♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

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

Sudan offers more oil blocks to Russian company

August 21 – 2022 MOSCOW / KHARTOUM Sudan has offered more oil blocks to Russia’s Zarubezhneft oil company at the end of a three-day visit of a high-level Sudanese government delegation to Moscow. The two countries also agreed to enhance cooperation and expand trade in several other sectors. 

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Minerals Mohamed Saeed Zeinelabdeen affirmed Sudan's readiness to enter into new partnerships with Russia. El Tahir Mohamed Abulhasan from the Sudanese Ministry of Oil said that they discussed Zarubezhneft's proposal for investments in Sudan. “We previously provided several blocks for development, and now we have added more in regions with gas and oil potential. I think by October we will pass on the necessary information so that they can start looking at these areas," he stated.

Outrage in Sudan as new force reminiscent of Public Order Police is installed

August 19 – 2022 KHARTOUM The Sudanese Ministry of Interior’s decision to establish a new ‘Community Police’ has triggered widespread controversy in the country amidst fears that the decision will facilitate the return of the Public Order Police in Sudan.

Supporters hope the new force will control Sudanese society, which they believe has “loosened up too much recently”. Opponents, however, fear that the new force will severely restrict freedoms and pose a further threat to the ideals of the 2019 December Revolution and will, in practice, mean the return of the notorious Public Order Police that had a profound impact on Sudanese society during the dictatorship of Omar Al Bashir.

Beja Nazirs Council refuses to participate in Eastern Sudan conference
August 23 – 2022 KHARTOUM / PORT SUDAN The High Council of Beja Nazirs and Independent Chieftains announced that it would not attend the Eastern Sudan Conference, which is held in Khartoum. The Beja Nazirs Council which did not participate in peace negotiations on the Eastern Sudan Track warned, at the same time, of the dire consequences of any political settlement in which not all eastern Sudanese are involved.
 
Sudan anti-graft committee accuses Minawi of protecting corruption in El Gezira
August 23 – 2022 KHARTOUM / WAD MADANI Members of the now-suspended Empowerment Removal Committee* (ERC) have denounced the statements by Minni Arko Minawi, who said on Sunday that he holds the committee responsible for the flooding of large areas in El Gezira due to the confiscation of tools and machinery used to dig and maintain irrigation canals.

Darfur displaced demos in second day of road disruption
August 22 – 2022 EL FASHER Displaced people from North Darfur’s Zamzam camp established blockades along the road connecting El Fasher and Nyala for the second day in a row since Saturday, in protest against the insecurity in the area and the lack of basic services.
 
ICC Chief Prosecutor: ‘Displaced in Darfur need to see justice done’
August 22 – 2022 NYALA The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, arrived in the South Darfur capital of Nyala where he held talks with officials in Kalma camp for the displaced in relation to the ICC trial of former janjaweed leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abdelrahman (known as ‘Ali Kushayb’) on 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
 
Agar and Arman announce split in Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North
August 21 – 2022 KHARTOUM The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North under the leadership of Malik Agar (SPLM-N Agar) announced a new split in its ranks on Thursday.
 
Sudan floods: collapsed Darfur dam threatens to flood entire town
August 19 – 2022 NYALA / KATILA / UM DAFUG The number of houses demolished by torrential rains in El Salam camp for the displaced in South Darfur has risen to more than 4,000. No new casualties were reported, but the situation is alarming. In Katila floods caused a shortage of clean drinking water whilst the collapse of the dam near Um Dafug, in the south of the state, threatens to flood the entire town.
 
North Darfur tribes sign peace agreement ahead of upcoming conference
August 18 – 2022 SARAF OMRA The Fur and Tama tribes of Saraf Omra in North Darfur signed a peace agreement in order to prevent further hostilities ahead of the peace conference being held in the coming days.
 
Trilateral Mechanism holds meetings with FFC-CC and the Sudan People’s Call initiative ‘to achieve political consensus’
August 18 – 2022 KHARTOUM The Trilateral Mechanism held two separate meetings with the mainstream Forces for Freedom and Change Central Council faction (FFC-CC) and the Sudan People’s Call initiative, backed by coup-leader and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Commander Abdelfattah El Burhan, headed by renowned Sufi leader El Tayeb El Jad.