering severe post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

PHR said some survivors would suffer from a lifetime of chronic pain and disability as a result of their injuries.

One interviewee, Muna, recounted how she had been wearing skinny jeans during the protests. She reported that a soldier from the Rapid Support Forces – a paramilitary force heavily armed by Bashir – grabbed her and said: “How do we get her pants off her? Give me a blade so we can tear it off her.”

A doctor interviewed by PHR said he was directly targeted by soldiers, who pointed automatic weapons at him as they yelled: “You’re the reason for all this chaos and this whole mess … You’re the reason why the country’s like this. You’re the reason why we kill people. You’re the reason why people die.”

The attacks were used to “intimidate and silence those demanding civilian rule and major reforms in Sudan”, said PHR’s director of policy, Susannah Sirkin, who contributed to the report.

“As doctors and their organisations were at the forefront of calls for change in Sudan, they were a target. As those who treated injured protesters, or received bodies in the morgues, they were doubly targeted. As credible witnesses to gross human rights violations and their physical and psychological impacts, they were triply targeted.”

The report echoed similar findings, published by Human Rights Watch [ https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/11/17/they-were-shouting-kill-them/sudans-violent-crackdown-protesters-khartoum ] in November, which concluded that “the number of forces deployed in the operation against the sit-in – estimated in the thousands – suggests official operational planning”.

Medical expert Rohini Haar, who serves as research and investigations adviser at PHR, said: “This pattern of targeted attacks on healthcare is a recurring weapon used by Sudanese security forces that violates the obligation and rights of medical personnel to treat those in need, threatens the lives of medical workers, and has a devastating impact on civilians.”

PHR is calling on UN member states to sanction the Sudanese officials responsible for the human rights abuses and for Sudan’s civilian-military government to include human rights, rule of law and accountability protections in the nation’s new constitution.

Global development is supported by BILL & MELINDA GATES foundation

View Original: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/mar/05/sudan-accused-of-masterminding-lethal-attacks-on-khartoum-protesters

END

Sudan fires 109 diplomats with alleged links to Bashir

Sudan fires scores of diplomats allegedly linked to Bashir

Report from Reuters

Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, 

Writing by Mahmoud Mourad, Editing by Timothy Heritage

Dated Saturday 29 February 2020, 6:16PM

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan has fired scores of diplomats for alleged links to the administration of toppled President Omar al-Bashir, a legal committee said on Saturday.

The Empowerment Removal Committee was formed under a law introduced in November to dismantle the system built by Bashir, who was ousted in April last year after nearly three decades in power.

“One-hundred-and-nine ambassadors, diplomats and administrators were fired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and those were appointed through political and social empowerment,” Mohamed al-Faki, deputy head of the committee, told a news conference in the capital, Khartoum.

Some of the diplomats were appointed by Bashir himself and the others were picked through his now dissolved National Congress Party, said Taha Othman, a member of the committee.

Earlier this month, the committee dissolved the boards of the country’s central bank and 11 other state-owned banks and fired the managers of eight of the banks.

It also seized the assets of the former ruling party last month.

View Original: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-politics/sudan-fires-scores-of-diplomats-allegedly-linked-to-bashir-idUSKBN20N0WB

Sudan closes schools & unis over coronavirus fears - Quarantines nationals returning from Egypt in camps

Photo: Coronavirus disease (Covid 19)- Photo courtesy of US Department of State

Sudan to quarantine its nationals returning from Egypt in camps

Report from Egypt Today.com

By Staff

Dated Sunday 15 March 2020

CAIRO - 15 March 2020: The Sudanese Cabinet announced that it would bring back all Sudanese nationals stranded in border crossings with Egypt. 

The Cabinet added that all evacuated nationals will be isolated in a temporary shelter camp after bringing them back through Arqin crossing with Egypt. 

Two days ago, the Sudanese government closed land crossings with Egypt and suspended entry visas for foreigners from a number of countries, namely South Korea, China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Japan and Egypt. 

The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced Saturday the death of the only reported case. He was a 50-year-old Sudanese citizen who had visited the United Arab Emirates. 

Coronavirus has forced many countries to suspend their flights around the globe after the infected cases reached 157,483 people and 5,845 deaths were reported to date. On March 10, 2020, the virus was announced a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. 

“WHO is deeply concerned by the alarming levels of the coronavirus spread, severity & inaction, & expects to see the number of cases, deaths & affected countries climb even higher. Therefore, we made the assessment that COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusin in a press conference. 

