Africa

The country has rebuffed African efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Tigray conflict.

BBC correspondents across the east Africa region explain the impact for Ethiopia and its neighbours.

November 28, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ethiopian Ambassador to Sudan Yibeltal Aemro said the sharp decrease in refugee flows into eastern Sudan confirms that life has returned to normal in Tigray region.

Amero sent a written to Sudan Tribune on Friday in response to an article published on Thursday about the sudden decline of the refugee's number crossing into Sudan after the control of the border area by the Ethiopian forces which prevent them from reaching the refugee camps.

The article also mentioned a report by the AFP correspondent about the situation in the border area of the Ethiopian side. He said that the government despatched Ahmarah officials and militiamen are now controlling the border area of Humera.

Ambassador Aemro, hover, denied the presence of the government forces near the Sudanese border saying they are deployed around Mekele city, 300km from Humera, where they are fighting the recalcitrant Tigray forces.

"The decline in the number of people who are crossing the border is because of return to normalcy in most parts of Tigray not because of the ban by the government forces," he said an email he sent to Sudan Tribune.

The Ethiopian diplomat went further to say that elements of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) who fled to the refugee camps in eastern Sudan seek to manipulate the international media.

"One also should understand the fact that the criminal elements within the TPLF, including those who crossed the border with the civilians, are deliberately trying to misinform the international community on the matter," he stressed.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, Friday was at Eastern Sudan's Ethiopian border to inspect the humanitarian situation of the refugees.

"Most of them want to return home, but only if fighting ends and they can feel safe and secure. Meanwhile, we are stepping up efforts to address their basic needs," said Grandi in a tweet posted after the visit.

UNHCR head said that over 43,00 refugees are now in Sudan.

In a statement on Tuesday, the UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the "free and safe movement of people searching for safety and assistance, regardless of their ethnic identity, across both national and international borders".

Yaqoub Adam Yaqoub, the director of the reception centre in Hamdayet told the Sudan Tribune on Friday that they are facing a severe shortage of shelter and housing equipment. He also complained of poor services despite the cold weather.

Yacoub added that more than 75% of the people fleeing the violence in the Tigray region are now in the centre.

He attributed the delayed transfer of refugees to the Um Rakuba camp, 70 kilometres inside Gadaref State to the severe fuel crisis and the shortage of vehicles.

For its part, the UNHCR said they helped to relocate nearly 10,000 refugees to Um Rakuba, as work continues to put up shelters and improve services.

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November 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Fadlallah Burma Nasser has been chosen as interim leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) until the general conference which will elect a new leader.

Nasser, a former general from the Misseriya tribe of South Darfur, was the firest de deputy of the late Sadiq al-Mahdi who died on Thursday 26 November.

The interim leader stressed the solid unity of the party membership and commitment to the vision of Sadiq al-Mahdi.

In his statement to the Sudan News Agency, Nasser, 81, said they work seriously to hold the party's general conference soon.

"Base conferences will be held at the level of city or county, district, states, then the general conference. Also, the various colleges will be represented," he said stressing that "the general conference will be attended by those who actually represent their grassroots."

The NUP was the first political party in Sudan, in accordance with the result of the last democratic election of 1986. Darfur region was the bastion of the Umma party in the past.

However, it is not clear if the party will be affected by the 17-year armed conflict and the emergence of armed groups which now seeking to be political forces.

Regarding the leadership of the religious brotherhood of Ansar, Nasser said that the current Secretary-General of the Ansar Affairs Authority, Abdel-Mahmoud Abu, will chair the group until the conference.

Al-Mahdi used to combine the leadership of the party with the brotherhood, which is the religious arm of the National Umma Party.

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Families fleeing the conflict in Tigray tell the BBC they have been cut off from relatives.

Hunger is on the rise in southern Madagascar due to consecutive years of drought,  affecting half the region’s population, or 1.5 million people, and forcing most families to eat insects, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Friday. 

A group of UN independent human rights experts have called on Egyptian authorities to “immediately and unconditionally” release activists arrested, apparently in retaliation, for discussing human rights issues with foreign ambassadors. 

