May 7
Salima Ishaq To combat the ongoing violence against women and girls in shelters, the Min of Social Development’s Unit for Combating Violence Against Children & Women is launching a training initiative for shelter staff. A report from UN Women highlighted that women and girls represent 53% of 6.7 million displaced individuals. Salima Ishaq, Dir of the unit, conveyed to the Sudan Tribune the importance of centralising control of shelter centres under trained social workers: There is a crucial need for the training of shelter officials on safeguarding women from sexual exploitation and abuse, particularly in their vulnerable state amid displacement. She emphasised the necessity of establishing vigilant monitoring and protection systems within these centres to prevent any further violations against women, who have already suffered enough from the impacts of war. The conflict exacerbates women’s marginalization and diminishes their access to livelihood opportunities, often driving them towards dangerous conditions in their quest for survival. Ishaq announced upcoming meetings with the Min Interior and the AG on addressing and litigating violations against women and girls: Numerous complaints about exploitation and abuse have been reported, yet the lack of formal criminal charges means these crimes often remain unaddressed. Ishaq advocated for improved coordination…to enhance the protection of women and girls in conflict zones, emphasising their susceptibility to exploitation while receiving essential services.
May 6
Russia hedges bets by aiding both sides in conflict…moving to develop and secure its strategic interests in Sudan, offering the SAF weapons while continuing to supply SAF’s enemy, the RSF paramilitary through Wagner Group. Analysts told Middle East Eye Russia is acting to fill a power vacuum left by the US and to counter Ukraine’s military presence in Sudan. Sources in CAR’s armed opposition told MEE Wagner was still operating, facilitating the supply of arms from the UAE to the RSF. Russian Foreign Min visited Khartoum where he held separate meetings with al-Burhan and Dagalo. Wagner Group claimed it is no longer operating inside Sudan, but a diplomatic source and eyewitnesses in Khartoum and Darfur said there are still Russian mercenaries there. Malik Agar, VP of the Sovereignty Council...stressed the need to strengthen cooperation and joint coordination between Sudan and Russia in international platforms, especially the UN. Earlier in April, Russia’s amb to Sudan approached Burhan offering to supply the SAF with weapons. The Sudan Tribune reported Russians offered unrestricted qualitative military aid. This offer could involve specialised expertise and…a Russian presence in Sudan.
Russian companies have longstanding interests in Sudan, particularly in gold mining, with western diplomats previously saying Khartoum Wagner Group was working with the Dagalo family to ship gold out of Darfur. Hemeti and his family own a gold mining company on lands he seized in 2017….they provide him and the RSF a key source of power and wealth. Speaking to MEE, a US official said 32.7 tonnes of gold were smuggled out of Sudan on 16 charter flights with a value of $1.9bn Feb 2022-Feb 2023. The cargo was sometimes flown to a Russian controlled airbase in Syria and labelled cookies. In Pt Sudan, the Russian delegation discussed Ukraine’s military presence in Sudan and the prospect of a Russian naval base on the Red Sea coast first agreed upon during the days of al-Bashir. Russia sees opportunity anywhere the US isn’t operating, Cameron Hudson, former CIA analyst….they haven’t given up on their ambition for a Red Sea port. Jalel Harchaoui, Royal United Services Inst for Defence & Security Studies: Russia had a long-term agreement regarding Pt Sudan, a strategic asset that Hemeti never had any chance of capturing. Thus far, Russia has backed Hemeti, but it is also very much aware of Hemeti’s current difficulties, especially considering Iran’s growing support for Burhan. The Russians may well leverage a decrease in military aid to Hemeti’s RSF in exchange for a comprehensive deal with Burhan. Russia is by no means married to the UAE, which is doubling down on Hemeti right now. MEE has reported extensively on the routes used by the UAE to keep the RSF supplied. The US recently alluded, for the first time in public, to having spoken to Emirati officials about their support for the paramilitary. According to al-Sharq, a US security delegation arrived in Pt Sudan to hold a round of joint discussions with army-aligned state officials…. ceasefire talks brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to begin again in Jeddah on 15 May. Details of Iranian support for the SAF have emerged in the last couple of months. According to Africa Confidential, Iran’s drones…have been operating from SAF Wadi Saydna Air Force Base. Kholood Khair, Confluence Advisory, agreed Russia was countering Ukraine….Russia, UAE and Israel play both sides, they don’t pick favourites. The timing is because the Ukrainians were there not so long ago but the policy has always been the same, which is that the Kremlin backs Burhan and Wagner Group, an arm of course of Russian foreign policy, backs the RSF.
