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Africa Horn
Agreement on the Russian Navy base in Sudan will be considered by the new parliament
2024-03-06
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The agreement on the construction of a Russian naval base in Sudan will be considered by the country's new parliament, which will be formed after elections this year. Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Sadiq Ali announced this on the sidelines of the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya on March 5.

“We are of the position that a new parliament should emerge, which will review the agreement and develop a recommendation for the government, ” the head of the foreign policy department said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

At the same time, he emphasized that it is expected that parliament will give a positive response and the agreement will be ratified.

As Regnum reported, the possibility of creating a Russian military base in Sudan on the Red Sea coast was discussed with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu in November 2017 by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

In November 2020, Putin approved the government’s proposal to sign an agreement with Sudan to create a logistics support center for the Russian Navy. It is expected that Russian sailors will use this point to repair ships, replenish supplies and rest.

At the beginning of June 2021, Sudan announced its intention to reconsider the agreement with Russia on the creation of a military base in the Red Sea.
Russia does crave its warm water ports…
As explained by the Chief of the General Staff of Sudan, Mohammed Usman al-Hussein, this agreement was signed under the previous regime of Omar al-Bashir, but the legislature did not ratify it, as required by the procedure for approving international treaties.

Al Arabiya TV channel reported on April 28, 2021 that Sudan’s military leadership allegedly suspended an agreement with Russia on a naval base in Port Sudan. The Russian Embassy in Khartoum called this information unreliable. Later, the Sudanese foreign ministry denied reports of the document being frozen and noted that such information had also not been received from Russia.

In July 2021, the Sudanese authorities informed the Russian side about the start of the ratification process of the relevant agreement with Moscow.

In February 2023, Sudanese authorities completed the process of revising a bilateral agreement with Russia on the deployment of a Russian naval base in Sudan. The agreement must now go through the ratification procedure. However, due to the dissolution of parliament and the internal political crisis in the country, this process is still being delayed.

Related:
Russian naval base: 2023-10-07 This is not about Ukraine. Why did the Navy need a base in Abkhaz Ochamchira
Russian naval base: 2023-08-06 Russia's dominance in the Black Sea is over - OP
Russian naval base: 2023-04-25 Key moments of the Sudanese crisis
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
South Africa would have to arrest Putin if he attends BRICS summit
2023-03-18
[Voice of the Ukraine] As a signatory to the Rome State of the International Criminal Court, South Africa is legally bound to act on the arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin if he attends the August BIRCS summit in the country, Sky News reported on March 17.

Russian media maintain that South Africa is expecting Putin to attend the BRICS summit in Durban this August, in person.

Read also: Russia scouring Myanmar, Africa, Middle East for ammo, Ukrainian intelligence says
The report notes this would create further diplomatic difficulties for Moscow, but even if the dictator chooses to come, "the prospect of the host nation's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, ordering his forces to lead Mr Putin away in handcuffs is thought to be a hugely remote one."

In 2015, South Africa refused to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was also under an ICC warrant.
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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinians urge Sudan to hand over confiscated assets
2021-09-26
So the PA wants to be given confiscated Hamas assets? A bold ask.
[JPost] Hamas - a bitter rival of Abbas - said on Friday it had no links to companies and individuals targeted by Sudan's crackdown, saying the seized assets belonged to Palestinian investors and businesses.

Sudan was long an ally of Hamas under former President Omar al-Bashir but since he was overthrown in 2019, Sudanese authorities have taken control of investments and companies they say channeled funding to the Islamist group for years.

"We hope that the state of #Sudan, which has always been a supporter (people and a government) to #Palestine, to hand over the movable and immovable funds that were confiscated to the State of Palestine and its Government," Hussein Al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official close to President Mahmoud Abbas, said on Twitter.

Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk accused Sheikh of "fishing in troubled waters."

"What happened in #Sudan is a conflict between the civilian and military parts in #Hamdok's government to win US support. A cheap game using the name of the movement as a slander," wrote Abu Marzouk on his Twitter account late on Saturday.

