♦ This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan’s news highlights from Sudan
Funeral procession for two of the school students shot dead by RSF militiamen while they were demonstrating in El Obeid, July 29, 2019 (RD)
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's news highlights from Sudan
♦ Four school children, activist shot dead by militiamen in North Kordofan capital
July 29 – 2019 EL OBEID Four secondary school students and an activist were killed and 40-50 more reported wounded after members of the Rapid Support Forces, Sudan's main government militia, opened fire on demonstrators in the North Kordofan capital of El Obeid today.
The Sudan Doctors’ Central Committee reported in a short statement that students Ahmed Abdelgadir, Hasan Saad, Mohamed El Fateh, Badreldin Ismail, and activist Ahmed Abdelkarim died. The doctors reported as well a large number of injuries, “some of which are critical”.
The spokesman for the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) in El Obeid, lawyer Osman Saleh, told Radio Dabanga that the students went out in a spontaneous protest, ostensibly against the stoppage of public transport due to fuel shortages, scarcity of drinking water, high prices, and unavailability of bread.
The governor of North Kordofan imposed a curfew from 9 pm to 6 am in El Obeid, Bara, El Rahad and Um Rawaba “until further notice”.
In various places in the country, people went to the streets on Monday afternoon and evening in protest against the 'El Obeid massacre', calling for justice and demanding the junta to immediately cede power to a civilian-led government.
The FFC suspended negotiations with the ruling Transitional Military Council about the text of the Constitutional Declaration, scheduled for July 30.
♦ Sudan’s pro-democracy forces conclude Constitutional Declaration draft
July 28 – 2019 KHARTOUM The legal committee of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) has finalised its comments on the final draft of the Constitutional Declaration.
Mohamed El Hafiz, lawyer and member of the FCC legal committee told the press in Khartoum on July 25 that they are opposed to the planned reform of the army and other forces by the military, stipulating that the operation should be led by a civilian authority.
The FCC further removed the article granting immunity to all leaders of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and of the to be established Sovereign Council. “No leader will enjoy immunity of any kind – neither absolute nor procedural,” El Hafiz emphasised. He added that the authority of the Sovereign Council should be limited to ceremonial powers only.
Until the formation of the Parliament –at a later stage– the Sovereign Council and the Cabinet will be tasked to carry out legislative functions.
The Constitutional Declaration, that organises constitutional issues during the transitional period, has not been subject to negotiation before. Earlier this month, the FFC rejected the contents of a leaked version developed by the ruling junta.
On July 17, the TMC and the FFC signed a Political Charter that lines out the rule over the country in the coming transitional period of a little more than three years. The Cabinet will exist of technocrats, to be selected by the FFC. While the international community and the National Umma Party welcomed the deal brokered by the African Union and Ethiopian mediators, the armed movements, displaced people in Darfur, and Sudanese journalists rejected the contents of the document.
♦ 1,000 Sudanese militiamen arrive in Libya
July 25 – 2019 LIBYA Reliable sources reported to Radio Dabanga that the first batch of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have arrived in Libya in the oil-rich region crescent to protect Libya’s oil installations in order to allow forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar to concentrate all their power on the Tripoli attack, which Haftar’s forces have failed in recent months.
More news from Radio Dabanga:
Angry response to 'June 3 massacre' report in Sudan capital
July 29 – 2019 KHARTOUM Street protests erupted in the Sudanese capital on Saturday, sparked by the announcement of the results of an investigation into the violent dispersal of the sit-in …
Central Darfur: Four dead, 20+ injured as shell pounds Jebel Marra Koran school
July 29 – 2019 JEBEL MARRA Four students were killed and more than 20 others were wounded when a 120 lb artillery shell exploded in front of a Koran School in Jebel Marra, Central Darfur, …
Livestock, birds die after mining resumes in southern Sudan
July 28 – 2019 SOUTH KORDOFAN Environmentalists reported the death of a large number of livestock and birds in Rashad and El Tadamon in South Kordofan, following the resumption …
Complaints about rapidly rising prices, lack of medicines in Sudan
July 28 – 2019 KASSALA / EL GENEINA / EL FULA Many Sudanese are suffering from rising prices of food and medicines. A number of medicines have become hard to find or are not …
Sudan: Arrests continue after foiled coup
July 28 – 2019 KHARTOUM More military and Islamic leaders have been arrested in Sudan after the foiled coup attempt last week. On Wednesday, the ruling Transitional Military Council …
EU envoy: UAE seeks a balanced solution to Sudan crisis
July 28 – 2019 ABU DHABI The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is seeking a balanced and peaceful solution for stability in Sudan, the EU envoy to Sudan said on Wednesday, a week after …
Sudan opposition, armed movements reach agreement in Addis Ababa
July 26 – 2019 ADDIS ABABA The opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), a coalition of armed movements, have reached …
Vigils across Sudan demand to know fate of Khartoum massacre missing
July 24 – 2019 KHARTOUM / KASSALA / SINGA / NORTHERN STATE The capital Khartoum and a number of cities in Sudan again witnessed student and professional protest vigils to demand …
Rebels ‘repel militia attack’ in Darfur’s Jebel Marra
July 24 – 2019 JEBEL MARRA The Sudan Liberation Movement of Abdelwahid leadership (SLM-AW) claims to have repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) government militia …
Vaccination campaign to eradicate measles in Khartoum state
July 23 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Ministry of Health of Khartoum state reported that 142 children suffered from measles in the state. The announcement of cases of measles in the …
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