♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

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

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda: ‘We have miles to go before we sleep’

June 16 – 2021 THE HAGUE The outgoing Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, The Netherlands, has celebrated the achievements of the court thus far but cautioned that there is still much work to be done. As her nine-year term ended, Bensouda hailed the creation of the ICC as “one of humanity’s proudest moments… because it represents an awakening rooted in great human suffering throughout the ages, culminating in the recognition that lawless wars and conflict must no longer be allowed, without consequence, to cause human carnage.”

“It has been an absolute privilege to serve and to be on this journey together with all of you… We have come a long way together indeed, but we have miles to go before we sleep,” Bensouda said in her valedictorian statement. She concluded by encouraging the ICC to “remain firmly principled and vigilant in the service of the Rome Statute. We must stay resilient and impervious to political games and posturing.”

MSF: Thousands of Ethiopian refugees live in 'precarious conditions' in Sudan

June 20 – 2021 EL TENIDEBA Thousands of refugees who fled conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are stuck in precarious conditions in El Tenideba camp in Sudan’s neighbouring El Gedaref region due to the rainy season, according to international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

In May a storm created panic and destroyed 200 tents in El Tanideba, one of two official camps that together host over 40,000 refugees from Tigray in El Gedaref. Three weeks later, a second storm destroyed the remaining tents. Some refugees had managed to reinforce their tents in advance, but most lacked the material and funds to do so.

“The damage to MSF's clinic can be repaired, but what was heartbreaking was hearing people screaming and seeing them running around the camp seeking shelter in the middle of the night," said Sergio Scor, MSF project coordinator.

Interview with Sudan's first professional woman guitarist: 'the Ministry of Culture neglects Sudanese art'
June 22 – 2021 KHARTOUM In an interview for Radio Dabanga’s Inspirational Women series, musician Zakia Abul Gassim Abu Bakr talked about her outstanding career, her upbringing, and her opinion on the government. She criticised government agencies for neglecting Sudanese art and failing to support its artists on their journey to reach international audiences.

HUDO: Six more dead as tribal violence escalates in South Kordofan
June 21 – 2021 KOLOGI The volatile security situation in Kologi in the eastern Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan has continued to escalate, as six more people were killed tribal violence. The Sudanese Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO) has made an urgent appeal to the government to intervene and restore rule of law in the area.

'Sudan stands at critical juncture' for children's rights
June 20 – 2021 LONDON / NEW YORK UK-based child rights and child focused agencies Save the Children International, Plan International, and World Vision International, along with the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), called for "more to be done to actualise laws and policies that are meant to protect children" on the Day of the African Child 2021.

Governor Minni Minawi pledges diversity in Darfur govt
June 18 – 2021 KHARTOUM Darfur’s governor Minni Minawi has pledged to involve the diversity of groups in Darfur in the state’s governance during a political event organised in Khartoum in which the newly appointed regional governor and head of the Sudan Liberation Movement shared his vision on Darfur’s new governance.

Talks on Sudan-South Sudan borders continue in a 'fruitful' and 'brotherly' manner
June 18 – 2021 KHARTOUM Deputy Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemeti' Dagalo was informed on the progression of the Joint Border Commission talks between Sudan and South Sudan held in Khartoum.

Sudan celebrates the International Day of the African Child
June 17 – 2021 KHARTOUM On the occasion of the International Day of the African Child 2021, 12-year old school student Deima El Haj met and interviewed Daniel Weiss, the Charge de Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Sudan.

More deaths as Kordofan witnesses renewed tribal conflict
June 17 – 2021 KOLOGI In the past week, the security situation in Kologi in the eastern Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan deteriorated as a result of tribal conflicts with several people being murdered or injured. Security forces did not intervene, HUDO reported.

New ICC Prosecutor takes office in The Hague
June 16 – 2021 THE HAGUE British lawyer Karim Asad Ahmad Khan QC was sworn-in to begin his nine-year term as Prosecutor of the ICC. Khan made his solemn undertaking and formally took office during a ceremony, after having been elected on February 12, 2021.