In Khartoum, a senior official in the taskforce overseeing government-led asset seizures did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Hahahahahah — oh wait, he’s serious?? Hahahaha!”
Related:
Sudan: 2021-09-25 Sudanese authorities have taken control of lucrative assets that for years provided backing for Hamas
Sudan: 2021-09-24 Sudan seizes assets of Hamas-linked firms, amid move toward West
Sudan: 2021-09-23 Personnel: Taliban Names Afghan UN Envoy, Now to See if UN Accepts Him
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Africa Horn
Sudan will hand over Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court
2020-02-12
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
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Africa Horn
Expelled aid groups can return to Sudan: official
2019-09-16
[Sudan Tribune] International humanitarian groups expelled by the former regime will be allowed to return to Sudan and work in the war-affected areas in line with the Juba Declaration signed on 11 September, said a member of the Sudanese government negotiating team on Saturday.
"Bring money. And food"
Speaking at a symposium entitled “The Future of Peace in Sudan” in Khartoum on Saturday, Sovereign Council member Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’ayshi said that the matter was discussed by the parties during the two-day with the armed groups on confidence-building measures before the resumption of peace talks.

On 4 March 2009, Sudanese authorities expelled 13 international NGOs and revoked the licenses of three national NGOs after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the then President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes charges.

Further, the government expelled seven more NGOs from Eastern Sudan in 2012, followed by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 2014 and the NGO Tearfund in 2015. However, since the Sudanese authorities allowed some group to resume their activities but the past expulsions left a pall over the humanitarian community.

"We have agreed with the armed groups on all sticking points, even the return of NGOs that were expelled by the former regime. Also, we can allow other humanitarian organizations to access to war-affected areas according to the procedures that preserve the country’s security," said al-Ta’ayshi who is from Darfur region.

The Sudanese government and armed groups on Wednesday signed a roadmap for peace in Sudan brokered by the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir who co-signed the deal with the Sudanese parties.

In line with the Juba Declaration, the parties agreed to immediately implement the confidence-building measures, provided in the Constitutional Document, and to establish appropriate mechanisms for this effect as the peace talks will begin on 14 October.

Al-Ta’ayshi called for setting up partnerships with the international and regional community to achieve peace, pointing to the role is being played by the State of South Sudan in this regard.

He confirmed that Juba Declaration parties had agreed in principle to address the root causes of war in Sudan, saying that everyone is confident that it is time for peace.

Further, he hinted at the possibility of amending the constitutional document and the structures of the transitional authority to accommodate the outputs of future peace agreements.

“A Peace agreement without making adjustments to the structures of constitutional institutions will not achieve the peace we expected," he added.

Related:
Juba Declaration: 2019-09-14 Kiir, Hamdok agree to resume discussions on Sudans’ border crossings
Juba Declaration: 2009-12-10 Clashes on the Streets of Khartoum
Juba Declaration: 2009-10-20 Sudan secession imminent: ministers
Related:
International Criminal Court: 2019-09-09 After ouster of longtime dictator, Sudan calls on Jewish emigres to return
International Criminal Court: 2019-09-09 Sudan's first post-Bashir cabinet sworn in
International Criminal Court: 2019-09-03 ICC prosecutor ordered to reexamine deadly Gaza flotilla incident
Related:
Omar al-Bashir: 2019-09-12 Sudan PM to meet with rebel leaders in first visit to South Sudan
Omar al-Bashir: 2019-09-09 After ouster of longtime dictator, Sudan calls on Jewish emigres to return
Omar al-Bashir: 2019-09-09 Sudan's first post-Bashir cabinet sworn in
Link


Africa Horn
Sudan PM to meet with rebel leaders in first visit to South Sudan
2019-09-12
[ALARABY.CO.UK] Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is set to visit neighbouring South Sudan this week in his first foreign visit.

After a landmark power-sharing agreement was signed between the military and protest leaders, Hamdok took office last month as Sudan's first premier since the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Hamdok will travel to the South Sudanese capital Juba on Thursday to meet with Sudanese rebel forces, Media Minister Faisal Mohammed Saleh said.

Among the premier's key goals for his first months in government is to bring peace to conflict-riven Sudan.