November 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) — The head of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Thursday voiced his support to the government negotiating position in the filling of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Sudan has suspended its participation in the direct tripartite talks on the first filling of the GERD, calling for a new approach involving a mediation team made of African experts and international observers.

Irrigation Minister Yasir Abbas who is also the head of the government negotiating team briefed al-Burhan on the process which lasts for more than eight years.

"Al-Burhan confirmed his support for the position taken by the negotiating team, calling for the Sudanese national interest to be the only reference for negotiations," said a statement by the Sovereign Council after the meeting.

He further stressed the need for a political and diplomatic mobilisation to support the government position which is a national security matter, the statement stressed.

Sudan recently blamed South African foreign minister saying she neglected its demand to refer the file back to the African Union Bureau.

South Africa is involved in the process as the chairperson of the regional body. Also, are involved in the talks as observers, the European Union and the United States.

Observers say that the suspension of the Sudanese participation in the negotiations means de facto the suspension of the whole process.

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November 26, 2020 (RUMBEK) - A rapid response by UN peacekeepers from Nepal resulted in preventing a potential intercommunal clash between armed groups in Cueibet county of South Sudan's Lakes State, the mission (UNMISS) reported on it's website.

Nepalese UNAMID troops (UN)

According to the UN, within minutes of receiving warning of a potential clash between armed groups in Cueibet, Nepalese peacekeepers sprang into action, sending a team of highly trained troops to intervene and protect civilians in the area.

Their rapid response to the threat of an intercommunal clash followed the killing of a young man during a raid on a cattle camp about 12 kilometers north of Cueibet town in the Lakes region of South Sudan.

A day after that incident, about 60 members of his community reportedly gathered their weapons and headed towards the town to avenge his death.

"At around 9am, the peacekeepers, who are located at a temporary base in the remote area, received information that the group was mobilizing to attack and that 100 people within the town itself had armed themselves as they prepared to repel that attack. A violent clash was imminent," it stated.

The Nepalese contingent immediately sent a platoon of soldiers to intercept the groups and, within an hour, they had set up a checkpoint between them. The peacekeepers worked in collaboration with local police who were also responding to the threat.

“Our task was to assess the security situation, patrol the area to deter the armed groups, provide a protective presence and intervene to protect civilians if needed,” said Captain Bigyan Bista, the Commander of the Nepalese Quick Reaction Force.

The joint effort between UNMISS and local security services worked, with the armed group turning back to their village. The South Sudan People's Defense Forces in the area expressed their appreciation for peacekeepers' quick response.

It is common for conflict to flare up between communities during the dry season in South Sudan as they seek to recover from the loss of crops and cattle during the previous rainy months through violent raids on others.

Anticipating this, UNMISS has reportedly established temporary bases in conflict hotspots in line with its “proactive, robust and nimble” approach to peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

In these bases, integrated military and civilian teams work to deter violence, support reconciliation efforts, and help communities reach agreement to peacefully co-exist. The aim is to provide protection where it is needed most.

The Nepalese contingent has reinforced its temporary base with fresh troops from their battalion headquarters in Rumbek so they can increase patrols and provide a protective presence for civilians living in the area. They will remain in place until the situation stabilizes.

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November 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ethiopian government said on Thursday that efforts are being made to return the internally displaced persons and the Ethiopian refugees in Sudan who fled their areas after the eruption of fighting in Tigray region earlier this month.

Deputy Ethiopian Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen has been touring European countries to explain the " law enforcement operation" against the forces loyal to the recalcitrant Tigray region government.

United Nations and western diplomats voiced deep concerns about the humanitarian situation in the restive region and called for unfettered access to the aid organisations and groups.

Also, the massive influx of refugees into Sudanese territory raised alarm about the violence against civilians in the conflict zones.

During his meeting with the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, Mekonnen thought to reassure that his government is now finalizing its security operations and working with aid workers to provide the needy with humanitarian assistance.

"The Minister also gave reassurance to Hon. Rabb that the Government together with the international agencies is working tirelessly to address the humanitarian situations with more humanitarian corridors opening up to reach those in need of humanitarian assistance," said the Ethiopian foreign ministry.

