♦ 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.

Hemeti renews military’s commitment to exit Sudan’s political scene
 
September 18 – 2022 KHARTOUM Sudan’s Vice President of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohamed ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo, stated in a briefing that he is committed to his previous pledge to remove the military institution from Sudan’s political scene. In an RSF media briefing, Hemeti added that he would ensure that the military will “devote its efforts to the tasks stipulated in the constitution and the law”.
 
According to Hemeti, both he and Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan agreed that civilians should choose the civilian ministers and the heads of the Sovereignty Council. Media advisor to El Burhan, however, added that the “army would not hand over power except to a government agreed upon by all Sudanese”.

Sudan junta leader El Burhan in London for Queen Elizabeth II funeral
 
September 19 – 2022 KHARTOUM / LONDON Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan left Khartoum for London on Sunday morning, accompanied by Foreign Minister-designate Ambassador Ali El Sadig, to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who died at the age of 96 on Thursday.
 
The funeral, held in Westminster Abbey at 11:00 (BST) on Monday, was attended by roughly 500 presidents, prime ministers, royalty, and other dignitaries from across the globe. However, critics in Sudan say El Burhan’s attendance is “an attempt to break the barrier of isolation” of the Khartoum junta following the October 25 coup d’état. “It is a scramble behind international forums in an effort to search for recognition and legitimacy,” said a professor in politics.

ACJPS documents human rights abuses in West Darfur, often by RSF
September 20 – 2022 NEW YORK / KHARTOUM African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) expressed its deep concerns over the continued violation of human rights by law enforcers in Sudan, especially in West Darfur. The organisation highlights various examples of killings, detentions, illegitimate use of the Emergency Law, and other rights abuses, often involving the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
 
Sudan's Hausa youth plan protest escalation, but after school exams
September 20 – 2022 KASSALA The Revolutionary Hausa Youth Gathering has postponed its announced demonstrations until after the basic school exams are fully finished. They plan a protest escalation to demand the dismissal of the governor of Kassala after he refused to implement the terms of a memorandum they submitted asking to investigate the killings of Hausa protesters in July.
 
Minister of Finance claims military junta will maintain control over multiple Sudanese authorities
September 19 – 2022 KHARTOUM Jibril Ibrahim, Minister of Finance and head of the Justice and Equality Movement, said that the military junta intends to maintain its control over sovereign and security authorities, defence authorities, foreign relations and international cooperation authorities, and all other authorities during negotiations over the executive government through the Security and Defence Council.
 
SPLM-N El Hilu: Sudan Bar draft constitution ‘resists radical change’
September 19 – 2022 KAUDA / KHARTOUM The constitution proposal recently proposed by the Sudanese Bar Association (SBA) does not address the roots of the country’s crisis according to Abdelaziz El Hilu, head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N El Hilu).
 
Drug abuse in Sudan: Port Sudan worries about crystal meth use among youth
September 16 – 2022 PORT SUDAN People in Port Sudan ring the alarm bells over the increased crystal meth use among youth. Security forces are doing little to combat the spread and professional treatment is expensive, so activists have been forced to set up their own grassroots initiatives.
 
Sudan strikes over unpaid wages and 2022 salaries continue
September 16 – 2022 KHARTOUM / EL FASHER Sudan’s strikes over unpaid salaries and the failure of authorities to implement the promised 2022 salary structure continue. Junior doctors extended their strike for another three days whilst striking civil servants in North Darfur entered their second month of industrial action.
 
Situation in West Kordofan remains tense, ACJPS fears consequences for the region
September 15 – 2022 ABU ZABAD / KHARTOUM / NEW YORK The situation in Abu Zabad in West Kordofan remains tense following tribal clashes between Hamar and Misseriya. Leaders of both tribes in Khartoum have formed a committee to reconcile the warring sides. The African Center for Justice and Peace Studies has warned of the effects of the hostilities on the region.
 
UNITAMS head to UNSC: 'Sudan humanitarian crisis, insecurity at record levels'
September 15 – 2022 NEW YORK "Sudan has seen new political developments but also a continued deterioration of the socio-economic situation” Volker Perthes, UN Special Representative for Sudan and head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), told the UN Security Council in New York.