♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

A compact digest of the past week's most-read highlights, from the heart of Sudan. Subscribe to receive this digest weekly in your inbox.

River transport between Sudan and South Sudan to resume

August 20 – 2021 JUBA The River Navigation Authority of the Sudanese Ministry of Transport announced the resumption of river transport to South Sudan as of September.

The authority called on all river transport companies and owners of river vessels that operate between Sudan and South Sudan to prepare for the resumption of transport.

Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, accompanied by a high-level delegation from Khartoum, arrived for a three-day visit to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, yesterday.

The visit aims to strengthen “bilateral relations between the two countries”.

Hamdok will discuss a number of regional issues as well, as Sudan currently chairs the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Horn of Africa.

Sudan tests COVID-19 cases on Delta variant, continues vaccinations

August 18 – 2021 KHARTOUM The Sudanese Ministry of Health yesterday announced that 29 new coronavirus infections were recorded on Monday, including eight asymptomatic cases among travellers.

Mohamed El Khidir, Director of the Emergencies and Epidemics Department reported that the Emergency Technical Committee has recommended amending the policy of quarantining those coming from India because no new COVID-19 cases have been registered among those arriving from India since July 29.

As for the Delta variant, the Health Ministry has sent samples of COVID-19 infections abroad to gain information on the variants of the coronavirus present in Sudan. The results are expected to arrive within two to four weeks.

The Director of the Health Ministry’s Immunisation Department announced the resumption of vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine later this month, following the arrival of two shipments sent by Germany and France, estimated at more than 575,000 doses.

Sudan's anti-corruption committee uncovers banking fraud and plans reveal new resolutions

August 24 – 2021 KHARTOUM A Sudanese anti-corruption committee, Committee for Dismantling the June 30 System and Recovering Stolen Funds, announced that it will revise 200 draft resolutions that will be revealed soon. The committee also reveported fraud and money laundering …

50+ dead as swollen Blue Nile wreaks havoc in Sudan

August 24 – 2021 ED DAMAZIN / SENNAR Essential access routes to Ed Damazin, capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile state, have been cut-off as torrential rains and resultant flash floods continue to swell the flow of the Blue Nile. The official death toll in this season’s floods has risen to more than 50.

Sudanese journalist beaten senseless in Khartoum attack

August 24 – 2021 KHARTOUM Sudanese journalist Ali El Dali is in hospital after being beaten senseless, allegedly by military personnel in uniform, after an incident in Khartoum on Monday evening. The beating only ended when colleagues of El Dali rallied around him.

Sudanese tabloid suspended for ‘false news’ about gay demo

August 21 – 2021 KHARTOUM Sudan’s National Council for Press and Publications on Tuesday decided to suspend El Dar newspaper for three days for publishing “false news” about a demonstration in Khartoum in which homosexuals called for the abolition of Article 148 of the 1991 Criminal Code.

HUDO reports increase in crime in Sudan’s Blue Nile, Nuba Mountains

August 21 – 2021 KAMPALA Tribal fighting, armed robberies and kidnappings increased in southern Sudan this year, says the Sudanese Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO). In most cases, the authorities did not act. In its recent report on human rights violations in …

Sovereignty Council tells political parties to prepare for elections

August 20 – 2021 KHARTOUM Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) called on the political parties and forces in the country to prepare for the upcoming elections by engaging in a discussion about how to distribute voting districts, vote counting, and the preparation of a civil registry.

Protests against violence and insecurity in South Kordofan and North Darfur

August 19 – 2021 KADUGLI / EL FASHER One person was killed and four others were seriously injured in an armed robbery near El Hujeirat, a village west of South Kordofan’s capital Kadugli, yesterday. The incident sparked protests in Kadugli. In North Darfur, protests took place after …