"Efforts are also underway to support those refugees who fled to Sudan to return and settle peacefully in their home country," further said Mekonnen according to the statement.

In Paris, the deputy foreign minister was received by President Emmanuel Macron but not statement was released after the meeting. Also, he met with the Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès in Brussels.

Over 40,000 refugees have fled into Sudan since the eruption of hostilities between the federal army the Tigray People's Liberation Front forces on 4 November.

In Addis Ababa, the official Ethiopian News Agency said the situation returned to normal in several cities of Tigray pointing to Axum, Shire, and Adwa which are now under the control of government forces.

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November 26, 2020 (JUBA) - The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said three Ethiopian peacekeepers serving in the young nation were withdrawn and deported to their country without any explanation given

Ethiopian peacekeepers in Abyei on 14 August 2016 (UNISFA photo)

Last Saturday, it emerged that three Ethiopian soldiers from the Tigray ethnic group were sent back to their country.

An official at the UN Mission in South Sudan said the deportation of the peacekeepers could have violated their human rights if based on ethnicity.

“The Mission's Human Rights Division is following up on their situation. As a Troop Contributing Country, Ethiopia is ultimately responsible for the conduct and movement of its troops,” a spokesperson at UNMISS told The East African.

He added, “However, if personnel are discriminated against because of their ethnicity or any other reason, this could involve a human rights violation under international law".

Following the latest incident involving Ethiopians, UNMISS said it requested access to any soldier in need protection under international law.

There are three Ethiopian battalions in South Sudan, comprising around 2000 personnel, who are assisting with protection and peace building.

Ethiopia is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to the UN peacekeeping mission.

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November 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - A state funeral will be held on Friday for former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi who passed away last Thursday at the age of 84.

Al-Mahdi, who was the last democratically elected Sudanese Prime Minister from 1986 to 1989, died in Abu Dhabi where he had been treated after his infection of coronavirus more than three weeks ago.

Following his death Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok Thursday declared three days of national mourning.

Also, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, instruct to hold state funeral for the late Prime Minister, according to a statement released on Thursday evening.

His body has arrived on Friday morning to Khartoum airport where he was received by the Republican Guards from where he will be transported to his house in Omdurman.

He will be buried in the al-Mahdi dome where are the tombs of his grandfather, father and uncles.

Mourners have been urged to observe social distancing rules, as his family excepts huge crowds to participate in the funeral.

Also, the family called on those who are outside the capital to mourn him in their areas and not to come to Khartoum.

Al-Mahdi was also the leader of the Ansar religious sect.

Sudanese political groups and leaders issued statements on the death of Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Also, several foreign missions in Sudan issued statements to express their condolences on the death of the former prime minister.

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By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

This article comes against the backdrop of the saddening news in the headlines of the News Media reporting the departure of the Ansar Sect leader Imam Al-Sadig Al-Mahdi and Sudan's former Democratically elected Prime Minister and Political leader who sadly passed away leaving this mortal world, on Thursday the Twenty-Sixth of November 2020; the newspapers reported that the cause of the death of the late Imam al-Sadig Al-Mahdi is the respiratory disease for which he was hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates immediately after his infection. https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article70140

We pray to Allah (SWT) Almighty to accept him in the gardens of the Supreme Paradise with the martyrs, the prophets, the righteous, and the goodness of those companions and may Allah (SWT) bless them all.

At this juncture, I thought that it is my duty to remember or mention the stations during life in which I met the late Imam al-Ansar al-Sadig al-Mahdi, may God accept him with the righteous and forgive him.

I met Imam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi for the first time in my life when I was a first-year Preliminary Student aka “Prel” at the Faculty of Science of the University of Khartoum where an elder colleague of ours and from the Darfur Province whose ancestors belonged to the Ansar Sect, his name was Ali Omer al-Bushari, he invited us and led us to the home of Sayed al-Sadig al-Mahdi who greeted us warmly and asked us to what we would like to drink for his hospitality. Nevertheless, he did not wait for an answer from us, and said, “I will offer you a drink of a Kerkaday, that is, a drink of Hibiscus.” And he added saying: because you are from the Darfur Province, which is famous for its cultivation! Al-Sayed al-Sadig Al-Mahdi was at the time a young man and he did not hold a political position. The home we met Sayed al-Sadig Al-Mahdi was the neighbourhood of Mulazmeen, in the City of Omdurman.