Expressing profound concern, UNICEF Exec Dir Catherine Russell highlighted the intensifying violence particularly in and around el-Fasher. She underscored the devastating impact of the ongoing fighting on children, citing deeply concerning reports of children being separated from their families or reportedly going missing. Of particular concern was the dire situation facing children in el-Fasher, where a significant military attack on the region…loomed large. 330,000 people are facing acute food insecurity in el-Fasher, stressing that escalating violence was driving the country toward conflict-induced famine….a severe lack of humanitarian access and an inability to deliver commercial goods due to the insecurity have led to the scarcity of essential services and rocketing costs for water, food and fuel. She urged immediate action to prevent further loss of life, particularly among children. UN officials expressed grave concern over increasingly alarming reports about the escalating fighting, echoing warnings by US diplomats of an imminent attack on el-Fasher. A coordinated attack on the city may be imminent, Secy-Gen Guterres’ spokesperson’s office warned: An attack on the city would have devastating consequences for the civilian population. Al Mayadeen
Food scarcity is our major concern as 30% of Zamzam Camp’s residents suffer acute malnutrition crisis, said Doctors Without Borders.As fighting escalates around al-Fashir, the situation in Zamzam Camp – one of the largest camps for displaced people – is catastrophic where 30% of the camp’s residents suffer major malnutrition crisis. MSF’s head of emergency response in Sudan Claire Nicolet said the current situation is dire due to insecurity, airstrikes and a tightening siege around the city. Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation is increasingly deteriorated. Food scarcity is our major concern, explaining that there have been no food distributions in the camp for a year. MSF is the only international aid agency responding to this enormous crisis. Therefore rapid scale-up of the international humanitarian response is needed in order to save lives. Nicolet said they have suspected cases of measles, one of the deadliest diseases, and with the approaching rainy season there is the danger of malaria which will be fatal given the situation of already malnourished children. Al Taghyeer
Military Intelligence in El Gedaref detained 4 political activists in El Hawata. A fellow activist told Radio Dabanga MI officers detained Ezzeldin Hasan, Ali Hasan, Adel Fadlallah and Omar El Jamri and took them to an unknown location. There are unverified reports they were transferred to the army hqs in El Fao. The activist expects the detentions were carried out against the backdrop of a Facebook post demanding an end to the war. Last week, members of El Gedaref State Gen Security Svc detained 5 people in El Mafaza including a teacher and 2 civil servants. …the security officers abused the detainees. They were accused of belonging to the RSF and called fools. Khaled Hamza, Dir of El Mafaza Primary School, was kicked, slapped, whipped, and his hair was shaved. They also insulted him with profanity. Public Order Law, officially abolished in 2019, gave Sudanese authorities the power to maintain appearance in public places. Head shaving is seen as an attempt to shave young people’s sense of power and humiliate us in activist circles. After the 2021 coup, the security apparatus regaiMay 5
UNICEF issued an urgent appeal for action to protect children amid escalating violence in N Darfur.ned far-fetched competences, including arbitrary detention of suspected adversaries. Mahmoud Abdelgader, El Fateh Hussein, Financial Controller Abdelmonim Idris and Admin Officer Mohamed Awadelkarim were beaten and tortured. The group was detained for posting on social media demanding an end to the war. The security officers reportedly accused them of belittling the SAF. In April, several members of Resistance Comms and activists were detained in El Gedaref and El Nahal. Activists explained that military intelligence and GIS collaborate to detain anyone who opposes the war or calls for its cessation. Dec, a number of human rights groups and political bodies condemned the widespread detention campaigns by MI and Islamist groups against civil society activists. According to Osman Sirelkhatim, Kalakla and S Khartoum Emergency Rms, detentions and torture aim to suppress the democratic civil forces seeking to stop the war through negotiations. Resistance Comms of El Dinder previously accused members of the [dissolved] NCP of coordinating detentions with GIS and SAF intelligence to detain people. Oct, 8 civil society groups launched a campaign to highlight the issue of missing people in the country. The Missing Initiative reports staggering documentation regarding the ongoing conflict, detailing a total of 990 cases of enforced disappearances from the eruption of the conflict until its anniversary last month.
