Sudan: Forces of Freedom and Change – Executive Bureau – Statement on the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of United Nations to the Security Council (29.03.2022)

The Executive Bureau of the Forces of Freedom and Change discussed in its regular meeting today, Tuesday, March 29, 2021, the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the UNITAMS, which he submitted to the Security Council on March 28, 2022.

The meeting concluded the following:-

1- We commend the clear and frank position of the UN-SRSG about the 25 October coup and the necessity of restoring the democratic civilian rule and the explicit condemnation of the human rights violations, especially murder, rape, arrests and other violations.

2- We express our support once again to the political process initiated by the UN mission with the participation of the African Union.

3- The parties of the political process should be as explained in the vision of the FFC, regarding the political process which was handed over to the UN mission during the consultation phase and issued for the public.

4- Establishing a democratic civil authority, and agreed upon constitutional declaration that defines the transitional period and transitional’s tasks, and the requirements of the general election precess in a way that ensures its integrity and wide participation.

5- We welcome what was mentioned in the report about measures to create a conducive environment, especially the abolition of the state of emergency, the release of detainees, and the cessation of violence against peaceful protestors.

6- It is not possible to talk about a political process that achieves the democratic civil rule, without preparing the appropriate environment and realising the confidence-building measures, foremost of which is the release of all detainees, the lifting of the state of emergency and the cessation of violence against the mass movement.

Forces of Freedom and Change – Executive Bureau

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Sudan: Consensus emerging on many issues, UN’s Sudan envoy tells Security Council (29.03.2022)

The African country has had no functioning government in place since the military coup d’état of 25 October 2021.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 29, 2022 – The United Nations envoy for Sudan told the Security Council today that consensus has emerged on many issues towards establishing a functional government, warning that Khartoum could lose out on billions of external aid without such an administration.

“Unless the current trajectory is corrected, Sudan will head towards economic and security collapse as well as significant humanitarian suffering,” Volker Perthes, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, warned.

Political vacuum

The African country has had no functioning government in place since the military coup d’état of 25 October 2021.

Perthes, also the head of the UN’s transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), said the UN-led broad consultations on a political process – involving more than 800 participants from all parts of the country – have found “visible” consensus on many issues, including on the need to end the violence, establish a technocratic Government and an oversight body, and adopt critical legislation.

There was also wide-reaching agreement on the need to reconsider the role, size and membership of the Sovereignty Council, which was to have functioned as the collective head of state for a 39-month transitional period, scheduled to end in November 2022.

Points of agreement

The consultations also found common ground on a minimum of 40 per cent representation of women in transitional institutions, and on mechanisms to advance women’s rights.

Moreover, an overarching consensus emerged around the need for a single unified professional army, for the establishment of judicial entities, for the conditions for credible elections and for an inclusive constitutional process.

Going forward, he told the Security Council, the UN, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will jointly lead efforts to support Sudan’s political process, drawing on their respective strengths.  The intention is to facilitate an inclusive, Sudan-owned and Sudan-led political process.

New phase of talks

An intensive phase of talks is expected to start in the next couple of weeks with a view to a return to constitutional order and an empowered civilian-led government to steer Sudan through the transitional period.

“Time is not on Sudan’s side”, he warned, adding that Sudan could miss out on billions of external support, as disbursements from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other major donors have been paused, and will continue that way as long as no functional government is in place.

Sudan: Central Committee of Sudan Doctors – Report on the Injuries and Deaths due to Excessive Use of Cartridge Weapon against Civilians’s Protesters since the 25th October 2021 coup till the 21st March 2022 (25.03.2022)

4 Martyrs and 327 injured, victims of the new deadly weapon: The Cartridge since the day of the of the Coup, up to this day, the peaceful protesters have been subjected to various types of violence, with the intention to kill. Those violent practices ranged from killing with live bullets, beatings with rifle butts, the use of car run-down over the bodies and the direct targeting of the protesters with tear gas and sound bombs.

Recently, we have been working on series of reports under the tag of:

(The New Killer)

We have noticed that (Cartridge Weapon) is being extensively used in the marches of February and March causing the deaths of a number of protesters and resulting in hundreds of sustained injuries of varying degrees some of which were serious.

Surgery for such injuries is complicated due to the difficulty of removing the scattered fragments that settle next to some vital organs.

The Coup forces do not hesitate to use any lethal force, as they are confident of the immunity they have against punishment.