View Original: https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/82644/Sudan-to-quarantine-its-nationals-returning-from-Egypt-in-camps

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RELATED REPORTS

Sudan closes schools for one month to prevent coronavirus spread

Report from Global Times.cn

By Xinhua 

Dated Sunday 15 March 2020 14:09:03

Photo: Sudanese people are seen wearing face masks in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 14, 2020. Sudan's Health Ministry on Friday announced the death of a Sudanese citizen infected with COVID-19. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

Sudan's Council of Ministers on Saturday decided to close universities and schools for one month and ban public gatherings to prevent coronavirus spread, according to a council statement. 

The council also decided to close the kindergartens and religious schools for one month, said Faisal Mohamed Saleh, Sudan's information minister and government spokesman, was quoted as saying in the statement. 

Photo: Sudanese people are seen wearing face masks in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 14, 2020. Sudan's Health Ministry on Friday announced the death of a Sudanese citizen infected with COVID-19. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

It has also been decided to postpone the basic school certificate examinations in all states, the statement added. 

Meanwhile, the council decided to evacuate the Sudanese citizens trapped at the border crossings with Egypt through the Arqin crossing, establish a temporary accommodation camp and conduct medical examination there. 

On Friday, the Sudanese health ministry announced the first death from coronavirus in the country. 

Photo: A Sudanese man is seen wearing a face mask in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 14, 2020. Sudan's Health Ministry on Friday announced the death of a Sudanese citizen infected with COVID-19. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

View Original: https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1182629.shtml

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Sudan closes schools and universities over coronavirus fears

Report from english.alarabiya.net

By Reuters, Khartoum

Dated Sunday, 15 March 2020

Last Update: Sunday, 15 March 2020 KSA 01:27 - GMT 22:27

Sudan has ordered the closure of schools and universities for one month from Saturday to stop the spread of coronavirus, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.

The statement said all public gatherings, such as weddings and social events, will also be banned.

On Friday, Sudan announced its first case of the novel coronavirus following the death of a 50-year-old man the night before.

The Sudanese citizen had recently been in the UAE, the health ministry said in a statement, without providing further details.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

View Original: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2020/03/15/Sudan-closes-schools-and-universities-over-coronavirus-fears.html

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Coronavirus measures: Sudan’s Council of Ministers issues directions

Report from and by Radio Dabanga.org

Dated Sunday 15 March 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - Sudan’s mini Council of Ministers has issued a set of directions following an emergency meeting held in Khartoum yesterday to discuss the recommendations of the Supreme Coordination Committee for combating the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. Their directions include enforced quarantine of those who have been in contact with Covid-19, as well as the closure of all schools, universities, and religious institutes for a month.

The ministers have directed Sudan’s security authorities to support the Ministry of Health to implement quarantine procedures in the isolation and quartering centres to isolate and examine “those who have been in contact with the virus and who refuse to submit to quarantine procedures”.

Military hospitals throughout the country have been directed to serve as centres for shelter and to provide treatment services.

All kindergartens, schools, Koran schools (khalawi), and religious institutes at all levels are to be closed for a month. All festivals, camps, ad remedial classes are cancelled.

The ministers direct that the basic exams in those states where the exams have not yet been held should be postponed until “a date to be determined later”.

An exception is the Sudanese Certificate (secondary school) exam, which the ministers say will occur on time “unless another decision is issued”.

All universities, colleges, as well as government, private, and foreign higher institutes will also be closed for a month.

Additional health measures

The ministers direct that additional health measures and controls should be implemented in prisons and reformatory centres, while ministries, government, and private companies should “take measures to reduce crowds in the workplace”.

Public gatherings such as weddings, condolences, and other public events are suspended, while the ministers ordered “tightening control over public markets, the control over prices of food supplies, and medical and non-medical supplies”.

Sudanese nationals stranded at Egyptian border crossings – which have been on lockdown since Thursday – will be evacuated through the Argeen crossing, the establishment of a temporary shelter camp, and conduction of medical examination by an integrated medical team.

PM Hamdok

On Friday, Sudan’s Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok called on the Sudanese public to be vigilant when dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic which spread rapidly, across the world.

In a statement via social media, Hamdok said: “We must be careful because the epidemic is spreading rapidly. We urge all citizens to follow the health directives announced by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to protect ourselves and our families.”

The PM urged people to wash their hands regularly and to avoid gatherings, “which will be useful during this critical stage”.

He underlined that all the concerned authorities in Sudan are ready to implement the comprehensive plan to confront the coronavirus outbreak.

Border lockdown

As reported by Radio Dabanga on Friday, Sudan has suspended issuing visas to citizens of countries marked as major Covid-19 hotspots by the World Health Organization (WHO), and advised Sudanese against travelling to those countries unless in the case of force majeure. Flights to those countries have been suspended and the four crossing points between Sudan and Egypt will be closed ‘until further notice’.

