♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's news highlights from Darfur and Sudan

♦  Appointment of new governors triggers protests in Sudan

July 24 – 2020 KHARTOUM The long-awaited appointment of civilian governors in Sudan has elicited divergent responses in the country.

Large sectors of the Sudanese society welcomed the new walis, considering the replacement of the acting military governors with civilian counterparts as a fulfilment of one of the demands of the Revolution, while a number of states witnessed protests against the selected state rulers.

On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok announced the names of the new civilian governors for the 18 Sudanese states. Two of them are women.

In Red Sea state, Kassala, El Gedaref, and in North and West Kordofan, political forces and various society groups issued statements welcoming the new governors.

Kassala town however also witnessed large protests against the new governor. In El Obeid in North Kordofan and Ed Daein in neighbouring East Darfur, people as well took to the streets in protest against the appointment of governors not nominated by the FFC in these states.

Feminist groups in Khartoum organised a vigil in Khartoum in protest against the underrepresentation of women among the selected governors, and the absence of women in the list of candidates for ambassadors abroad.

One of the participants told Radio Dabanga that they plan to invigorate their calls for more women on high-level government positions “by various peaceful means” in Khartoum and the states in the coming days.

♦  Human rights defenders detained in North Darfur

July 24 – 2020 KUTUM A member of the Darfur Bar Association (DBA) and other lawyers were detained in Kutum, North Darfur, on Wednesday, while they were providing legal aid to people in the area.

Yesterday, the DBA reported that Madani Abdelrahman and his colleagues were intercepted in Kutum, when they were searching for the places where people arrested for alleged involvement in recent attacks in Kutum are being held.

The DBA considers the detention of the lawyers “a clear message”, confirming that the authorities are continuing the oppressive practices of the former regime.

“The state governments and security committees have not been cleansed yet of Al Bashir supporters,” the statement reads. The arbitrary detention of the jurists shows “the absence of the Rule of Law and the failing performance and abuse of power of the officials in the area”.

The DBA will “take the required legal measures against the offenders”.

Residents described Kutum in 2012 as a ghost town, after the police station was torched by militiamen. A new police station has not been built yet.

The International Federation for Human Rights and the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on July 16 to continue to provide support to Sudan’s transitional authorities.

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SPLM-N El Hilu and Sudan Professionals Association sign Declaration of Principles

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Al Bashir and 1989 Sudan coup leaders face Khartoum court

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