As for the second time I met with Mr Sadig al-Mahdi, together with a group of students of the University of Khartoum, along with students from the Higher Teacher Training Institute and the masses of the Sudanese people during the October 21st Popular Sudanese Revolution in the year 1964, when the people gathered in the Mawlid Square, which is now called the Family Club in Khartoum. We were at the time around the body of my former class-mate at El-Fasher Secondary School, late martyr of the revolution, Ahmed Al-Gurashi Taha. And Sayed Al-Sadig Al-Mahdi was the Imam of the funeral prayer for the late Ahmed Al-Gurashi Taha, as the body was being prepared for its transfer to his home village of Al-Garrasa in the White Nile region. As for the third and last time of my meeting with the late Sayed Imam Al-Sadig al-Mahdi, was during the Sudan Call Alliance that crucially united the core of a formerly fragmented political and armed Movements opposition on issues of national governance for the first time, calling for a peaceful and popular democratic transformation. Al-Mahdi was in France within the activities of the Sudan Call Forces, where Imam Al-Sadiq had chaired the sessions that included representatives of armed struggle movements, Sudanese political parties and civil society organisation committees. I met the late Imam al-Mahdi and I was honoured to attend those meetings as a political civilian member of one of the armed struggle movements. And the Imam acted in his capacity of chairmanship of the Sudan Call Alliance meetings with dignity, know-how and respect for the other; God Bless him.

During these saddening moments, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Sayed Sadig al-Mahdi al-Imam of the Ansar sect and to the membership of the National Umma Party (NUP) and to his family, especially his daughter Dr Maryam Al-Mansoura Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi who had a presence in all important Sudanese political forums until the Sudanese people managed to overthrow the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) and ousted the criminal of génocidaire Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. Furthermore, our condolences go out to the entire Sudanese people, and we pray to God Almighty to grant patience and solace to all the Sudanese people.
We belong to God and to Him we shall return, and there is no strength or power except in God.

Dr Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/

The government is hoping for a quick victory in Tigray but it may not be that simple.

November 25, 2020 (HAMDAYET) - The intensification of the fighting in the neighbouring Tigray region considerably reduced the number of refugees crossing into Sudanese territory.

During the past few days, the Ethiopian army retook control of Humera near the border with Sudan and Eritrea, as the government forces seek to encircle the Tigrayans fighters from several fronts.

There no reports about the humanitarian situation in the area. However, an AFP reporter who reached the area said Amhara officials and militiamen are now controlling the area which was part of their region until 1991, as they said.

The Hamdayet witnessed a sudden and visible decline in the number of refugees after the federal army deployed a large group of its forces in the Dima border area to stop the fleeing Tigray and prevent them from crossing the Sitet river into the Sudanese territory.

Humanitarian sources in Hamdayet confirmed to Sudan Tribune that only 349 refugees arrived in the transit centre on Monday.

Ethiopian activists say the Ethiopian government seeks to prevent refugees from leaving the country, pointing to the growing international pressure on Addis Ababa to accept negotiations with the Tigray region officials.

So far, the UNHCR has managed to transport 8,882 Ethiopians to Um Rakoba camp in Gadaref State. The UN agency said they would continue the operation on Thursday morning.

As of Wednesday, the number of Ethiopian refugees who reached the Hamdayet reached 26,869 thousand in addition to 15,446 who arrived at Hashaba camp in Fashaqa in the state of Gadaref.

Sudan Tribune reporter who visited the Hamdayet refugee reception centre noticed the deterioration of health conditions, accumulation of waste and the spread of diseases among refugee children, following a severe cold wave.

More than 391 children are sick, say health workers.

They also warned against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic saying its symptoms appeared among refugees.

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November 25, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that Sudan did not vote for any draft resolutions presented by Israel in the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Local newspapers, however, recently reported that Sudan had voted for an Israeli draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly.