Moreover, there is a distinct administrative slackness from the government of the generals. Police and the Prosecution are not playing their role in investigating these violations to human rights. Up to this moment, no investigation reports of violence or violations were submitted to the authorities.

In the year 2019, the Cartridge Weapon was used in killing Martyr Dr.Babiker Abdel Hamid. That was the first time that we observed the use of this deadly weapon.

Since the October 25th Coup, the Cartridge Killer Weapon has been extensively used in suppressing the protests marches.

Up to this day we have documented (4) deaths and (327) cases of injury by this deadly killer, with confirmed some other mild injuries which fall outside the scope of our inventory, as they are treated by field teams.

– in the 21st of March anti-coup protests, we monitored 101 cases of Cartridge injury, including a case of serious eye injury, during the processions of the city of Wad Madani in the Gezira State, that ultimately led to the loss of the eye.

– Also serious injuries to the head, neck, chest, abdomen and thigh, some of which required surgical intervention, and some of the injured are still hospitalized.

-In conjunction with imposing sanctions by US on the Central Reserve Police -with its combat missions- whose members, with the participation of the police and other military forces, committed murders with this weapon.

We issue these reports, documented by numbers, to demonstrate the criminal attitude of these forces and their other partner forces.

Here are some details of the deaths and injuries resulting from the use of the Cartridge Wbeapon:

The total number of deaths are (4):

1. Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Nakhli,17 years old, killed by scattered gunshots causing wounds to neck and chest, on the February 14th anti-coup protests. He died on the same day.

– The site of the

injury: Khartoum.

2. Muhtadi Haider Othman, (26) years old, killed with scattered gunshot wounds to the pelvis and thigh, Muhtadi was among the injured of February 14 anti-coup protests, and his soul rose on February 26, 2022.

-The site of the injury: Omdurman.

3. Mohab Adel Qassem Al-Sayed, (14) years old, shot in the abdomen and chest. One of the injured of the February 28 anti-coup protests, and his soul rose on the same day.

-The site of the injury: Bahri.

4. Ahmed Maqam Al-Din, (13) years old, shot in head, injured in March 17 anti-coup protests and his soul rose on March 20.

-The site of the injury: Omdurman.

The total number of injuries reached (327):

-On 21/3/2022: 101 gunshot wounds

-On 17/3/2022: 70 gunshot wounds

-On 15/3/2022: 1 cartridge hit

-On 14/3/2022: 35 cartridge hits

-On 10/3/2022: 21 cartridge cases were hit

-On 08/3/2022: 51 shotgun injuries

-On 03/3/2022: 1 cartridge hit

-On 28/2/2022: 25 gunshot wounds

-On 24/2/2022: 1 cartridge hit

-On 22/2/2022: 2 cartridge cases were hit

-On 02/2/2022: 1 cartridge hit

-On 14/2/2022: 14 cartridge cases were hit

-On 07/2/2022: 4 gunshot wounds

CCSD’s Media Office

March 25, 2022

Sudan: World Food Programme – Worsening Food Crisis Looming in Sudan Amid Economic Downturn, Displacement, and Ruined Crops (23.03.2022)

The situation looks grim for millions as the conflict in Ukraine is causing further spikes in food costs.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 23, 2022 – The combined effects of conflict, economic crisis, and poor harvests are significantly affecting people’s access to food and will likely double the number of people facing acute hunger in Sudan to more than 18 million people by September 2022, warns the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

“There are already worrying signs that access, affordability, and the availability of food is shrinking for most people in Sudan, which is pushing more people deeper into poverty and hunger,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP Representative and Country Director in Sudan.

In recent months, there has been a surge in the numbers of people displaced due to conflict in parts of Darfur and the Kordofan region. This insecurity has eroded livelihoods, damaged farms, and triggered widespread unemployment.

The depreciation of the Sudanese Pound (SDG) in addition to rising food and transportation costs are making it harder for families to put food on the table. A lack of access to hard currencies is likely to result in the SDG further depreciating.

TheCrop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report by FAO and WFP indicates that the domestic cereal production from the 2021/22 agricultural season is expected to produce 5.1 million metric tons. This will only cover the needs of less than two thirds of the population, leaving many reliant on humanitarian food assistance and dependant on imports of essential grains at prices beyond the reach of most people.

“Rising food prices and scarcity of essential agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds mean that farmers have no other option than to abandon food production if they do not receive immediate support. This will likely have grave consequences not only for their food security but also on food availability in Sudan and may ultimately lead to more conflict and displacement,” said Babagana Ahmadu, FAO Representative in Sudan.

