Sudan: Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change – Red Sea Press – Statement (02.01.2020)

Clashes erupted after a fight that took place on Thursday, January 2, in the main market (Port Sudan), in which the victim was killed and the perpetrator was kept by the regular forces.

As a result of these clashes, varying injuries resulted in the transfer of some of the injured to various state hospitals, which have reached to date:
81 cases, 23 injuries yesterday
And 58 injuries are different today
And number 9 deaths


The forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change held a direct meeting this afternoon with the mandate of the mandate of the Red Sea in charge of which I discussed:
– The importance of the deployment of security forces in the seam areas, according to information received from the field action committee of the Forces for the Freedom and Change Declaration _ the Red Sea and official reports to address security gaps in specific areas.
– The necessity of issuing a press statement from the police press office containing details of the incident and the investigation process so far.

The necessity for the regular forces to play their role in maintaining security without failure. We call upon our people in the Red Sea to show the utmost restraint, to raise the voice of reason and to miss the opportunity for stalkers who seek to ignite the fire of strife.  Mercy for the victims, solace and the most sincere sympathy for their families and urgent recovery for the wounded.

Sudan: West Darfur clashes displace thousands (03.01.2020)

The displaced have sought refuge in and around El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State.

GENEVA, Switzerland, January 3, 2020 – An estimated 30,000 people have been displaced in Sudan’s West Darfur State following intercommunal clashes earlier this week in several villages, according to the Sudanese Government.

Humanitarian partners are working to verify the displacement figures. The displaced have sought refuge in and around El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State.

There have also reportedly been attacks on camps for internally displaced people, and reports of homes being burned. Humanitarian partners are closely monitoring the situation and gathering information on needs to respond as soon as the security situation allows.

Shelter, food, water, health services and non-food items are the most urgent priorities. Local organizations, including youth groups, the Zakat Chamber and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society have already provided some food and non-food items.

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur has helped to relocate 32 aid workers to Zalingei, Central Darfur, amid security concerns.

UNAMID Welcomes Framework Agreement between Transitional Government and the Darfur Track (30.12.2019)

Zalingei, 30 December 2019– UNAMID welcomes the framework agreement signed between the Transitional Government of Sudan and the Darfur armed movements (Darfur Track) during the peace talks in Juba, South Sudan, on 28 December 2019. The agreement demonstrates progress in advancing the peace process as it outlines key issues and principles that would guide the ongoing negotiations and serves as a basis for a fair and comprehensive peace agreement.

UNAMID’s Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator, Jeremiah Mamabolo, commended the signing of the framework agreement and said, “This is a very positive development confirming the political will and readiness of the parties to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. We congratulate the Transitional Government of Sudan and the Darfur parties on this step and encourage them to continue in the same vein.”

“UNAMID shall continue to support the peace talks in Juba in line with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2495 (2019) and within its capability in order to assist all parties to the negotiation process to achieve the ultimate goal of lasting peace and a prosperous future for all the Sudanese people,” Mr. Mamabolo added.

Note to Editors

  • UNAMID has provided technical support to all tracks of the Sudanese peace talks in Juba since 10 December 2019. The Mission assumed the role of Secretariat in accordance with UNSCR 2495 which requested UNAMID to provide necessary support to the Transitional Government of Sudan and the armed movements in progressing the peace process.

Somalia: Spare the civilians, Red Cross and Red Crescent tell warring parties (31.12.2019)

Mogadishu (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) call on all armed actors to show restraint and take constant care to spare civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law. Almost 90 people were killed in the weekend bombing in Mogadishu, and more than 140 were injured, among them children and university students.

“We are absolutely horrified by this attack. Civilians are again paying the price of this conflict, and it’s unacceptable. We remind all sides involved in the conflict to be mindful of civilians. They must be protected. They must be spared,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, who oversees ICRC operations in Somalia’s capital.

The ICRC delivered medical supplies and body bags to Medina Hospital and supported SRCS First Action teams to help respond to the massive number of casualties.

“We have done 52 surgeries since Saturday and are hoping most of the patients pull through. Four of the patients have been referred to Turkey for further treatment,” said Dr. Mohamed Yusuf Hassan, director of Medina Hospital, which the ICRC supports year-round.

The attack is one of the deadliest in recent years and evoked the horror of the twin blasts in the heart of Mogadishu that killed nearly 580 people in October 2017.

“I saw women and children dead, body parts strewn all over the street. We transported almost 70 dead bodies,” said Noor Abdikarim Ali, team leader of the SRCS First Aid Action team.

The ICRC works in Somalia to ensure humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. This includes promoting respect for international humanitarian law.

Security Council Press Statement on Terrorist Attack in Mogadishu (30.12.2019)

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and Government of Somalia.

NEW YORK, United States of America, December 30, 2019 – The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack of 28 December 2019 at the Ex-control Afgoye Junction in Mogadishu, which killed and injured innocent people.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and Government of Somalia. The members of the Security Council wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of Somalia and all other relevant authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist attacks.

The members of the Security Council paid tribute to all Somali and international actors working to bring peace and stability in Somalia. The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to support peace, stability and development in Somalia. They underlined that neither this nor any other terrorist attack would weaken that determination.

UNAMID Strongly Condemns the Looting of its Former Headquarters in Nyala, South Darfur (30.12.2019)

UNAMID condemns the acts of looting and vandalism in the strongest possible terms as they constitute a blatant disregard of the intended purpose of those assets.

