SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: MEMRI - Dance Of The Warlords: Sudan's Ongoing Twilight Struggle

7/10/2022: MEMRI - Dance Of The Warlords: Sudan's Ongoing Twilight Struggle, by Alberto Fernandez

Ex-US diplomat in Sudan Alberto Fernandez analysed the rivalry between the commander-in-chief of Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) Abdulfattah al-Burhan and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia Himedti, with both fighting “over control of the civil service, an important source of patronage and an essential ingredient in actually running a government”.

With SAF a “safehaven” for Sudan’s Islamists, Fernandez suggests they hate Himedti for “betraying” ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir. In addition, “SAF-connected sources have also complained about RSF acquiring heavier and more advanced weapons,” Fernandez adds.

However, while “nationalist” and “Islamist” SAF factions remain loyal to al-Burhan and are united against Himedti and civilians, Fernandez alleges that some observers believe that “the plan is to have SAF get rid of the civilians (and Hemedti) and then an Islamicized SAF would remove Al-Burhan, who is seen as still too ambivalent toward the return of full Islamist rule”.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Voice of America - Sudan's Red Sea State Oil Facilities Reopen After Protests End

7/10/2020: Voice of America - Sudan's Red Sea State Oil Facilities Reopen After Protests End, by Michael Atit

 Voice of America report on comments made by Abdalla Obshar, a Beja intellectual and organiser of protests in Port Sudan.

 Obshar accused supporters of ousted president Omar al-Bashir, whom he said were of Eritrean origin, of trying to use the Juba peace agreement to take over their land, claiming eastern Sudanese representatives in the negotiations “are a group of individuals which had been receiving support from the previous administration to change the demography of the Beja area…had no historical or geographical ties to eastern Sudan and do not speak the Beja language.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Sudanese Congress says Islamists prepare to pounce on transitional authority

7/10/19: Sudan Tribune - Sudanese Congress says Islamists prepare to pounce on transitional authority

 Sudan Tribune reports that the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) has accused the Islamist "anti-revolutionary factions" of working to mobilize the masses in an attempt to pounce on the recently formed transitional authority.

 In a statement, the SCoP Media Secretariat says it has been monitoring plans by forces against the peaceful democratic transition who are aiming to "use the difficulties the transitional government is encountering to mobilize the masses to cover up a military coup under the pretext of taking side with people’s will."

 The SCoP added that "It does not make sense to expect the final results of [the revolution] before the end of one month since its [objectives were put into practice]."

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Protest in Sudan’s South Kordofan demands dismissal of governor

7/10/19: Radio Dabanga - Protest in Sudan’s South Kordofan demands dismissal of governor

 Radio Dabanga reports that residents of South Kordofan, staging a demonstration, demanding the dismissal of the governor Rasheed Abdulhameed.

 Meanwhile, a sit-in in Talodi has been protesting the use of cyanide in gold mining for over a month. Demonstrators are demanding the removal of gold mining companies from the area, the removal of their waste, an investigation into those responsible for what these companies have done, and compensation for those affected by the cyanide.

 The Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF), that backed the former regime, is still present at El Tagoula Mine.Highranking figures in the RSF, notably its commander-in-chief and deputy head of Sudan's Sovereign Council Himedti own large shares in many gold mining companies.

 Protesters have torched the buildings of mining companies in Talodi and attacked an RSF base, killing at least one militiaman.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - Mass demonstration in North Darfur after killing at gold mine

7/10/19: Radio Dabanga - Mass demonstration in North Darfur after killing at gold mine

 Radio Dabanga reports on a mass demonstration held in Kutum in North Darfur by people of the Kassab camp for the displaced, following the killing of Yousef Hasabelkarim, a displaced person, at El Tomat gold mine.

 Yahya El Khamis, a leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change in Kutum explained that the demonstrators condemned the insecurity in the area and the lack of action by the authorities to solve the killing. They demanded the arrest of the perpetrators and pointed towards 62 complaints filed at the police station of Kutum, that have not yet been referred to the prosecution.

 The protesters set a 72 hour deadline for their demands to be met.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Pound falls lower on no-prospect of removal from terror list

7/10/19: Sudan Tribune - Pound falls lower on no-prospect of removal from terror list

 Sudan Tribune reports that the Sudanese pound’s exchange rate hit a new low against foreign currencies on Sunday after some respite over the past weeks, after U.S. refusal to delist Sudan from terror blacklist.

 Traders in the black market who spoke to Sudan Tribune attributed the rise in foreign exchange prices to weak supply in the market against rising demand. Also, they pointed to the government inability to provide foreign currencies for import purposes so far.

 “Major traders have lowered currency rates over the past few days because they expect concrete changes to follow Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok’s visit to New York and Paris,” a trader said.

 "But that did not happen and the demand for foreign exchange increased," he stressed.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - S.Sudan says renegotiating oil deal with Sudan

7/10/19: AFP - S.Sudan says renegotiating oil deal with Sudan

 AFP reports that South Sudan said it was renegotiating an oil deal with Khartoum, as it will not meet a December deadline to finish paying the $3 billion agreed as compensation for South Sudan’s 2011 secession.

 South Sudan and Sudan in 2012 signed a deal in which Juba would pay the amount after it voted for independence, taking with it 70 percent of the oil fields Khartoum used to manage.

 South Sudan’s Petroleum Minister Awou Daniel Chuang told journalists that the cash-strapped nation had paid $2.4 billion so far, but would not manage to pay the remaining $600 million by December.

 Chuang said the money was paid back by deducting $15 from each barrel of oil from South Sudan -- which is processed in Sudan's refineries.

 However, years of fighting crippled oil production and payments fell behind.