♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

♦ Sudan's Minerals Ministry to buy gold from private miners

February 14 – 2017 JEBEL AMER The Sudanese Ministry of Minerals is legalising traditional mining. It will buy gold from private miners at the Jebel Amer gold mines in North Darfur in order to prevent smuggling of the precious metal.
Minister of Minerals, Dr Ahmed El Karori, told traditional gold miners after his arrival to Jebel Amer in El Sareif Beni Hussein locality on Monday that the Ministry will buy the gold according to the global gold prices.
He explained that the Ministry decided to regulate traditional mining in order “to maximize the benefits and minimize the negative issues in the sector”.
The Ministry aims to record every gold produce, to ensure that it is being exported through official channels. In this way, the revenues obtained by the sale of gold will surely reach the State’s treasury, he said.
A fund will be established, in cooperation with the registered mining companies, to improve the services for the gold miners in the area.
El Karori emphasised that these companies are in no way competing with the traditional miners. “They are legal companies, governed by rules and regulations.” These regulations also include development projects for the communities in the area.
The license of any company violating the law will be cancelled, the Minister said. He pointed to the more than 30 companies whose contracts were terminated last year for failing to comply with the regulations.
He further noted that huge investments are made in the field of minerals. “Sudan is rich of more than 30 kinds of minerals. 361 companies are operating in the field of minerals in the country with obligations toward the communities.”

♦ Detained Dr Mudawi 'charged with attempted suicide'

February 12 – 2017 KHARTOUM Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has filed a suicide case against Dr Mudawi Ibrahim, who is currently being held at the Kober Prison in Khartoum North. 
Dr Ibrahim was detained on 7 December, together with his driver Adam El Sheikh from the campus of Khartoum University, where he lectures in engineering. He is also the founder and former director of the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO), which works on human rights, and sanitation and health issues.
He was held incommunicado, without being charged, at the NISS headquarters in Khartoum North until he was transferred to Kober Prison.
Dr Ibrahim embarked on a hunger strike on 22 January. He said that he, being detained, does not have any other means to protest his detention apart from refusing to eat.
Last Thursday, his relatives and lawyer were finally allowed to visit him. In a statement issued on Saturday, the family reported that Ibrahim’s lawyer, Salwa Absam, has submitted a petition to the Ministry of Justice and the legal department of the NISS to allow him to be seen by his doctor.
The family further announced that the NISS has filed a charge of “attempted suicide” against him at the Justice Ministry, based on his hunger strike.
In the statement, Ibrahim’s relatives also say that so far they have attempted all “possible legal methods” for his release, the release of his driver, as well as his accountant, Nora Obeid. Obeid, working at Dr Ibrahim’s Lamda Engineering Company, was held by security agents from outside the office on 13 December, reportedly after she updated her Facebook status with #FreeAdamElSheikh.

Other highlights from Radio Dabanga:

Censor confiscates ten books at Sudanese Writers Union fair

February 13 – 2017 KHARTOUM The Sudanese Writers Union has strongly condemned the confiscation of a number of books from the book fair held at its premises in El Amarat district in Khartoum. Osman Shenger,…

Explosion, Arab nationals held in Sudanese capital

February 13 – 2017 KHARTOUM An explosion occurred in a residential building in Arkaweet district in south-east Khartoum on Sunday morning. The apartment where the explosion took place was inhabited by Arab…

Sudanese soldiers attack village in White Nile State

February 13 – 2017 WHITE NILE STATE Five residents of El Wesaa El Mahatta village in White Nile State were reportedly injured in an attack by army soldiers on Saturday. On the same day, security forces arrested…

‘Situation in Darfur improved’: EU diplomat

February 12 – 2017 EL FASHER The security and humanitarian situation in Darfur has significantly improved, according to the head of the EU Delegation to Sudan. On Wednesday, in a meeting of EU ambassadors…

Port Sudan: Expired chlorine seized, scabies spreading

February 12 – 2017 PORT SUDAN On Thursday, the Red Sea State authorities seized large amounts of expired chlorine in Port Sudan. According to medics in the eastern Sudanese capital, scabies is spreading…

Seven herders killed for cattle in South Kordofan

February 10 – 2017 KADUGLI Seven herdsmen were killed near Kadugli in South Kordofan on Friday morning, after which the perpetrators stole dozens of their cows. Unidentified gunmen attacked a group…

Protest against cyanide stops gold mine in South Kordofan

February 10 – 2017 KOLOGI Hundreds of residents of Kologi, Talodi locality, protested in front of the locality's headquarters and the security service office against a gold mining factory that uses environmentally…

UNSC extends mandate of Darfur Panel of Experts

February 9 – 2017 NEW YORK The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts appointed to monitor the arms embargo, as well as the…

This digest is an excerpt from the weekly Darfur & Sudan News Update. Subscribe to the newsletter here