The official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reports that on Thursday, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Omar Manis issued a decision suspending issuing visas to citizens of Korea, China, Italy, Iran, France, Spain, Japan, and Egypt – countries listed by the WHO as being majorly affected.

Also on Thursday, the Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority shut-down all direct flights from Egypt to El Fasher, Nyala, and El Geneina in Darfur by the Unamid peacekeeping mission.

View Original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/coronavirus-measures-sudan-s-council-of-ministers-issue-directions

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Sudan shuts schools and universities over coronavirus

Report from and by Sudan Tribune.com

Dated Sunday 15 March 2020 - Excerpt:

(KHARTOUM) - Sudan on Saturday has ordered the closure of schools and universities for a month and restricted mass gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

View Original: https://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article69104

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Japan confirms first case of person re-infected with coronavirus

Report from and by The Hill.com

Dated 27 February 2020 - Excerpts:

Officials in Osaka say a tour bus guide tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time. 

There have been a number of cases of reinfection in China.  

As much remains unknown about the virus, cases of reinfection have health experts worried that the illness could remain dormant after an apparent recovery. 

“Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant with minimal symptoms,” Philip Tierno Jr., professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University, told Reuters. 

“And then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” he said.  

View Original: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/484942-japan-confirms-first-case-of-person-reinfected

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Can you get coronavirus twice?

Report from and by The Hill.com

Dated Friday 13 March 2020 - Excerpt:

“If you get an infection, your immune system is revved up against that virus,” Keiji Fukuda, director of Hong Kong University’s School of Public Health, told the Los Angeles Times. “To get reinfected again when you’re in that situation would be quite unusual unless your immune system was not functioning right.” 

View Original: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/487436-can-you-get-coronavirus-twice

Sudan: 65 killed in West Darfur Kerending Camp - High Committee says West Darfur crisis not tribal but orchestrated by the West Darfur state authorities

Photo: Eight of the victims of the violence in Kerending Camp in the end of December, 2019 (RD)

65 killed in West Darfur Kerending Camp two months ago

Report from and by Radio Dabanga.org

Dated 24 February 2020 KERENDING

The Higher Committee for Managing the West Darfur Crisis in Kerending Camp reported that 65 camp inhabitants were killed in the violence at the end of 2019. 42 of them died in hospitals in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur.

According to Ahmed Ishag, a member of the Higher Committee, 88 wounded were transferred to Khartoum for treatment. Most of them recovered. In total, 101 victims received treatment in El Geneina.

He said that about 16,000 displaced families have been officially registered as residents of Kerending camp. However the majority, 68,000 families, have not been registered and do not have camp ID’s.

Since the violence in and near the camp in end December 2019, 47,700 families are sheltering in 36 government offices and schools in El Geneina. They live in dire conditions.

The Higher Committee for Managing the West Darfur Crisis reported six weeks ago that the violence in West Darfur two months ago was not tribal, but orchestrated by the West Darfur state authorities. It specifically held the governor and the state security committee responsible.

A delegation of the Forces for Freedom and Change concluded in the beginning of January that the attacks on the two Kerending camps and its surrounding villages were the result of “elements of the deep state achieving their personal interests”.

Local leaders explained that they can only return to the camps if their safety can be guaranteed. They say this requires that the Rapid Support Forces militia leave the city, that weapons are collected, and that the UN, the army, or the police guarantee the safety of the camps.

View Original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/65-killed-in-west-darfur-kerending-camp-two-months-ago

Sudan: FFC says attacks in El Geneina, W. Darfur killing 80+ and displacing 47,000+ was not tribal

Photo: A picture taken during the attacks by Arab herders on camps and villages near El Geneina on December 29-30 (RD)

FFC West Darfur delegation: ‘Violence fomented by deep state’

Report from Radio Dabanga.org

Dated 06 January 2020 - EL GENEINA

The delegation of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) that concluded a three-day visit to West Darfur yesterday, said that the violence in El Geneina last week that killed more than 80 people and displaced at least 47,000 was not tribal.

Dr Maryam El Sadig, co-vice president of the National Umma Party (NUP) and member of the FFC delegation, told the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) yesterday that all members of the delegation agreed on this.

She said that the attacks on the two Kerending camps, surrounding villages, and districts near the state capital El Geneina, were the result of “elements of the deep state achieving their personal interests”.

El Sadig said the people the delegation spoke to assured them of their commitment to peaceful coexistence, non-aggression, adherence to the law, and the spirit of the revolution.

‘Situation contained’

The acting military governor of West Darfur said that the efforts of the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers to contain the situation have been successful. They managed to address “90 per cent of the causes of the problems”. He claimed arrangements are underway to reach an ultimate solution.

The curfew has been lifted to open the way for humanitarian organisations to deliver aid to those affected.

