♦ This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan’s news highlights from Darfur and Sudan
Graffiti on the streets of Khartoum, where demonstrators have been sitting in for over three weeks, marks changing times in Sudan (File photo)
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's news highlights from Darfur and Sudan
♦ Sudan V-P: Beleaguered Al Bashir authorised massacre, more money seized
The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and effective Vice-President as deputy-head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan (aka Hemeti), has confirmed the events leading to the overthrow of former President Omar Al Bashir by senior military officers on April 11. He also confirmed that more money has been retrieved from accounts in Al Bashir’s name.
In a statement on Thursday, Hemeti confirmed that on April 11, when the security committee approached Al Bashir to find a solution to the crisis, the ousted dictator reminded them that “we follow the Maliki doctrine which allows a leader to kill 30 per cent of his people so that the rest can live in dignity”. This effectively authorised a wholesale massacre of thousands of demonstrators already amassed since April 6 at the growing sit-in outside the General Command of the Sudanese army in Khartoum. Hemeti’s words further confirm a statement last week to the same effect by Osman Mirghani, Editor-in-chief of El Tayyar newspaper.
Hemeti has also confirmed that substantial amounts of money have been recovered from bank accounts held by Al Bashir. According to Al Sudani newspaper, just one such account at a commercial bank in Khartoum, held 315 million Saudi Riyals ($84 million). Hemeti confirmed the report, adding that the last transaction on the account was on March 10, 2016.
♦ Hundreds ride reedom train from Atbara to Khartoum
April 23 – 2019 ATBARA / KHARTOUM Hundreds of people have ridden on what activists call the ‘freedom train’, from the headquarters of the Sudanese Railways in Atbara, River Nile state, to the capital Khartoum, to join the sit-in outside the General Command of the Sudanese army, and to provide those already at the sit-in with food and supplies.
It began with a protest outside the railway headquarters in Atbara on Sunday 21 April, where demonstrators demanded accountability from all corrupt officials in the company. Atbara was the site of the earliest protests in mid-December 2018, which grew into the current countrywide mass movement.
On Sunday, the crowd commandeered a train, which set-off southwards along the line that follows the Nile for 350 kilometres to Khartoum, laden with demonstrators and supplies destined for thousands of protesters who have maintained a sit-in in the Sudanese capital since April 6. The train left Atbara at about 8.30 am, and along the route to Khartoum, people waited next to the line to either join it, or cheer it on. As evening approached, the train reached the station and was met by large crowds.
More news from Radio Dabanga:
Army seizes buildings and arrests former regime actors in South Darfur
April 29 – 2019 SOUTH DARFUR The Sudan Armed Forces have seized multiple government and institutional buildings in South Darfur, pledging to arrest actors who participated in …
Aftermath of attack on Sudan's PCP members
April 29 – 2019 KHARTOUM An attack on members of the Consultative Council of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) who were meeting at Cortoba Hall in El Sahafa district in …
More busloads of demonstrators head for Sudanese capital
April 28 – 2019 KHARTOUM / EL OBEID / EL GEDAREF People from several parts of Sudan have arrived in Khartoum or are planning to travel to the country’s capital in support of …
SPLM-N head calls on Sudanese people ‘not to allow anyone to block change’
April 26 – 2019 KHARTOUM The head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Abdelaziz El Hilu, has sent a message to the Sudanese demonstrators calling …
Sudan uprising: Mass marches across Darfur
April 26 – 2019 DARFUR On Thursday, El Fasher, Nyala, El Geneina and Zalingei in Darfur witnessed massive marches in support of the demands of the revolution, the protection of …
Sudan’s church schools to revert to Christian week
April 25 – 2019 KHARTOUM Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Wednesday issued a decision, making Sunday the official weekend recess day for Christian schools …
Sudan: TMC – opposition agreement after three Islamist generals resign
April 25 – 2019 KHARTOUM Three members of Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) have resigned, following pressure from the from the Forces for Freedom and Change …
Sudan uprising: Public marches across Sudan, Darfur, White Nile
April 25 – 2019 DARFUR / WHITE NILE / BLUE NILE For the third consecutive week, thousands of Sudanese have continued their sit-in outside the army general headquarters …
Senior US delegation meets with Sudan’s military council, opposition leaders
April 24 – 2019 KHARTOUM The US Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Africa and The Sudans, Makila James, held meetings with Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan and representatives …
AU leaders: Sudan’s TMC has three months to implement democratic reforms
April 24 – 2019 CAIRO African leaders meeting in Cairo on Tuesday agreed to give Sudan’s ruling military council three months to implement democratic reforms, Egypt said on …
Protesters deliver memo of demands to West Kordofan military commander
April 23 – 2019 KHARTOUM / KORDOFAN / BLUE NILE / PORT SUDAN The forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change in Babanusa in West Kordofan have called on …
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