♦ This week’s news in brief ♦
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan’s highlights of the news from Darfur and Sudan
A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's highlights of the news from Darfur and Sudan
♦ Sudan's rebels release 132 PoWs in goodwill gesture
March 5 – 2017 KAUDA The opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), with the cooperation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, released 132 Prisoners of War in a goodwill operation on Saturday.
In a statement from their headquarters in Kauda, South Kordofan, the SPLM-N leadership said the goodwill operation was to mark the memory of a brigadier who was killed in 2011.
The decision to release the PoWs came after consultations between the President of the SPLM-N, Malik Agar, Secretary-General Yasir Arman and the Chief of Staff of the Movement’s armed wing (SPLA-N). Official Sudanese news agencies confirmed that the released PoWs arrived in Khartoum Saturday evening. “The released included three officers and 104 privates in addition to 18 civilians,” SUNA reported.
The SPLM-N reached out to Red Cross and to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for the mediation with the Sudanese government and the facilitation of the transfer.
On 21 February, the Sudanese army has accused the SPLM-N rebel forces of attacking its soldiers near Kadugli in South Kordofan, after the rebel movement reported that the Sudanese army attacked its position in the area. The attack would violate their unilateral ceasefire and terms drawn up for the lifting of US sanctions against Sudan.
♦ Never too old to study: Ibrahim (70) sits for Sudan school exam
March 6 – 2017 BABANUSA 70-year old Ibrahim Yagoub Fudeili sat for basic stage school examinations in West Kordofan with the hope to enter higher secondary school and eventually, university. “I want to encourage children to pursue their education. Do it for Sudan's progress in science,” he said in an interview with Radio Dabanga.
Ibrahim joined dozens of pupils, focused on passing the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) exam, in the Ali Ibn Abi Taleb basic school in Babanusa locality on Sunday. Over the phone he explained how he stopped with his studies when he was young because of financial difficulties. “But I returned today.”
Ibrahim said that he consistenly studied every day after his work shift at a civil court. “I have a family to support – twelve people, to be exact.” He has more than 30 students in his class, especially for elderly students. “They are between 25 and 30 years old. But I'm the eldest.”
Ibrahim appealed to all people in Sudan to take advantage of any free time they have on their hands, to study.
Teachers in West Kordofan's Babanusa went on strike last month in protest against the delayed payment of their dues, which threatened the conducting of school examinations. March is the examination period of the basic school children to secondary school children. Starting April, exams take place in the higher secondary school until university.
More highlights from Radio Dabanga:
Sudan Govt. 'deeply regrets' new US travel ban
March 7 – 2017 KHARTOUM The Sudanese government on Tuesday expressed “deep regret and discontent” over President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban barring its…
Smuggled weapons seized in large North Darfur operation
March 6 – 2017 EL FASHER The North Darfur security apparatus foiled an attempt to smuggle a quantity of weapons and ammuniation across the border. The weapons, displayed…
Cholera infections drop in Sudan's El Gedaref
March 6 – 2017 EL GEDAREF The rate of cholera infections in El Gedaref has shown a slight decrease during the weekend. One of the affected areas registered a total of 50 cases as of Thursday. A health…
Sudan court final verdict: Tracks members to pay fine
March 6 – 2017 KHARTOUM A criminal court sentenced affiliates of the Centre for Training and Human Development (Tracks) to one year imprisonment in Khartoum on Sunday. The central court…
Families who fled Jebel Marra clashes face food shortage
March 5 – 2017 SINAR About 2,000 families that fled various areas of Darfur’s Jebel Marra to the Sinar area ten months ago face an acute shortage of food and cover. The families fled the…
Inmate killed in East Darfur prison riot
March 3 – 2017 ED DAEIN One prisoner was killed and two others seriously injured in violence that erupted between inmates and police in the prison of Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur, on Wednesday. The…
‘Sudan’s inflation up to 32.9%: Central Bureau of Statistics
March 1 – 2017 KHARTOUM The annual inflation in Sudan rose to about 32.9% in January, with the continued rise in transportation, consumer goods and services prices as announced by the Central Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday…
$13.8 million for Unicef development projects in South Darfur, Kassala in 2017
March 1 – 2017 NYALA / KASSALA The government of South Darfur has signed an agreement with the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) to implement services and development projects to be carried out…
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