The governor also said the markets have reopened and commercial trucks that had been stranded in Zalingei because of the violence are arriving from Omdurman.

Many of the victims blame ‘janjaweed’ or ‘militant herders in vehicles belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia’ for the violence. They also claim the West Darfur state government had prior knowledge of the attacks that started on December 28 and did nothing to prevent or stop it.

Attorney General Tajelsir El Hibir appointed a fact-finding investigation committee into the El Geneina violence on Thursday. El Hibir took part in the government delegation that visited El Geneina last week in order to assess the situation.

Earlier today, El Hibir announced that the investigation committee has started its work. It will do so “in full neutrality, transparent and highly professional” and it is “ready to receive complaints from the public”.

Aid

The Businessmen’s Association announced the launch of a “They Are Relatives” initiative to help the victims of the El Geneina attacks.

The Association's information secretary, Mohamed El Amin Tebeidi, said at a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday that the association “so far collected more than SDG 1 million to support those affected with food and medicines”.

The businessmen also plan to set up a campaign in the area raising awareness of the importance of peace, spreading love, lending a hand, helping families affected by the war in the region, and removing grievances.

Sudanese activists started solidarity projects last week.

Members of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHA) visited El Geneina, as part of a broader delegation, which included government officials from the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Social Development and Welfare, and representatives of WFP and Unicef.

According to OCHA some 40.000 people have been displaced. Approximately 5,000 people have crossed the border into Chad, seeking refuge in villages near the border with Sudan.

View Original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/ffc-west-darfur-delegation-violence-fomented-by-deep-state

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High Committee: ‘West Darfur crisis not tribal’

Report from Radio Dabanga.org

Dated 09 January 2020 - EL GENEINA / KHARTOUM

Photo: Displaced children play among salvaged belongings after the violence in El Geneina (RD)

The High Committee for Managing the West Darfur Crisis, which began on December 28, 2019 around El Geneina, and claimed dozens of lives last month, asserts that “the events were not tribal, as has been reported by the media”. International humanitarian efforts are underway to assist more than 40,000 people displaced by the violence.

On Wednesday, the committee said in a press conference held at the Teiba Press Hall in Khartoum that based on evidence and facts, such as audio recordings, written evidence, and a statement by the University of El Geneina, in addition to the circumstantial facts in the place of the events, such as killing, fire, rape, and theft, confirm that the events are not tribal.

The committee holds the responsibility for the incidents to “the state’s governor, the security committee, and other defendants”.

Member of the committee, lawyer Abdo reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) government militia in El Geneina is holding members of the regular forces and civilians.

He said that these detainees have not been charged. He described the step as a crime, noting that the RSF do not have the jurisdiction to detain any person, and demanded that the authorities release the detainees immediately.

The High Committee for the Management of West Darfur Crisis stated that 180 cases of assault with gunfire, nine cases of murder, three cases of rape, and 18 armed robberies in West Darfur preceded the recent events.

The committee noted in the conference that throughout these events, individuals or groups did not move to attack an ethnic group, village or settlement in a sign that affirming that the events were not tribal.

The committee appealed to international organisations and others to contribute to resolving the crisis, noting that the affected people are now in urgent need for tents, shelter, water, food, and health services.

View Original: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/high-committee-west-darfur-crisis-not-tribal

Coronavirus Covid-19: First case reported in Sudan

On Thursday March 12 Sudan stopped issuing visas and flights to eight countries - including Italy and neighbouring Egypt - over fears of the coronavirus outbreak. Bus trips to Egypt have also been suspended.

Sudan's health ministry reports death of man who returned from UAE earlier this month. Read more:

Coronavirus: First case reported in Sudan

Report from and by Middle East Eye and agencies

Dated Friday 13 March 2020 

Sudan reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on Friday, as the pandemic continued to spread through the African continent, which until recently had been relatively unscathed.

In a statement, the health ministry said that a man in his 50s had died in the capital Khartoum after being diagnosed with the virus following a visit to the United Arab Emirates in the first week of March.

On Thursday, Sudan stopped issuing visas and flights to eight countries - including Italy and neighbouring Egypt - over fears of the coronavirus outbreak.

Bus trips to Egypt have also been suspended.

Kenya, Ethiopia and Guinea also confirmed their first cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, giving the disease a foothold in 18 countries in Africa.

Africa had so far largely been spared the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has infected at least 127,000 and killed 4,700 worldwide.

Most of Africa's reported cases were foreigners or people who had travelled abroad. Rapid testing and quarantines have been put in place to limit transmission.

But concerns are growing about the continent's ability to handle the disease.

Cases have been reported in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Most of these countries' totals are still in single figures.

View Original: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-sudan-first-case-reported-returned-uae