♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

14/10/2020 07:08 DABANGA SUDAN

A compact digest of this week’s most-read highlights, from the heart of Sudan.

Sit-in of Kassala teachers protesting against corruption at the state Ministry of Education (Social media)

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Sudan to align fuel price with global rate, $400m World Bank grants

October 13 – 2020 KHARTOUM Sudan’s authorities plan to align the domestic selling price of fuel with international price levels. Energy and Mining Minister Kheiri Abdelrahman said in a statement on Monday that the fuel price will be calculated in the SDG equivalent of the price in the parallel market.

The new fuel price depends on the value of the fuel globally, in addition to the logistical costs related to unloading, transportation, and distribution, the minister said.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Finance exempted taxes on fuel at the new price. “The numbers circulating in the local media about fuel prices are just guesses,” noting that the Ministry of Energy has not set any price, and that the new price decision will be taken by the Council of Ministers or the Ministry of Finance.

In the meantime, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank group approved a grant of $200 million to support the efforts of the transitional government in implementing the government program for economic reforms, in addition to $200 million from Sudan’s partners.

Ethiopian gunmen prevent harvest in eastern Sudan

October 12 – 2020 EL FASHAGA The Lands Committee of El Fashaga in eastern Sudan’s El Gedaref reported that Ethiopian militiamen prevented farmers of the villages Jemeiza and Um Disa from harvesting their sesame crops.

The committee condemned the repeated attacks launched by Ethiopian militiamen on the villages at the El Gedaref-Ethiopian border, and called on the authorities to intervene.

“The Ethiopian militiamen are still controlling Sudanese agricultural lands,” the statement reads. “They launch sporadic attacks during the harvest season on areas not under their full control in order to steal the crops.”

El Gedaref Governor Suleiman Ali had a meeting with the Ethiopian consul in El Gedaref on Sunday. They discussed the security situation and its impact on trade, cross-border crimes, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and border control.

Sit-ins against insecurity, corruption, and economic crisis

October 12 – 2020 SIRBA / KADUGLI / EL GEDAREF / KASSALA People living in the Tandelti administrative unit in Sirba in West Darfur continued their sit-in for the fourth consecutive day, protesting against insecurity and insufficient basic services.

ICC rejects interim release request of former Darfur janjaweed leader

October 10 – 2020 THE HAGUE The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court, confirmed that it rejects Former Darfur janjaweed leader Ali Abdelrahman’s (also known as Ali Kushayb) request for interim release.

WFP win 2020 Nobel peace prize

October 10 – 2020 OSLO The World Food Programme won the Nobel peace prize "for its efforts to combat hunger, its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas, and acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."
 

Rebel faction denies signing peace agreement

October 10 – 2020 JUBA / DARFUR / KOUNONGOU The Sudan Liberation Movement split-off faction under the leadership of Ahmed Ibrahim ‘Kazaski’ denied it signed the Juba Peace Agreement and joined the Sudan Revolutionary Front faction headed by Minni Minawi.
 

Khartoum celebrates peace agreement

October 9 – 2020 KHARTOUM Thousands gathered in Khartoum to welcome the members of the government negotiating delegation and of the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance back to Khartoum after signing the comprehensive peace agreement in Juba on October 3.

Six dead in Jebel Marra attacks

October 9 – 2020 EL MALAM / NIERTETI A policeman and a gunman were killed in an attack on a police station in Sharg Jebel Marra in South Darfur. Hasan Adam told Radio Dabanga that he witnessed the attack in Torbu north of El Malam in eastern Jebel Marra.

COVID-19, chikungunya on the rise as drug supplies dwindle

October 8 – 2020 KHARTOUM The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced 15 new COVID-19 cases during the period from October 1-5, while the number of samples examined during the reporting period reached 5,096.

UN Human Rights Council welcomes progress

October 7 – 2020 GENEVA The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva welcomed the progress Sudan has made recently. It unanimously adopted a resolution to end the mandate of the Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Sudan.

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