May 3
1,000 Sudanese refugees have fled a camp run by the UN in northern Ethiopia following a series of shootings and robberies. 7,000 residents of Kumer Camp left on foo t early Wed morning after they were attacked and robbed by local militiamen. They were detained by police shortly after leaving the camp, 43 mi from the border. UNHCR said it was aware that 1,000 people had left because they felt unsafe after a series of security incidents. Sudanese refugees in Kumer told UNHCR in a recent letter they have been facing rampant insecurity for months, including kidnappings for ransom, killings and armed robberies. Amhara militiamen have been battling federal forces for nearly a year across the region in a conflict that left 200 people dead last year. We can no longer stay here, one of the refugees told Reuters by phone. We have been abducted, killed and attacked repeatedly since we arrived here in June. We have decided to go back to Sudan, despite the war. The New Arab
May 2
As workers, labour organisations and trade unions around the world marked Intl Workers’ Day workers across Sudan face bleak prospects.…They find themselves without hope, work or shelter. The country’s industrial infrastructure…has been systematically destroyed. The harbour of Pt Sudan…is one of the only places where workers continue to assert their rights as they facilitate import and export of goods, crucial to Sudan’s economy. Radio Dabanga spoke to labour and trade union commentators, who praised workers for their resilience and encourage unity, asserting that the collective action of trade union workers could contribute to ending the war, achieve peace and promote the goals of the 2018 Revolution.
Corporate Greed – Trade union expert Hashim Ahmed salutes…workers for standing up in the face of the greed of capitalists by exploiting the institutions and the country’s capabilities. Sudanese people and workers in particular are suffering from the disasters of internal war. He accuses countries and international organisations, with their internal agents, of igniting and perpetuating the war: The war’s devastating effects have plunged Sudan into new waves of killing, terrorism, displacement, liquidation and plunder of their property and capabilities. Sudan’s workers bear the greatest burden of suffering due to the ambitions and attempts of capitalism to seize institutions and managements and introduce investment projects for their own benefit,…with their plans to privatise ports, energy, agriculture and industrial projects. He accuses unnamed parties of working to fragment the unity of the trade union movement and preoccupying it with these problems….trying to fan the flames of tribal conflict and antagonise armed tribes against each other to block any attempts at peace. Hashim called on all unions, organisations, activists and the Sudanese people to unite, join hands and resolve to defeat this plan, demand the war be ended, and for May 1 to become a landmark in the struggle of the Sudanese people and trade union movement in achieving the goals of its revolution for change.
Systematic Destruction – Trade union expert Dr Siddiq El Zailai: Sudan is reeling under war crimes and the systematic destruction of all aspects of life, especially the lives of workers….most of the basic industries located in and around Khartoum have been destroyed, and their staff displaced….factories, offices and sites outside of the capital are in no better condition. They cannot operate because of the military reality, continuous clashes and shells falling of production facilities. Industries in El Gezira have also been destroyed, and the railways are operating far below its capacity. Port workers are the sector still working in response to the country’s need for the movement of goods. El Zailai praised the positions taken by the port workers…they have a history of struggle and a long legacy, in the face of all privatisation attempts recently in March this year that have continued for years. They also resisted selling the port or establishing new ports in Abu Amama. They are now demanding and fighting to modernise the current port to use its maximum capacity for the benefit of the Sudanese people. El Zailai praised the trade unions of journalists, doctors, dramatists and all groups that began to organise themselves in democratic forms, with which the trade union movement was known: There is no alternative to stopping and ending the war and addressing its roots, so that the wheel of production returns and productive life returns, so workers and all professionals can return to their positions in the front lines of the struggle for stability in a democratic, multi-ethnic Sudan, not subject to military rule. Trade union expert Mahjoub Kanari: they are living in war conditions in addition to the economic hardship that has imposed a stranglehold on them, in light of the lack of attention of successive governments….even those few who remain in their places of work suffer from insecurity and living conditions in a state of war, without salaries or leave, wholesale displacement