♦ This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan’s highlights of the news from Darfur and Sudan
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's highlights of the news from Darfur and Sudan
♦Hundreds of families flee Jebel Marra to South Darfur camp
May 1 – 2018 NYALA / KHARTOUM More than 111 families who have fled from villages in the Jebel Marra region in the past two weeks have found refuge in a camp for displaced people in Nyala. The newly displaced report being robbed by militiamen.
One of the sheikhs in Otash camp in South Darfur told Radio Dabanga that “among them are children, women and elderly people. The humanitarian aid agencies in the state have registered a number of families. But more than 26 families have not been registered so far.” The camp leader pointed out that the people currently live in the open without food, cover or water.
A number of new arrivals in Otash camp told Radio Dabanga that militiamen robbed them of their money and property. The attackers then set fire to the villages. Also in Kass locality in neighbouring South Darfur, people reported being robbed by militiamen near the camps for displaced people on Sunday.
The fighting last month has displaced thousands of people – reportedly 30,000 according to the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW). Their clashes with pro-government militias took place in northwestern Jebel Marra and in the Central Darfur part where the Jebel Marra mountains stretch.
♦ Financial woes fell Sudan's Hurriyat online newspaper
April 29 – 2018 KAMPALA A financial crisis and resolute refusal to compromise on independence has forced the independent daily electronic newspaper Hurriyat to cease publication from Thursday.
“While some proposals were put forward for the continuation of the newspaper, the majority of the Hurriyat family felt that these proposals may not guarantee the independence of the newspaper and its democratic line of contention,” Hurriyat said in a statement on Thursday.
The daily Hurriyat, meaning ‘freedom’, was launched in 2010 by journalist El Haj Warrag. It was one of the most prominent independent Sudanese democratic newspapers. The platform focused on the rights of the Sudanese, combating human rights violations, corruption and obscurantism.
In response the Sudan Democracy First Group (SDFG) considers the withdrawal of donors the result of the international community’s ‘new strategy’ to support the Sudanese government. Sudanese civil and political circles were shocked by the news of Hurriyat to stop publishing, the SDFG stated. It pointed as well to recent suspension of Afiyat Darfur Radio for the same reason, and the “dwindling of support from donors” for Radio Dabanga. The international community is currently supporting the consolidation of the status quo in Sudan – “which requires the suspension of all resources and funds available to opponents of the de facto government in Khartoum”.
More news from Radio Dabanga:
May 1 – 2018 KHARTOUM The United States Department of Treasury has called on the Sudanese government to make more progress on improving human rights and religious freedoms, in order to build a sustaining relationship with the USA…
April 30 – 2018 EL OBEID The tea vendors in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, are complaining about repeated swoops by the Public Order Police.Bodour Nasir, head of the tea vendors group at El Obeid Grand Market reported to Radio Dabanga that the thousands of tea vendors in the city…
Sudan forces take control of rebel-held areas in Blue Nile
April 30 – 2018 INGESSANA HILLS The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), backed by army troops, attacked areas controlled by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Blue Nile State on Saturday. The rebel group condemned the violation of the ceasefire declared by President Omar Al Bashir…
Child killed, homes destroyed in Darfur fires
April 30 – 2018 GIREIDA A fire in Gireida in South Darfur led to the death of a girl on Saturday. In the Donki Abyad camp for displaced people, 20 houses burned to ashes.Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a listener reported that the fire that broke out in El Majlis residential district in Gireida on Saturday…
Darfur rebels condemn ‘policy of forced return’
April 29 – 2018 JEBEL MARRA The plans of the governor of South Darfur to dismantle Kalma camp for the displaced constitutes “a declaration of war” against the camp residents, says the Sudan Liberation Movement faction under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW), echoing similar comments…
April 27 – 2018 KHARTOUM Yasir Arman, deputy head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), has strongly criticised United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Marta Ruedas, for accepting the First-Class Order of the Two Niles from Sudan's President Omar…
Sudan: Arrests, injuries as village burned and bulldozed in El Gezira
April 27 – 2018 EL HASAHISA Seven people were arrested and several women and children reportedly suffered burns when Sudanese police forcibly demolished large parts of Kombo Aftas in El Hasahisa of El Gezira state on Wednesday. The demolition has prompted a chorus of…
RSF, policemen injured, missing, after clash with herders in North Darfur
April 26 – 2018 TAWILA LOCALITY Seven policemen and members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) government militia were wounded and three others went missing in a clash between a joint force of police and RSF and herders at Klu area of Tawila locality in North Darfur on…
UN Expert Nononsi’s report on Darfur meets mixed response
April 25 – 2018 KHARTOUM / DARFUR The report on his findings by the United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, who concluded a visit to Sudan from 14 to 24 April, has met with mixed reactions in Sudan…
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