The country faces war with rebel forces in three conflict zones in the country's - Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Sudanese military and paramilitary forces have been accused of war crimes and widespread rights violations against civilians in the long-disenfranchised southern regions.

The power-sharing deal inked last month calls on the new transitional government to put an end to those conflicts within its first six months.

Hamdok has reiterated that pledge, claiming that minimised military spending brought on by peace will also help fix the country’s ailing economy.

The prime minister, along with four ministers who were officially sworn into the cabinet last week, will meet with Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), and the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance (SLFA) in Juba, the Sudan Tribune reported.

The SRF is a key coalition representing rebel forces in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, with rebels in the latter two states also represented by Abdulaziz al-Hilu's SPLM-N. The SLFA, led by Taher Hajer, is an alliance of rebel forces in Darfur.

Hamdok dispatched an envoy to Juba last week as the Sudanese government and rebel forces prepare to launch a comprehensive peace process.

The venue of future peace talks is reportedly up for discussion in the premier's visit to Juba this week.

Egypt, Chad and the UAE have expressed interest in hosting the discussions.

Related:
Abdalla Hamdok: 2019-09-09 Sudan's first post-Bashir cabinet sworn in
Abdalla Hamdok: 2019-09-04 Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok approves 14 members of his cabinet
Abdalla Hamdok: 2019-08-24 Sudan Sovereign Council Member: We Haven’t Yet Reached State of Emergency Stage
Related:
Darfur: 2019-09-09 After ouster of longtime dictator, Sudan calls on Jewish emigres to return
Darfur: 2019-09-09 Sudan's first post-Bashir cabinet sworn in
Darfur: 2019-09-04 Hamdok says expecting Sudan’s delisting from terror list
Related:
South Kordofan: 2019-07-29 Sudan extends cease-fire with southern rebels
South Kordofan: 2019-05-03 Huge crowds join sit-in outside Sudan’s defense ministry
South Kordofan: 2019-01-29 Sudan’s Bashir vows to bring peace as protests called in conflict zones
Related:
Blue Nile: 2019-07-29 Sudan extends cease-fire with southern rebels
Blue Nile: 2019-05-03 Huge crowds join sit-in outside Sudan’s defense ministry
Blue Nile: 2019-03-24 Fire breaks out at Sudan’s old presidential palace
Related:
SPLM-N: 2019-06-06 Sudan opposition rejects army’s offer of talks, death toll hits 101
SPLM-N: 2016-10-22 Sudan Rebels Suspend Peace Talks after Chemical Attack Claims
SPLM-N: 2016-05-01 Six dead as Sudan army, insurgents clash in province
Link


Africa Horn
Sudan: Opposition Sign Power-sharing Deal with Military
2019-08-05
[AAWSAT] Sudan’s military rulers and the main opposition coalition signed a power-sharing agreement on Sunday to open the door for a transition to civilian rule following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Representatives initialed a constitutional document that would establish a joint military and civilian council to rule for a little over three years until elections can be held.

The agreement would establish a Cabinet appointed by the activists, as well as a legislative body, the Associated Press reported.

The military overthrew al-Bashir in April following months of mass protests against his three-decade-long autocratic rule. The protesters remained in the streets, demanding a rapid transition to a civilian authority.

The parties are expected to put their final signatures on the agreement on Aug. 17 at a ceremony in Khartoum attended by foreign leaders.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the formation of a sovereign council will be announced on Aug. 18, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, a new prime minister will be named on Aug. 20 and a cabinet on Aug. 28.

The cabinet and the sovereign council will meet together on Sept. 1, the sources noted, ahead of the appointment of a legislative assembly in three months.

Link


Africa North
Sudan crisis: The ruthless mercenaries who run the country for gold
2019-07-20
[BBC] The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been accused of widespread abuses in Sudan, including the 3 June massacre in which more than 120 people were reportedly killed, with many of the dead dumped in the River Nile. Sudan expert Alex de Waal charts their rise.

The RSF are now the real ruling power in Sudan. They are a new kind of regime: a hybrid of ethnic militia and business enterprise, a transnational mercenary force that has captured a state.

