♦ This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan’s news highlights from Darfur and Sudan
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok (File photo)
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's news highlights from Darfur and Sudan
♦ PM Hamdok: 'Anybody responsible for atrocities in Sudan will be held to account, including Hemeti'
December 4 – 2019 WASHINGTON In an interview with the US National Public Radio (NPR), Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok stated that “anybody” responsible for atrocities in Sudan must be held accountable.
Questioned whether the ousted dictator Omar Al Bashir should be extradited to the International Criminal Court, the Sudanese PM said that Al Bashir will be tried in Sudan for everything he has done. “Our bottom line and yardstick are that justice has to be seen served to the maximum satisfaction of the victims. They are the ones who will guide us in this process, and we are happy to do anything that will satisfy them.”
An important goal of Hamdok’s visit to Washington is to try to persuade the US government to take Sudan off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. “We inherited a mounting debt close to $60 billion. We will not be able to start any process of debt restructuring if we were not delisted, because of the accompanying sanctions that come with being listed as a sponsor of terrorism,” he said.
The victims are reportedly being held in north-east Libya, Malek El Dejawi, working for the Programme for Voluntary Repatriation of Sudanese Communities in Libya said in a press statement on Thursday.
They spent three months in a camp where they were subjected to the worst forms of psychological and physical torture, he said. Human traffickers are now demanding a ransom of SDG 2 billion ($ 44.445) for their release.
On Wednesday, Sudanese-Libyan Joint Forces recovered 145 Sudanese citizens who were deported by the Libyan authorities.
The evacuees, who were tortured by Libyan gangs holding them, were transferred to Dongola in Northern State, where they would be reunited with their families.
More news from Radio Dabanga:
‘No time limit’ as Sudan peace talks resume in Juba
December 10 – 2019 KHARTOUM / JUBA The next round of peace negotiations between the Sudanese interim government and the armed movements will begin in Juba, capital of South Sudan today. Yesterday, …
EU Council: Political transition ‘historic opportunity’ for Sudan
December 10 – 2019 BRUSSELS The Council of the European Union has adopted conclusions on Sudan, “recognising the historic opportunity that Sudan’s political transition offers to work towards a peaceful, ….
PM: ‘New beginning in US-Sudan relations’
December 9 – 2019 KHARTOUM At a press conference upon his return from the USA, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok said that his six-day visit led to “a new beginning” in relations between the USA and Sudan. …
More than 9 million Sudanese in need of aid in 2020
December 9 – 2019 KHARTOUM In Sudan, 9.3 million people -nearly one in four- will need assistance in 2020. The funding needed for these humanitarian interventions is $1.4 billion. …
Sudan to review civil service salaries
December 8 – 2019 KHARTOUM Sudan’s Minister of Finance Ibrahim El Badawi issued a decision last week to form a national committee headed by Prof Abdelmuhsin Mustafa to reassess wages and …
UN counterterrorism chief commends Sudan for initiative in detection, interdiction of terrorists
December 5 – 2019 KHARTOUM The head of the UN’s Office of Counterterrorism, Dr Raffi Gregorian, lauded the Sudanese government’s “expressions of commitment” to counterterrorism. …
Sudan: Wali bans 'white arms' in Red Sea state
December 4 – 2019 PORT SUDAN An emergency order from the acting wali (governor) of Red Sea state, Maj Gen Hafiz El Taj bans the carrying of edged weapons in towns. The order stipulates that …
Schoolgirl raped as Darfur farm violence continues
December 4 – 2019 NIERTETI / ZAMZAM / KUTUM On Tuesday, a 13-year-old schoolgirl was raped by a herder in Central Darfur. In Kutum and Zamzam camp for the displaced in North Darfur, people …
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