The situation looks grim for millions as the conflict in Ukraine is causing further spikes in food costs, as Sudan is dependent on wheat imports from the Black Sea region. Interruption to the flow of grain into Sudan will increase prices and make it more difficult to import wheat. Currently, local prices of wheat are at over US$ 550 per ton – an increase of 180 percent compared to the same period in 2021.

“The ripple effects created by the bullets and bombs landing in Ukraine will be felt far and wide, including here in Sudan, as families are set to suffer even further with basic meals becoming a luxury for millions. But at the same time, WFP finds itself in the awful position of not having enough resources to meet the ever growing needs,” added Mr Rowe.

In 2021, WFP was a lifeline for nearly 9 million people in Sudan who suffered through the turmoil of political unrest and economic instability. On top of life-saving food assistance, cash and livelihood support for families helped them not only survive, but also thrive. But this year, WFP food stocks in Sudan are running dangerously low and without new funding they will begin running out by May. A funding crunch, led by a US$270 million shortfall, has already forced WFP to prioritize the most vulnerable of the vulnerable people, meaning others in need go without, and further cuts may be necessary if WFP does not receive new funds immediately.

In 2021, FAO reached nearly 1.5 million vulnerable people in Sudan with life-saving livelihoods assistance to enhance the resilience of their agriculture-based livelihoods. This year, FAO requires USD 51.4 million to support 2 million vulnerable farming and pastoral households to produce their own food, keep their livestock alive and productive, and strengthen their resilience. Urgent support is required to provide essential agriculture inputs to vulnerable farming households before the main agriculture season starts in June, so that they can produce enough food and become self-reliant.

Sudan: Forces of Freedom and Change – Press Statement (20.03.2022)

Some leaders of the Forces of Freedom and Change and members of the Committee to dismantle the regime of the thirtieth of June – frozen by the coup order – are still under political and arbitrary arrest in the prisons of the coup authority under the pretext of malicious communications intended to provide a false legal cover for this arrest.

Arrest and deprivation of rights continue, with some of them not being investigated, despite the passage of several weeks. To deliberately wasting his right to medical care for a period of ten days, as he suffers from an injury that caused inflammation of the feet and legs and requires medical intervention to treat it and may need surgical intervention. However, the request made by his defense to refer him to the specialized doctor has not found approval so far despite the exacerbation of inflammation and the accumulation of pus.

Announcing this, we affirm that the coup authorities and their assistants in the security and justice agencies bear full responsibility for the safety and health of Mr. Taha and all detainees.

Prisons, detention centers and all forms of oppression from the coup authority will only increase our people’s determination to resist and defeat it and to restore the march of civil democratic transformation.

March 20, 2022 AD

Sudan: Al-Ma’Moura Resistance Committee – A Critique Paper For: The UNITAMS Initiative to Solve the Political “Crisis!” (January 2022)

Sudan: Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change – Press Statement (19.03.2022)

In the Declaration of Freedom and Change, we condemn the shameful act of sabotage that affected the Communist Party symposium this evening in Omdurman, in the strongest terms of condemnation and condemnation.

Poisoning the atmosphere and the political process while silencing mouths and preventing political parties from communicating with the masses is the first beneficiary of the coup and its followers, and confirms that the margin of public freedoms in light of the coup situation is in a state of continuous erosion, as in the case of military dictatorships.

The coup forces seek to close the political and public sphere by targeting political and civil activities, which is an unacceptable matter that must be addressed through the establishment of a modern and democratic civil state with a civilian authority that begins to overthrow this coup, through the formation of a broad front of the revolutionary forces that engage in anti-coup action until its complete overthrow.

March 19, 2022 AD

South Sudan: Abyei Special Administrative Area – Press Release (18.03.2022)

Opinion: Some says War has returned to Europe [and I say it was exported but now came home to roost]

It been a long time since the Yugoslavian war in the 1990s. That was the last big-war and conflict, which the world powers came into play and fought on separate sides. As all the Slavic people of region fought for their statehood and such. Which in the end has ended up on in several of independent nations, but has since then been at peace.

Alas, there haven’t been a moment where the European powers haven’t been involved or participated elsewhere since then. They have either done that by proxy, by exporting military weapons or equipment or themselves participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations or invasion. If not, it has directly invaded or made itself impose it’s power onto a nation. Therefore, it has never ceased to use weapons and war. The only difference, it has happen far away and for other means.

