[TRANSLATED] Al-Jazeera – Who drives the events in eastern Sudan? 4 countries are on the indictment list

13/8/2020: Al-Jazeera – Who drives the events in eastern Sudan? 4 countries are on the indictment list, by Ahmed Fadl

In Ahmed Fadl’s feature piece, retired police officer Lt. Gen Osman Fagray alleges that foreign intelligence services inflame eastern Sudan’s tensions, citing Eritrea’s Red Sea fishing interests, Saudi projects, Egypt’s aversion to Sudanese democracy and the UAE’s support for the Beni Amer.

 Sami al-Sayegh, chief engineer of the coastal terminal in the southern port in Port Sudan, said the UAE is seeking, through the Dubai Ports Company, to control Sudan's ports in the Red Sea.

 Fagray calls on the government to close borders and sever relations with Eritrea, and contain a situation “moving quickly towards the Darfur scenario” which “would be more painful for Khartoum, as the east is strategic and close.” He added that the Rapid Support Forces lack experience in dealing with civilians and fear using force for fear of accountability.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters - Sudan boosts security in port city after 32 die in tribal clashes

13/8/2020: Reuters - Sudan boosts security in port city after 32 die in tribal clashes

 Reuters reports that Sudan has beefed up security in the Red Sea state and imposed a curfew in Port Sudan after 32 people died in recent tribal clashes, Sudan’s interior ministry said.

 Security forces arrested 85 people over the recent violence, which also left 98 people wounded.

 Local media reports and activists on social media said the clashes broke out between the Beni Amer and Nuba tribes which have a history of mutual violence. Representatives of the two tribes signed a reconciliation deal in September 2019.

 The government had deployed more security forces to the state to impose “the prestige of the state and the rule of law, and to strengthen security and stability,” the interior ministry said.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune – Sudan’s FFC fail to bridge gaps after SRF demand for cabinet seats

13/8/19: Sudan Tribune – Sudan’s FFC fail to bridge gaps after SRF demand for cabinet seats

Sudan Tribune reports that the political and armed groups of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) failed to reach agreement on the Constitutional Declaration, as the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) demanded an allocation of seats in the transitional executive institutions.

 In their negotiations in Cairo, Sudan Tribune learned that the two parties reached a compromise on Article 69 of the Constitutional Declaration, which gives peace agreements primacy over the Constitution, as requested by the SRF.

 However, the SRF then returned with a list of seven demands, including representation in the Cabinet and the Sovereign Council, as well as the delayed formation of government to enable SRF participation. The FFC political groups said they have no mandate to discuss these issues and that the principle of quotas is rejected because the cabinet is purely technocratic and tasked with implementing peace and FFC reforms.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources – Floods across Sudan cause devastation and price hikes

13/8/19: Multiple sources – Floods across Sudan cause devastation and price hikes

 Flooding triggered by rain has destroyed houses across Sudan, killing at least six, and result in dire price rises.

 Damage has been reported from Darfur in the West, to Khartoum in the centre, and the Red Sea states in the East.

 The Sudanese Professionals’ Association said more than rains damaged over 1,300 homes on the southern outskirts of Khartoum, adding that the flooding could lead to epidemic diseases and overwhelm sanitation services.

 The crisis is expected to intensify in coming days, particularly in rural areas with weaker infrastructure and inadequate drainage systems.

 On Monday, the second day of Eid El Adha, dozens protested at one of Omdorman’s largest streets for the sale of sacrificial sheep against livestock traders  for the high prices of sheep, shouting “you are greedy!”