"We would like to make it clear that what has been reported in some media outlets about Sudan's vote in favour of Israel in the United Nations is inaccurate. Sudan did not vote for any draft resolution tabled by Israel during the current or previous sessions of the General Assembly," said the Ministry's official statement.

The statement did not mention Sudan's position on the draft resolution, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to Hebrew media, that Sudan, for the first time, did not vote against Israel in the United Nations, though it traditionally had done so.

Israeli media have also reported Sudan as being one of several countries with an institutional bias against Israel, citing the former country's repeated rejection of Israeli resolutions at General Assembly meetings.

On Monday, the Sudanese government kept secret a visit of an Israeli delegation headed by the Deputy Director of National Security to Khartoum where the delegation discussed security issues relating to military components according to press leaks.

On October 23, Sudan officially recognized the State of Israel and pledged to establish diplomatic and economic relations in a deal sponsored by incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump.

A day after Sudan announced its recognition of Israel, the latter said it would send $5 million worth of wheat to support Khartoum's efforts to overcome the economic crisis.

November 25, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The leaders of the parties to the transitional government in Sudan agreed on Wednesday to form the Transition Partners Council, consisting of 21 members.

The new political body is one of the disposition added to the transitional constitution after the signing of a peace agreement with the armed groups.

It aims to coordinate positions and resolve differences between the parties that signed the political agreement of 17 August 2019 and the peace agreement of 3 October 2020.

Ten of the 21 seats in the partnership council will go the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and five seats will be allocated for each of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the military component of the Sovereignty Council. In addition, the 21st seat will go to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

Sudan Tribune further learnt that the parties agreed to form a secretariat consisting of eight members, four of them represent the FFC groups, two for the SRF and two for the military component.

The Chairman of the Sovereign Council Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan will assume the presidency of the Council and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok will be alternate president.

The Forces of Freedom and Change nominated their representatives in the Partners Council, namely: Babikir Faisal, Youssef Muhammad Zain, Omer al-Dugair, Fadlallah Barmah, Kamal Bolad, Ali Alrayah Alsanhouri, Haydar al-Safi, Taha Osman, Mohamed Nagi Al-Asam and Jamal Idris.

Also, the FFC representatives in the secretariat are Khalid Omer, Mutaz Saleh, Muhaid Siddiq and Nasreddin Ahmed.

The deal will pave the way for the formation of a new cabinet with 25% of its ministers representing the armed groups of the two SRF factions.

The SPLM-N North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, on Tuesday, issued a statement denouncing the draft status of the partnership saying it aims to confiscate the powers of the legislative body, reduce the government authority and benefit the military body.

The holdout group further stressed that this agreement aims to lock the way for the negotiations on the roots of the Sudanese crisis and to leave them with the only option to join the Juba peace agreement.

However, the FFC leading member Khalid Omer Youssif stressed in statements on Wednesday that the purpose of this agreement is to coordinate the position of the parties to the transitional government.

This council is not executive nor a legislative body, he said stressing that it would not interfere in the function of the government bodies.

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A young mother has been talking about how she was shunned by her community in Uganda when she returned home after being abducted and forced to fight for rebels as a child soldier.

November 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's former prime minister and political leader Sadiq al-Mahdi died from the coronavirus, his family and the National Umma Party said on Thursday morning.

Al-Mahdi, 84, who is the first public figure to die from the respiratory disease was hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates immediately after his infection.

The NUP issued a statement saying that his body will arrive in Khartoum on Friday 27 November morning and his funeral will take place in the dome of Imam al-Mahdi where he will be buried.

Until Tuesday, his family was keen to reassure the NUP's supporters and the members of the Ansar religious sect about his health conditions.

Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister thought during the last 30 years former to convince the Sudanese Islamists to restore democracy in the country.

In return, they always proposed him to join them, an offer he always declined.

In August 2014, he signed a political declaration with the armed groups and proposed a national conference for peace and democracy in Sudan.

He kept working for a democratic transition in Sudan until the start of the popular uprising in December 2019 that led to the collapse of the al-Bashir regime.

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With communications largely cut to the Tigray region, both sides in the conflict are trying to control the narrative.