♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

A compact digest of the past weeks’ most-read highlights, from the heart of Sudan. Subscribe to receive this digest weekly in your inbox.

Sudan clashes intensify amid mounting civilian toll
 
17/12/2024 – ED DUWEIM / EL AWJ / TANDELTI LOCALITY / UM RUWABA / WAD MADANI / KARARI / EL FASHER. Sudan’s civil war shows no signs of abating, with intense fighting reported across multiple fronts. Over the course of 72 hours, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting various paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions, while the RSF launched drone attacks and ground offensives against SAF strongholds in several states.
 
At least 14 people were killed and 15 others were injured in an RSF attack in Um Rawaba, North Kordofan. On the same day, an SAF strike on Wad Madani, the capital of El Gezira State, claimed the lives of at least nine civilians and injured several others.

‘Ali Kushayb’ trial: ICC closing arguments cite Radio Dabanga evidence
 
12/12/2024 – THE HAGUE. The International Criminal Court (ICC) heard closing arguments in the trial of Darfur Janjaweed leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abdelrahman, known as ‘Ali Kushayb’, who stands accused of 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed in Darfur. The prosecution drew heavily on evidence linked to Radio Dabanga’s reporting.
 
The court reviewed Radio Dabanga reports detailing Ali Kushayb’s involvement in militia attacks and the systematic targeting of civilians, including his leadership role within the Central Reserve Forces (CRF). The court evidence also includes a video in which the accused allegedly confirmed his role in the crimes and endorsed Radio Dabanga’s descriptions of his leadership of the Janjaweed militia.

French president calls on Sudan warring parties to ‘lay down arms’
22/12/2024 – ADDIS ABABA. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, urging all warring parties to stop fighting after 20 months of brutal conflict. Speaking in Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa on Saturday, Macron stressed the need for regional actors to take action to end the suffering of the Sudanese people.
 
Outrage as airstrike kills 3 WFP workers in Sudan
20/12/2024 – YABUS. The World Food Programme (WFP) reported the deaths of three employees in an airstrike on its field office in the Blue Nile region. Investigations are ongoing to determine responsibility for the attack.
 
Sudan reflects on double anniversary: ‘Revolutions face challenges, but they do not die’
19/12/2024 – AMSTERDAM. Sudan commemorates two pivotal milestones, the declaration of independence within Parliament in 1955 and the sixth anniversary of the December Revolution that toppled 30 years of autocratic rule. While these anniversaries have historically been celebrated with fervour, the ongoing war since April 2023 has cast a shadow on this year’s observance.
 
Libya aids Sudanese refugees amid ongoing hardship
18/12/2024 – BENGHAZI / KUFRA. The Libyan Relief and Humanitarian Aid Authority, in partnership with the WFP, has launched a food aid distribution programme targeting over 3,300 Sudanese refugee families across Libyan cities.
 
ACJPS: ‘Sexual violence deployed as weapon of war in Sudan’
17/12/2024 – NEW YORK, USA. A recent report by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) reveals the horrifying use of sexual violence as a weapon in Sudan’s ongoing conflict. The report details widespread abuse by both the SAF and the RSF, with victims subjected to rape, gang rape, forced prostitution, and abductions for sexual purposes.
 
Senior Sudan officials latest hit by EU sanctions
16/12/2024 – BRUSSELS. The European Union announced it is sanctioning four senior officials from the SAF and the RSF, citing their involvement in acts that are threatening peace, stability, and efforts to restore Sudan’s political transition.
 
El Fasher and Zamzam camp shelling: Yale HRL report confirms RSF heavy artillery presence in North Darfur
15/12/2024 – NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, USA / EL FASHER. In the wake of consistent testimony of heavy shelling of the North Darfur capital El Fasher, and the nearby ZamZam camp for internally displaced people, a new report published by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) confirms “large-scale displacement” “following repeated heavy artillery bombardment over 12 days by Rapid Support Forces”.
 
Sudan tops IRC Emergency Watchlist for second year
13/12/2024 – LONDON. Sudan tops the International Rescue Committee (IRC) 2025 Emergency Watchlist as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis for the second year running. The report highlights that, despite being home to just one per cent of the global population, the war-torn nation accounts for 10 per cent of global humanitarian needs, leading ahead of 20 at-risk countries, including the occupied Palestinian territory, Myanmar, Syria, and South Sudan.