♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

Sudan Armed Forces (File photo)

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

 

♦  Sudan army: End appointment of military governors

November 14 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Sudanese Armed Forces informed rebel leaders during the peace talks that it wished to end the appointment of generals as acting state governors.

The army command said that “the generals were appointed by the deposed regime of Omar Al Bashir, which raises a variety of difficulties. In a number of cases, it would be better if interim civil governors would manage the states until a peace agreement is signed.”

During the peace talks between the Sudanese government and armed movements in the South Sudanese capital of Juba over the past two months, the parties agreed on appointing new state governors only after a peace accord has been reached.

According to Yasir Arman, Deputy Secretary General of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance, Khartoum may appoint civil governors in the meantime. They will then rule the relevant state until peace has been reached, and new governors will be appointed to all 18 states in the country.

 

♦  Communist Party: Govt must take control of Jebel Amer gold mines

 
November 13 – 2019 KHARTOUM The Communist Party of Sudan has demanded the government take control of the Jebel Amer gold mines in North Darfur. The party asserts that the gold “is currently outside the control of the government’.

At a press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday, party leader and economist Dr Sidgi Kaballo questioned who owns Jebel Amer, saying that gold production in the area reaches a tonne per day, but the gold goes directly to the markets of Dubai and France. He demanded the government stop the export of precious metals until the economy improves.

Until 2017, the Jebel Amer mines were effectively under control of former janjaweed leader Musa Hilal. Since he and his followers were detained in November 2017, there is ample evidence that control has passed to Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, Commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and now also Deputy Chairman of the Sudan Sovereign Council.

The economist also called for the “disbanding of all forces other than the police, the army, and intelligence, as they represent a burden on the state and waste of public money with additional expenses”.

 


More news from Radio Dabanga:

At least three people dead in Port Sudan clash
November 19 – 2019 PORT SUDAN On Monday, tribal violence erupted in Port Sudan, capital of Red Sea state. At least three people were killed and several others were …

Sudan: Justice needed for protestor killings
November 18 – 2019 NAIROBI Fatal attacks on protestors in Sudan in June were planned and could amount to crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch (HRW) …

Analyst: ‘Sudan govt must confiscate ill-gotten gains’
November 17 – 2019 KHARTOUM A prominent intellectual and political analyst argues that the transitional government must confiscate the unlawfully obtained property …

Sudan OCHA: Scale-up of cholera response in Khartoum
November 17 – 2019 KHARTOUM Sudan’s federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are working with partners and at-risk communities to scale up surveillance of cholera in Khartoum. On November 7, the final phase of the five-year …

Sudan capital protest against continuing transport crisis
November 15 – 2019 KHARTOUM On Thursday, hundreds of demonstrators in downtown Khartoum demanded a “speedy solution” to the ongoing transportation …

Darfur Conference in Khartoum urges amendment of all land laws
November 15 – 2019 KHARTOUM The conference on Legal Reform of Land Use in Darfur, held at the Carinthia Hotel in Khartoum on Thursday, recommended the …

Special Envoy Booth: US-Sudanese relations will improve
November 15 – 2019 KHARTOUM According to the US Special Envoy to Sudan, Donald Booth, Washington will cooperate with the Sudanese government to successfully complete the three-year transitional period, draft a permanent Constitution, and hold …

Arrest warrants against Popular Congress Party leaders for 1989 coup
November 13 – 2019 KHARTOUM The public prosecutor in Khartoum issued arrest warrants against two leaders of the Popular Congress Party, Chairman Ali El Haj and …

This digest is an excerpt from the weekly Sudan News Update. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter directly in your inbox.


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