and laws that do not contain any reference to dealing with disasters and crises….they are living in a trade union vacuum that has lasted 35 years, during which workers were deprived of the right to organise. Kanari asserts that the labour movement in Sudan was the pioneer of trade union organisation in Africa and the Middle East, had a role in independence and in the Sudanese national movement in all its aspects, and in opposing the dictatorships of Abboud, Nimeiry and Al Bashir. We must work to correct our mistakes, and remove every obstacle that stands in the way of the right to organise and what it means in terms of legitimate rights to a decent life. Faqiri Abadi, Gen Union of Sea Ports Auth Employees, considered that workers are living in unnatural conditions, especially since there is a significant decline in the freedoms of union work and freedom of movement of workers since the outbreak of the conflict: Sudanese workers have suffered from injustice as a result of Sudanese legislation and laws throughout history, which ignored workers’ rights, with practical laws such as the Labor Relations Law in the Private Sector being unsound laws, which undermined workers’ rights for the benefit of employers. The regime worked to directly influence workers’ rights, even at the sector and private levels. Trade unions in Sudan, officially established in 1947, have always been well organised. They were instrumental in the 1964 Revolution, which overthrew Abboud’s dictatorship, and the popular uprising against El Nimeiri in 1985 when the people chose their leadership represented by the Union Assoc. For this reason, the regime of Al Bashir dissolved the trade unions and professional association after it took power in a military coup in 1989 and established new unions with members affiliated with the new regime.
Thousands of desperate people still fleeing war into So Sudan. 1/2 million people have crossed into So Sudan. The small town of Renk, 45k across the border, is the biggest transit point. Life is already not easy in this rain and resource-scarce town, but its population has boomed since it became the main transit route for people fleeing the fighting….most people arrive hungry, tired and desperate, looking for support and protection at the Renk Transit Centre where things are really hard. As you can see,… conditions are terrible. They do not have shelter, they lack food, water is still a problem here, Plan Intl, Harriet Konga. 20,000 refugees are taking shelter in Renk, and the sheer volume of people posed a major challenge to efforts to provide humanitarian aid and support: They seek peace, they need shelter, they need water, sanitation hygiene. I see a number of kids are just playing around the mud, they have not gone to school and have fear of the war. Redaction AfricaNews/AP
SpaceX is poised to imminently terminate Starlink internet services, sparking dread…. Starlink’s services not only provided the ability for families to get in touch with their loved ones but acted as a conduit to financial sustenance, given the reliance on remittances from the diaspora. A resident of S Darfur: The decision to sever satellite internet will have catastrophic effects…communication with loved ones abroad will be severed. Volunteer organisations, crucial for delivering aid to war-affected regions, heavily rely on Starlink terminals for coordination and funding. The Emergency Chamber of Khartoum State stresses the critical role of Starlink in facilitating aid distribution and financial transactions. Human rights and advocacy groups mobilised to petition SpaceX for compassion in this time of need. Dabanga
Atbara, R Nile State, forced displaced people sheltering in 2 schools to leave. Displaced people told Radio Dabanga the schools turned into shelter centres housed 26 families. The police suddenly appeared in El Humeira, forcefully removed us and damaged and destroyed our property. Another displaced woman said they spent the night outdoors, with the dogs and donkeys, and did not have a meal until late in the evening. …all the families came from Khartoum about a year ago. What happened to us yesterday is similar to the scenes of war that took place in Khartoum and led to our displacement. R Nile State houses 700,000 displaced people in 288 shelters. The Atbara administration did address the displaced people in the schools: The places have now been earmarked as centres for student examinations…The school year resumed in Nov, while studies are still suspended in most states due to the war and conversion of schools to shelters. In Red Sea State, authorities opened schools after large numbers of the displaced were deported. In El Gedaref preparations continue for resumption of school. RSF commander in El Gezira announced the start of classes last week, despite the insecurity in the state. Schools reopened in El Geneina and Nyala. Sudanese Teachers’ Comm rejected the decision to resume studies in “safe areas”, calling it an entry point to divide Sudan. 19m children were out of school at the time. The situation in so-called safe areas is far from conducive for the resumption of classes….a large number of schools cannot be opened as they are still hosting displaced people….there are hardly schoolbooks available.… teachers here have not been paid for more than 3 months, and most parents have no money to buy school supplies. We do not want an elitist education that serves half the students in the country, but a normal education that includes all. Dabanga
