♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

♦  Sudan’s Foreign Minister meets US President Donald Trump

November 7 – 2019 WASHINGTON DC Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Asmaa Abdallah, joined delegates to the tripartite consultative meeting on the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, to meet US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington yesterday.

Following the meeting, President Trump tweeted: “Just had a meeting with top representatives from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to help solve their long running dispute on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, one of the largest in the world, currently being built. The meeting went well and discussions will continue during the day!”

On the side lines of the meeting on the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Minister Abdallah met with US Deputy National Security Advisor Ellen Woolch, in the presence of the Director of Multi-Organisations at the US National Security Council.

Abdallah gave a review on the composition of Sudan’s governance structures, as well as the priorities set of achieving peace, addressing the economic crisis, and solving grievances.

She pointed to the formation of the Higher Peace Council, the independent Human Rights Commission, and the agreement to open an office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Khartoum, and shed light on the opening of humanitarian tracks throughout Sudan.

♦  Sudan accused of violating Libya arms embargo

November 11 – 2019 KHARTOUM The United Nations Panel of Experts of the International Sanctions Committee on Libya has accused UN member states, including Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan of violating the arms embargo imposed on the country.

Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that it obtained a UN draft report saying that member states violated sanctions on Libya by giving weapons to the warring parties in the country.

As for Sudan, the report of the Panel of Experts on Libya said that Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, did not abide by the UN sanctions to ban military support to the parties involved in the Libyan conflict.

In July, Sudan sent 1,000 RSF militiamen to eastern Libya to protect Benghazi and enable the forces of Gen Khalifa Haftar to attack Tripoli.

Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Spokesman Amer El Hasan denied the accusations on Saturday. “These claims are part of systematic vilification of national institutions,” he commented.

More news from Radio Dabanga:

Popular Congress Party: Sudan must ratify Rome Statute, hand Al Bashir to ICC
November 12 – 2019 KHARTOUM The head of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) has urged Sudan’s transitional government to ratify the Rome Statute and extradite …

Sudan to significantly raise education budget
November 11 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Sudanese Minister of Education has announced a gradual change of the educational system and a comprehensive review of the curricula. The budget for education will be substantially increased. …

PM Hamdok in Brussels, praises EU support for Sudan
November 11 – 2019 BRUSSELS Prime Minister Dr Abdallah Hamdok travelled to Brussels on Sunday, accompanied by two of his Ministers and other officials. He met with several EU Commissioners and discussed …

Central Bank of Sudan freezes funds of 40 officials of Al Bashir regime
November 10 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) has frozen bank accounts of 40 prominent officials of the former regime including Nafi Ali Nafi and Abbas Al Bashir, the brother of the deposed …

Sudan workers demand increased minimum wage
November 10 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Sudan Workers Union has demanded an increase in the minimum monthly wage to SDG 8,778 ($195). Last week, the Sudan Workers …

Vector-borne diseases continue to spread in Sudan
November 8 – 2019 KHARTOUM Sudan has been facing various disease outbreaks in the past months, including cholera, dengue fever, Rift Valley fever (RVF), chikungunya, and malaria. The government and humanitarian partners actively responded to the …

Justice Africa Sudan: Detainee tortured in South Kordofan
November 8 – 2019 EL ABBASIYA A man held by the South Kordofan police at the market of El Abbasiya Tagali was brutally tortured. In a press statement on Thursday …
 
FFC North Darfur presents demands to PM Hamdok
November 6 – 2019 EL FASHER Representatives of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) in six localities in North Darfur presented their demands to Prime Minister Abdallah …

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