♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

Sit-ins in front of the General Command of the Sudan Armed Forces in Khartoum and military units in various state capitals entered their sixth week and aviation workers threatened to strike and lock airspace if power is not handed to "the people"; meanwhile, Saudi Arabia handed over $250 million to the country's central bank. Here's a roundup of Sudan this week:

♦ Protesting aviation workers threaten to close Sudan’s airspace

May 20 – 2019 KHARTOUM / EN NAHUD / ED DAEIN / DELLING Sudanese protesters continue to demand the handover of power to a civilian government, prosecution of the leading members of the old regime, and restoration of democracy in the country. They are supported by various professional groups, including aviation workers in Sudan, who have threatened “a comprehensive strike and locking the airspace above the country in the event of any procrastination by the military rulers or delay in the smooth transition process in accordance with the terms of the Declaration of Freedom and Change”. The Aviation Workers Association said in a statement on Sunday that they will make use of “the good means of peaceful resistance, by setting up air barricades, for the sake of the people shot dead on Ramadan 8 [April 13] and those who were killed during earlier protests until we reach our goals”. In addition, dozens of employees of El Baraka Bank in Khartoum held a vigil on Sunday, in support of the demands of the Sudanese protesters at the sit-ins in the country for a civilian government and the punishment of the killers of dozens of protesters. Staff members of the Petro Energy E&P company carried out a similar protest in the Sudanese capital on Sunday.

♦ Sudan Central Bank receives Saudi deposit of $250 million

May 20 – 2019 KHARTOUM On Sunday, the Saudi Ministry of Finance deposited the sum of USD 250 million into the account of the Central Bank of Sudan. Saudi Finance Minister Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Jad'an said the deposit was an extension of Saudi support for Sudan, pointing out that this support will boost the financial and economic situation in Sudan, especially the Sudanese pound exchange rate. The Abu Dhabi Development Fund signed an agreement with the Central Bank of Sudan at the end of last month to raise another $250 million in support the bank's fiscal policy and to achieve financial and monetary stability in Sudan.

Sudan militia commander: ‘Killers of protesters at Khartoum sit-in arrested’

May 20 – 2019 KHARTOUM According to Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka Hemeti), deputy chairman of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and chief of the Rapid Support …

Sudan’s military council and opposition resume dialogue

May 20 – 2019 KHARTOUM On Sunday, the Alliance for Freedom and Change (AFC) and the Transitional Military Council (TMC) resumed their negotiations about the handing of power …

Sudanese professionals, military junta brief western diplomats

Sudan: Doctors, teachers on strike in Blue Nile, West Darfur

May 19 – 2019 ED DAMAZIN / EL GENEINA Medical staff members of various hospitals in Ed Damazine and El Roseiris in Blue Nile state laid down their tools on Wednesday, in protest …

Sudan uprising: Protestor dies, another attempt to remove Khartoum sit-in

May 19 – 2019 KHARTOUM / ED DAMAZIN The Sudanese Doctors Central Committee announced the death of another demonstrator on Friday. The Alliance of Freedom and Change …

Sudanese professionals, military junta brief western diplomats

May 19 – 2019 KHARTOUM A delegation from the Sudanese Profesionals Association (SPA) met with representatives of the European Union's diplomatic missions in Sudan on Thursday …

Sudanese imam calls on ‘supporters of the Sharia’ to resort to reason

May 19 – 2019 KHARTOUM On Friday, the imam leading the prayers at the sit-in in front of the General Command of the Sudanese army in Khartoum pointed to the values of justice and …

CSOs call on African Union to take ‘urgent action’ in Sudan

May 17 – 2019 KAMPALA Seventeen Sudanese and international civil society organisations have urged the AU to take action after militiamen attacked protesters at the sit-in in front of the …

Sudan OCHA bulletin 3: Yellow fever vaccination campaign reaches over 8 million

May 17 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with international organisations, launched a large-scale yellow fever vaccination campaign reaching over 8 million …

El Gedaref public decry RSF attacks

May 16 – 2019 EL GEDAREF On Wednesday, people in El Gedaref in eastern Sudan denounced the repeated attacks by paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on residents of the …

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