Both Sudan’s warring parties use food and medicine as weapons of war against Internally Displaced People. Spokesperson of Gen Coordination of Camps for the Displaced & Refugees said the IDP in camps are facing the danger of starving to death or being killed by weapons due to the siege imposed on al-Fashir where access to food supplies and humanitarian aid is forbidden by both warring parties. Al Taghyeer
Sudan and Qatar agreed to establish a gold refinery in Doha to accommodate gold exports from Sudan. Sudanese Min of Trade & Supply met with Qatari Min of Trade & Industry. The Qatari Min stressed his country’s readiness to provide facilities required for commercial work, adding that the forum discussed close relations and opportunities for cooperation and development. Sudanese Min of Trade: the forum deliberated on the favorable prospects and strong ties, underscoring the potential of this platform for fostering cooperation and development. Sudanese Mineral Resources Co announced that gold exports surpassed $428m in the 1st ¼, all to the Central Bank of Sudan. The company anticipates gold exports to reach $2.182bn by the end of 2024. Al Mayadeen
April 29, 2024
Gold exports have not stopped or been affected by the war….Sudanese Mineral Resources Co announced gold export in the first ¼ generated revenue exceeding $428m. In 2022, gold exports exceeding $2bn made up 50% of all exports. Sudan was the world’s 16th-largest gold producer, 4th in Africa. Journalist Hasan Mansour: …what is currently being exported is nothing more than smuggled national goods. The proceeds will be missing and not included in the state budget. The state is directing all resources to war and buying weapons….A UN Expert Panel found UAE aids the RSF receiving gold that sanctioned firms illicitly smuggle out of Sudan, often in partnership with Wagner-affiliated companies, and laundering it, injecting it into the international gold market. Complex financial networks established by the RSF before and during the war enables them to obtain weapons, pay salaries, finance media campaigns, lobby and buy the support of political groups and armed forces. Before the war, Sudan was witnessing a significant wave of anti-mining protests…against gold mining companies, especially against environmental and health risks posed by highly toxic chemicals…in Red Sea State, Northern State, Kordofan and Darfur. A 2022 report pointed out years of indiscriminate use of dangerous chemicals mercury, cyanide and thiourea without protective measures for miners or local populations, exposed millions of people to lethal risks. Since the war started, Sudanese have had to focus on other urgent problems, and environmental activists allege that gold mining companies are exploiting the conflict to expand their operations. Dabanga
Russia’s Dep Foreign Min…voiced Moscow’s support for the military-led government. ….expressed support for the current leadership structure, the Sovereign Council. The Undersecy highlighted the potential to expand cooperation between the countries. Previously, Sudan accused the disbanded private Wagner Group of aiding the RSF. However, Moscow replaced Wagner with the state-controlled paramilitary group, the Africa Corps. Sudan Tribune
UAE cancelled meetings with UK ministers after being accused of fuelling war. 19 April, the UN Sec Council held a meeting following a request by the UK where Khartoum’s rep accused UAE of providing military assistance to the RSF. Khartoum called for an emergency UN Sec Council meeting on…UAE aggression. 4 ministerial meetings between the UK and UAE have been cancelled over the dispute. The incident is the latest in tensions between after London said it would ban foreign ownership of UK newspapers…following UAE’s alleged plans to take over Telegraph Media Group. The New Arab
April 26
Sudanese and international experts are warning of a massacre that could generate Hiroshima and Nagasaki-level casualties in el-Fasher, surrounded by the paramilitary RSF. 1 million civilians inside the state capital of N Darfur now have no clear escape routes, meaning the city could become a kill box….With a final battle for Darfur imminent, army units are expecting a fight to the death. RSF is moving heavy weaponry into the area. …looting goods being brought into the city. In the last fortnight, RSF burned 11 villages in the countryside to the ground. Villagers have been forced to flee to the city, meaning the area’s entire population is now there. The situation is exacerbated by the largest camp for internally displaced people, Zamzam, just 12k outside the city. T he route between RSF fighters and the city leads through the camp, home to hundreds of thousands of people, many from non-Arab groups the RSF has been targeting. Zamzam is protected by the forces of Minnawi, a former rebel leader and gov of Darfur now fighting alongside the army. Previously a vibrant centre for activists, human rights defenders and others, el-Fasher has the only hospital treating survivors of sexual violence. The price of fuel had more than doubled and is set to have a catastrophic impact on availability of drinking water. 