ZALINGEI, Sudan, December 30, 2019 – On 27 December 2019, an estimate of hundreds of residents, as well as individuals in uniform, entered the former UNAMID Sector South Headquarters (Super Camp) in Nyala, South Darfur, by breaching the perimeter fence. Former United Nations-owned assets were looted and the premises of the Super Camp were vandalized. The situation continued throughout the duration of 27 December and was still ongoing on 29 December 2019.

UNAMID condemns the acts of looting and vandalism in the strongest possible terms as they constitute a blatant disregard of the intended purpose of those assets. The Nyala Super Camp and UN assets worth approximately $100 million were handed over to the Government of Sudan pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding and Handover Agreement signed by UNAMID and the Government of Sudan on 19 November 2019, which agreed to ensure the use of the premises and assets for civilian purposes only.

The Mission particularly deplores the participation in these acts by uniformed personnel, who are expected to assist the UN peacekeepers in securing the camps, advancing human rights, and protecting civilians.

UNAMID is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the situation as looters were still active in the Nyala Super Camp as of 29 December 2019. The Mission calls upon the Government of Sudan to take appropriate and immediate action to prevent further looting and vandalism in order to give full support to UNAMID personnel and assets in the Super Camp, including by conducting appropriate investigations into the incidents and bringing the perpetrators to account.

Somalia: FESTU – “Towards a shackle-free development trajectory” – Trade Unions Support Ongoing Negotiations to Secure Debt Relief for Somalia (22.12.2019)

Somalia: Forum for National Parties – Statement on Dialogue between FNP and FGS (18.12.2019)

Somalia: African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and United Nations holds Consultations in Garowe (18.12.2019)

Garowe – Representatives of the African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and United Nations visited Puntland today in the fourth and last of a series of consultative meetings in the Federal Member States.

As we look ahead to 2020, and what will be a critical year for Somalia, we have been engaging with a range of stakeholders across the country to hear their views on how the key national priorities can be realised next year.

These priorities include preparations for ‘one-person, one-vote elections,’ finalisation of the Federal Constitution, continued progress towards debt relief, and the fight against Al-Shabaab.

Here in Puntland, the representatives of some of Somalia’s multilateral partners have come to seek the views of the Puntland authorities, elders and civil society. We have conducted similar consultations in South West State, Hirshabelle, Jubaland and with the national authorities and President Haaf of Galmudug.

These consultations have been an opportunity to hear directly from stakeholders on how Somalia’s national priorities can be achieved, and challenges overcome. We thank the people of Puntland for the warm welcome in Garowe as we conclude our visits.

2020 has the potential to be an historic year for Somalia if all Somali leaders, institutions and communities engage in dialogue to agree a way forward.

We look forward to supporting Somalia to ensure that 2020 is a milestone year for the country, and a year that enables Somalia to continue its upward trajectory.

Sudan: WFP Executive Director in breakthrough visit to Yabus in the Blue Nile State following decade of inaccessibility (18.12.2019)

Khartoum, Sudan – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, David Beasley, accompanied by teams from WFP’s Sudan and South Sudan operations and leaders of the UN country team in Sudan have achieved a significant breakthrough in humanitarian access, by landing in Yabus, a town in the Southern Blue Nile State where they witnessed a food distribution to its war and flood-stricken residents for the first time in nearly a decade.

The UN team included the United Nations Children’s Fund, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from Sudan.

Parts of southern Blue Nile State have been inaccessible to UN agencies and most humanitarian groups since conflict began there and in the Nuba mountains of South Kordofan in May 2011.

In October, Beasley used his good offices to support a humanitarian confidence-building visit to Kauda in South Kordofan – the first UN visit to the area in nearly a decade. This followed months of negotiations with the new Government of Sudan, leaders of South Sudan and the Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) leader, Abdulaziz Al-Hilu. Following this visit, commitments were made to enable humanitarian access to the conflict-affected areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

“This is a new day in a new Sudan and a government that recognizes the value and the dignity of the Sudanese people wherever they live and whoever they are,” said David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme. “We will be doing assessments in all the areas that need assistance over the next few months to help everyone who needs this help at this critical time.”

The first UN humanitarian assistance in the area in nearly a decade was distributed by a WFP-led, UN interagency team. The UN team provided food to nearly 10,000 people in Yabus. This was made possible through the work of UN staff from Sudan and cross-border assistance from South Sudan. The United Nations humanitarian agencies in Sudan will move forward together to provide sustained assistance to address food security, health, education and livestock health deficits in the area.

Yabus and some areas in the Blue Nile State were recently affected by floods, pests and diseases resulting in low farm harvests leaving many of its residents short of food.

The support we have received from Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo, Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan and Cdr. Abdul Aziz Adam al-Hilu, Chairman and C-in-C of the SPLM/A-N has been extraordinary.

Sudan’s economic crisis is affecting living conditions and pushing more people into poverty. Nearly 9.3 million people – one in four in Sudan – will need humanitarian assistance in 2020. Around 5.8 million people are food-insecure. That number could rise to more than 10 million if wheat and fuel subsidies are removed. The cost of food has more than doubled in the past year.

WFP and its partners are ready to address rising humanitarian needs, while helping strengthen social protection systems to respond to the challenging economic situation and reduce the impact of planned subsidy reforms. WFP supports internally displaced people, refugees, and vulnerable people through a mixture of cash, food and vouchers. More robust social safety nets are needed to cushion them against the impact of macro-economic reforms.

Additional funding is needed to enable WFP to meet the increasing humanitarian needs across Sudan. WFP Sudan faces a funding shortfall of US$29 million for the next six months. This may increase, given the rising humanitarian needs.

The United Nations World Food Programme – saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.