Their commander is General Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo, and he and his fighters have come a long way since their early days as a rag-tag Arab militia widely denigrated as the "Janjaweed".

The RSF was formally established by decree of then-President Omar al-Bashir in 2013. But their core of 5,000 militiamen had been armed and active long before then.

Their story begins in 2003, when Mr Bashir's government mobilised Arab herders to fight against black African insurgents in Darfur.

'MEET THE JANJAWEED'
The core of the Janjaweed were camel-herding nomads from the Mahamid and Mahariya branches of the Rizeigat ethnic group of northern Darfur and adjoining areas of Chad - they ranged across the desert edge long before the border was drawn.

During the 2003-2005 Darfur war and massacres, the most infamous Janjaweed leader was Musa Hilal, chief of the Mahamid.
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Africa Horn
Sudan police: 16 killed by well placed stray bullets at protests and sit-ins
2019-04-13
[Aljazeera] At least 16 people were killed and 20 others injured by stray bullets at protests and sit-ins on Thursday and Friday, a Sudanese police spokesman said in a statement on Saturday as the nation waited to hear from its newly appointed leader.

Government buildings and private property were also attacked, spokesman Hashem Ali added.

The release of the death toll comes hours after the Sudanese military replaced the country's transitional leader who had been in power only one day.

Thousands of jubilant protesters celebrated in the streets of Khartoum on Friday, after Defence Minister General Awad ibn Auf, announced he was stepping down as head of the ruling military council.

He had been named the de facto leader after President Omar al-Bashir was forced out of office on Thursday after 30 years of rule.

Ibn Auf said he would be replaced by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, general inspector of the armed forces, as head of the transitional council, which will rule the country for two years until elections.

"This is for the benefit of our nation ... This country has great people and a great army," Ibn Auf said in a brief TV statement, adding that he hoped the civilians and the military would work together.
Link


Africa Horn
Sudan opposition says 20 killed since rally at army HQ held
2019-04-10
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Armed men wearing masks have killed 20 people in morning attacks against anti-government protesters massed outside the army headquarters in Sudan’s capital, the country’s main opposition leader said on Tuesday.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, former premier and now a protest organizer against President Omar al-Bashir
Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it.
’s government, said the attacks had been carried out every morning since the sit-in began on April 6.

"There are gunnies in masks attacking people at the sit-in every morning," Mahdi, chief of the opposition National Umma Party, told news hounds in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.

"This has left 20 deaders."

Sudan’s Interior Minister Bushara Juma said on Monday that seven protesters died, including six in the state of Khartoum, when security forces dispersed anti-government protests held on April 6.

Officials say 38 people have died so far in protest related violence since demonstrations erupted across Sudan December.

Thousands of protesters have massed outside the army headqurters for a fourth straight day, demanding that the military's top brass back them in demanding Bashir’s resignation.

The demonstration is the latest in nearly four months of anti-government protests that have plunged Sudan into its worst crisis in years. What initially erupted late last year as rallies against a spiraling economy quickly escalated into calls for an end to President Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule.

On Monday for the first time, leaders of the protests called on the military’s leadership to abandon al-Bashir and join their call for change. And on Tuesday, they invited military leaders to meet with their representatives to "discuss arrangements for a transition" in Sudan.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, Norway, the UK and the US backed the protesters’ demands, urging Sudanese authorities to "deliver a credible plan" for political transition.

"Failing to do so risks causing greater instability. The Sudanese leadership has a grave responsibility to avoid such an outcome," they said.

Sarah Abdel-Jaleel, spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association, said the new festivities erupted early on Tuesday between security forces and protesters who have been camping out in front of the military complex in Khartoum for the past four days.

Link


Africa Horn
Sudan's Bashir bans unauthorised rallies
2019-02-26
[PULSE.NG] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday banned unauthorised rallies, as he announced a slew of new measures to end demonstrations that have rocked his rule for weeks.
Betcha he doesn't authorize any rallies against him.
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Africa Horn
Sudan's Bashir sacks veteran ally as vice president
2019-02-24
[PULSE.NG] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday sacked his long-time ally Bakri Hassan Saleh as first vice president, a day after dissolving the government in the face of nationwide protests.
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