95% of el-Fasher’s potable water is dependent on generators that run on fuel. RSF is threatening citizens with death, hunger and thirst. Medical personnel fled, leaving patients without anyone to treat them. Nathaniel Raymond, Yale Humanitarian Research Lab…outlined 3 circumstances that would result in mass civilian death: deprivation of humanitarian aid including food, water and medicine; crossfire; being directly targeted by the RSF. We have a city about to be under siege. The situation in el-Fasher will likely get significantly worse in coming hours and days. Civilians don’t have a clear escape route. Raymond believed the risk of mass atrocities and targeted ethnic killings was inevitable and was going to get significantly worse in the next few days and weeks: I want to be clear here. 9/11 was 3,000 people. There’s been 40,000 civilian casualties in Gaza. US atomic bombs detonated above the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki…killed an estimated 215,000. The US called for immediate cessation of attacks in el-Fasher…condemned both the RSF and the army’s indiscriminate aerial bombardments. Hala al-Karib, Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, drew a comparison of the unfolding events and el-Geneina, where the RSF and allied Arab militias massacred the local Massalit population, leaving the streets of the city strewn with corpses: It’s so unfortunate that we are going to go through the same situation similar to…el-Geneina. We cannot do anything other than waiting and anticipating what will happen…a massacre in the making. As of Thurs, UAE appeared to be continuing to resupply the RSF via cargo planes landing in Chad. Middle East Eye
Hundreds of camels killed in N Darfur attack. Apparent airstrike using barrel bombs at water wells near Melit. Hundreds of camels and 7 shepherds were killed by the SAF 
on Melit, N Darfur. The animals were resting peacefully at night when barrel bombs fell on them from above, sending shrapnel and large metal scraps ripping through the herd. The airstrike occurred after RSF seized control from a coalition of armed groups known as Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements allied with SAF. While we were sleeping last night, at 12:08, cluster bombs rained down on us, for the first time we had heard or seen them. All the trees collapsed, the wells were destroyed, citizens and children froze. All of us residents of Melit are in big trouble because of this bombing…we are being targeted by Al-Burhan. Radio Dabanga put the death toll at 257 camels….the human victims were members of 2 families from Kutum who had come to the wells to water their camels. The tribal official accused SAF of deploying an unidentified, ash-like substance suspected to be poisonous, contaminating water wells: The wells from which we drink water have been destroyed, and the water itself has been polluted. After we walked, we found there was ash, which we saw with our eyes for the first time….this ash is a toxic substance that causes harm to the environment in general and the residents. The airstrike is the latest in a series of violent incidents in N Darfur following tensions throughout the state after the JSAMF dropped their neutral stance and joined the army. Heavy fighting is feared soon in the state capital El Fasher, Melit and possibly other areas. Livestock are likely to die in large numbers, due to intentional targeting and disruption of grazing grounds and pastoral migration routes, heightening the risk of famine. N Darfur borders the Sahara and its population is vulnerable to drought and conflict-related disruptions of food markets and supply routes. Melit lies along a trans-Saharan supply route to El Fasher. Sudan War Monitor
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My friend, forced to flee his home in
Khartoum, sent this video, saying:
Yes, thank God the house is still intact and some of the furniture there because they can’t sell fast enough – it’s kind of old. The question is, what have we done, me and the rest of the people, to deserve this? A lot of people holding all this hate. Those people, will they bring democracy and rule of law, do they have any positive message? I don’t think, so my friend, they are just some savages trying to execute other maniacs’ agendas. Even though it’s a tough lesson, the country discovers shocking facts about the big conspiracy they had for us. Yes, you can put the video in the blog because people like you striving to make the difference deserve to know the truth.
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