♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

♦ Darfur rebels claim dozens of govt. troops killed in Jebel Marra

March 25 – 2018 FEINA The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) claims its rebel combatants killed dozens of government troops and militiamen in the area southeast of Jebel Marra.
Ezzeldin Sambala, the movement’s military spokesman, said in a statement on March 23 that the rebel combatants not only killed dozens of army and militia members but also destroyed a number of vehicles in clashes between the two parties in the area southeast of Jebel Marra. He accused the government forces of destroying villages and plundering markets in the areas where the fighting took place.
The spokesman denied reports that the government forces have regained full control over Jebel Marra, saying the rebel combatants are still in control of their sites in the region.
Fleeing villagers confirmed to Radio Dabanga that renewed fighting broke out in the area of Sina, south of Jebel Marra, on Friday. The village burned to ashes they said. Another clash took place in the area west of Deribat in East Jebel Marra on Thursday. 
Thousands of families were displaced. They fled to the surrounding mountains, caves, and valleys, where they try to survive without access to water, food, or medicines. 
On March 9, fighting erupted between government troops and SLM-AW fighters in the area of Jawa, south of Deribat. Two days later, army and militia forces attacked the areas of Feina and Dawa. 
Thousands of people were displaced. The sources as well confirmed that the government forces succeeded to completely take over the area of Feina in East Jebel Marra locality, southeast of the mountain. 

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♦ Sudan’s press court sentences editors to fines or jail for ‘false news’

March 27 – 2018 KHARTOUM The Press and Publications Court on Thursday sentenced the former editor-in-chief of El Mustagilla newspaper Zeinelabdin Mohamed Ali for ‘publishing false news’ and imposed a fine of SDG15,000 ($825) or one month in jail.
The charges against Ali date back to the end of 2015, when the newspaper published a report  on Qatar's payment of huge sums to Sudan and Ethiopia ‘to inflict drought on Egypt’.
According to Ali in a circular, he would rather be imprisoned than to pay the fine. The same court earlier condemned the editor of El Jareeda, Ashraf Abdelaziz, and writer Hasan Warrag for false publishing and sentenced them to a fine or imprisonment. The journalists opted to go to jail before the Sudanese Journalists Network succeeded in releasing them.
During the past years, the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) upgraded its already severe restrictions on press freedoms by restoring 'pre-publication censorship' and issuing a number of 'red lines' on matters that are not supposed to be covered by the media. The purpose of the NISS by confiscating print-runs is to exhaust the newspapers financially, the editor-in-chief of El Jareeda newspaper said. 
Sudan scores 86 points out of 100 (0=Most Free/100=Least Free) on the list of 201 countries in the Freedom of the Press 2017 report of the USA-based Freedom House.

More news from Radio Dabanga:

Sudan’s National Consensus Coalition: 'No dialogue with Al Bashir regime'

March 27 – 2018 KHARTOUM Sudan’s National Consensus Coalition has renewed its rejection of any dialogue with the current regime in Khartoum ‘under any pretext or justification’. …

Chinese mining company skips Sudan’s Kassala, equipment seized

March 27 – 2018 KASSALA The Kassala government has seized equipment and machinery after a Chinese mining company ‘suddenly disappeared’ from the state. In a public statement by …

Attack on Sudanese gold miners leaves seven dead

March 26 – 2018 UM KEDDADA Seven miners were killed and 15 others were wounded in a shooting about a new gold mine in a disputed area between the states of North Darfur, …

Prices soar in Sudan capital amid acute shortage of cooking gas and bread

March 25 – 2018 KHARTOUM People living in Khartoum state are complaining about a severe fuel, cooking gas, and bread crisis. The prices of consumer goods are again soaring. A …

Civilians: ‘RSF out of Sudan’s Kassala’

March 23 – 2018 KASSALA Residents and leaders of Sudan’s eastern Kassala state have renewed their demand for the withdrawal of the government’s paramilitary Rapid Support … 

Three dead, two wounded, as police, militia clash in South Darfur

March 23 – 2018 EL RADOOM Two members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia as well as a policeman died following a gunfight at Umjadwal village 20 kilometres …

Union: ‘Privatisation scheme will lay-off 21k Port Sudan stevedores’

March 23 – 2018 PORT SUDAN The Cargo Workers Union of Red Sea state have renewed their objections to the Wali’s decision to set-up private companies for loading and unloading ships …

Displaced of Central Darfur dismiss Wali’s promises as ‘propaganda’

March 21 – 2018 CENTRAL DARFUR Anas Omar, the governor of East Darfur announced that the security in his state has greatly improved following the security measures taken by his … 

Sudan’s Islamic Studies exam for secondary schools slated by Muslim critics

March 21 – 2018 KHARTOUM The head of Sudan’s Islamic Judicial Council that rules on matters of Sharia law, Imam Abdelgadir Abdelrahman, has harshly criticised questions in the Islamic …

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