♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact digest of the past week’s most-read highlights, from the heart of Sudan.
Members of the Sudanese Journalist Network stage a protest (File photo)
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.
September 24 – 2021 KHARTOUM The statements of the president and deputy of the Sovereignty Council accusing political groups in the country of being more preoccupied with positions than politics, has met with fierce criticism.
In response to a coup attempt that was thwarted on Tuesday, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, Sovereignty Council President and Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and Lt Gen Mohamed Dagalo ‘Hemeti’ Sovereignty Council Deputy President and Chief of the Rapid Support Forces militia, blamed Sudan’s political forces for the crisis in the country and condemned the lack of respect for the military.
The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), the driving force behind the Sudanese revolution, urged the acceleration of the reform of the military and the security service, the removal of remnants of the former regime and the implementation of the stipulations of the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement.
The Sudanese Congress Party spoke about “dangerous indicators”. It holds the military responsible for the crises in the country as they claim “the sole right to lead it through the transitional period”. The party demanded the Ministry of Finance to be “solely responsible for all public resources, including investment companies affiliated with the military forces”.
According to the Sudanese Journalists Network, the statements of the military leaders on Wednesday constitute “an advanced step towards the seizure of power”. The network will work with other forces “develop a professional plan of action to confront such attempts”.
Young Sudanese activists detained for criticising RSF militia
September 23 – 2021 NEW YORK Two young Sudanese human rights activists are at risk of being sentenced for “trumped-up charges” for publicly demanding justice for crimes reportedly committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country. A woman media activist faces charges for criticising the militia on Facebook.
In a statement on Monday, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) reported that members of the RSF held the two activists from inside a mosque in Omdurman on September 11, as they protested against the presence of Lt Gen Mohamed Dagalo ‘Hemeti’, Vice-President of the Sovereignty Council and RSF Commander-in-Chief, at the mosque, and demanded justice for crimes allegedly committed by the RSF against the population.
A criminal case was filed against them for disturbance of public peace and public nuisance. Each charge carries a penalty of three-months imprisonment, a fine or whipping of up to 20 lashes.
Four days later, media activist Aysha El Majidi was detained following charges of defamation separately filed by the RSF and the Empowerment Removal Committee against her. She had written on her Facebook account that there is no need for the RSF militia. Their barracks “should be transformed into hospitals, child care homes, orphanages, and so on”.
In another post, she criticised the Empowerment Removal Committee by saying that it “increases the injustice and pain of the people every day”.
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