♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

♦ Sudan detains suspected rebel supporters in S. Kordofan

July 5 – 2016 EL SUNUT / EL ABBASIYA The Sudanese Military Intelligence (MI) from South Kordofan detained a number of cattle traders in El Sunut locality on Sunday. In South Kordofan's El Abbasiya, two detainees held by the MI have been released.

Witnesses from Um Jemeina in El Sunut, West Kordofan, told Radio Dabanga that a number of MI personnel took seven cattle traders from the market on Sunday. They accused them of dealing with people who reside in areas that are under the control of the rebel SPLM-N in South Kordofan. The seven detainees were transported in military vehicles to the army's headquarters in El Dalanj, South Kordofan.

Hours after the arrests, the police station in Um Jemeina came under attack by gunmen. “The attackers seized a policeman,” a witness said, explaining that the indiscriminate firing during the attack caused panic among the residents.

Meanwhile the MI released two out of three detainees from El Abbasiya on Saturday. The three men have been detained since 15 June, the Nuba Mountains-based Human Rights and Development Organisation (Hudo) reported on Monday. The third person, Muamar Elsaeed Agoumy (37), remains in detention for unknown reasons. He is a brother of Adam Eisa Agoumy, who has been sentenced to death for his membership of the rebel SPLM-N.

Mid-June, the Sudanese government announced an unilateral ceasefire for four months in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur states, after the armed rebel movements declared a cessation of hostilities for six months. While welcomed by the United Nations and the U.S.A., one of the main Darfuri rebel leaders told Radio Dabanga that the ceasefires were announced because of the start of the rainy season.

♦ Sudan's poor struggle to shop for Eid El Fitr

July 5 – 2016 KADUGLI / ED DAMAZIN / TREGUINE CAMP The economic situation for women in South Kordofan and refugee camps in Chad with the advent of the official festival to break the Ramadan fast, Eid El Fitr, has deteriorated significantly.

Jalila Khamis, a woman rights activist reported to Radio Dabanga that with the advent of the end of the holy month of Ramadan, there is a huge increase in the prices of clothing. “Especially clothes for chidren have become expensive. Women have difficulties paying for consumer goods as well.”

The Islamic Fiqh Acadamy has announced that Eid El Fitr, the holiday which marks the end of holy month of Ramadan, shall be celebrated this Wednesday. Food commodities become expensive in Sudan in the advent of Ramadan and Eid El Fitr. In Blue Nile, activist Fathia Osman also pointed out the rise of prices for goods that are popular for the holiday. “The purchasing power in the state is very weak, especially of [workers in] low-income sectors.”

Many of the Darfuri women in eastern Chad's refugee camps are widows and cannot afford to buy goods because of the rise of consumer goods, the president of the women union in camp Treguine reported to this station. “Hopefully local relief organisations will consider the conditions of widows and orphans from Darfur, and provide some food and clothes to them.”

According to the chairwoman of the Women Affairs Committee of the Shaddad camp in North Darfur's Dar El Salam locality, the increase in the number of militia attacks on the displaced have “significantly diminished” the people's opportunities to raise an income. “There are no signs at all in the camps that the feast is nearing,” she said.

Other highlights from Radio Dabanga:

Sudanese force arrests '300 illegal immigrants' near Libya

July 5 – 2016 KHARTOUM Sudanese paramilitary forces have announced the arrest of more than 300 illegal immigrants who were heading to Libya across the desert in the Northern state. The forces have been deployed…

Sudan daily confiscated again; journalist's trial postponed

July 5 – 2016 KHARTOUM / EL GENEINA Thousands of copies of El Jareeda daily newspaper were confiscated last Sunday. A journalist accused of inciting riots in El Geneina has been notified of the postponement of his…

Hundreds of South Sudanese arrive in North Darfur

July 3 – 2016 KHARTOUM Hundreds of South Sudanese fleeing the fighting in Bahr El Ghazal reached North Darfur last week. Suleiman Mukhtar, Member of Parliament for Ailliet Jarelnabi constituency confirmed to Radio …

'Sudan unilateral cease-fire is result of US pressure': SPLM-N

July 3 – 2016 ADDIS ABABA The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has expressed its doubts about the intention behind the four-month cease-fire for South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states …

Two girls raped, farmer abducted in East Jebel Marra

July 1 – 2016 EAST JEBEL MARRA Militia members raped two girls and injured another in East Jebel Marra on Thursday. A farmer has been abducted near Mashrou Abu Zaid. A listener told Radio Dabanga…

Darfur students demand revoking death penalty, security at universities

July 1 – 2016 KHARTOUM The Darfur Students Association in Sudanese universities has rejected the death penalty for a student who is accused of murdering a student on 29 April 2015. The Minister of Higher Education …

'Opposition cannot change Roadmap for peace': Sudan to USA, UK

July 1 – 2016 KHARTOUM The U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan and the British Ambassador to Sudan expect the opposition parties to sign the roadmap agreement for peace and dialogue, drafted by the …

UN extends Darfur peacekeeping mission’s mandate for a year

June 30 – 2016 NEW YORK The UN Security Council (UNSC) today decided to extend the mandate of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid), for one year, until 30 June 2017. In a press statement today, the …

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