The United States has supported wars, been the main aggressor or the initiator in several of conflicts. While United Kingdom has participated directly too. Other European nations has been parts of coalition of a willing. Therefore, we know they are willing wage war and has done so too. This been done over years and the conflict ever ceasing. Even after they are leaving. The parties are still unresolved and the conflicts persist.

So, when I hear again and again that the war returned to Europe. I am saying “yes it did, but it was already here”. What I mean by that… the Europeans has exported the wars. They have supported proxies, which has fought their wars. Europeans has sent brigades, operative armies elsewhere and done warfare. This being as part of United Nations Peacekeeping Missions or directly work for own interests in former colonies.

That’s why the European nations haven’t been all peaceful. They have used arms, weapons and military equipment all across the globe. They have traded and earned profits on wars. This has been done and these wars has only been bylines or parts of bulletins in the tabloids. While bloodshed, massacres and whatnot happens in these conflicts. That is just what’s going on. If it is in Yemen, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo or in the Central African Republic. These things can be prolonged and the conflict is a very valuable commodity. A commodity and a business, which is a never ending ride of profits, both in weaponry and resources, which becomes easily accessible when you have the right leader serving any given territory. Therefore, these sorts of moves has happened and the West has gladly joined the ride.

This is why the powers of the West, United States and others has supported the end of certain leaders. In such a fashion, that it get rid of a popular leader who intends to nationalize or reform the mineral extraction industries and instead get a puppet regime there. While using armies and support to keep it up. A war for the interests of the West and not for the nation at hand. Just like it accepted to use illegal means to overthrow Morales in Bolivia. That sort of play fitted the U.S. and Washington D.C. and it could have been much more bloody. However, that’s how it does it and we cannot deny this fact in 2022.

Yes, Russia’s imperialism in Ukraine is wrong. Nevertheless, that doesn’t justify the imperialism of United States or any of it’s NATO allies either. What the USA did in Iraq or Afghanistan should be addressed. Just like whatever war-crimes that all parties have possibly done in Syria. The same can be said about the parties involved Yemen or Ethiopia for that matter. All war-crimes should be punishable and be investigated by the same International Court. Not just go after Russia now. The other nations and the leadership of that time should be held accountable. That is only fair.

So, when saying all this. African Union has worked for a few years now to “silence the guns” which is an ideal programme. No matter how faulty and weak the AU is an organization. How the AU as an entity tends to favour tyrants and dictators, instead of the will of the people. Still, the ideals of that programme is something the European Union and United States should look into themselves. As it is a set of ethics, which could inspire them to think about the consequences of it’s actions elsewhere.

Right now it is justified to enlarge military budgets, expand spending on upgrading the military equipment and vehicles, ensure you have a decent air-force and whatnot. When the war-drums are happening so close to your own shores. It only makes sense, as the borders and the length of distance to Ukraine set the parameter of action of own self-defence. However, Europe has participated and been acting in accordance with war. Just not on their shores or in the near borders of own capitals. It hasn’t gotten close to comfort. Neither has the consequences of it or the ramifications of a war. No, that has been held at a distance…

Now, the conflicts of Europe is coming home. The weapons exports is happening to far-away hinterland or to any of their allies world-wide. Therefore, this war is more consuming to the West. Since, it involves them all and it’s a worry of escalation. Also, if Russia want to further it’s borders and annex even more countries after Ukraine. That is unknown and uncharted territory of Europe in this day and age. They have accepted and participated in conflicts outside of their home-bound regions. But now it’s happening there and it makes things more edgy.

That’s why people are speaking of the wars are coming home. I will say they were always here. That’s why we was busy making advanced weapons, exporting ammunition and selling artillery across the world. While also either being part or being parties in conflicts across the world after the 1990s Yugoslavian war.

There is time to recognize this and acknowledge this. Because, if we don’t, we are hypocrites and people who don’t reflect on our own actions. My own home country has exported weapons and participated in NATO missions across the world, which has inflicted insufferable damage and destruction. This is why we cannot act like we didn’t wage war or had no say in it. Our nations and participation had consequences, which is felt today in Libya and Afghanistan. These sorts of acts shouldn’t be forgotten. It is the act of cruelty to forget that… and we can’t if we are honest.

The wars wasn’t in Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome or in Warsaw, but we never know our future. Yesterday it was in Kabul and Baghdad. Now it is hitting Kyiv and we should stand in solidarity with Ukraine. However, at the same time, we need to reflect on the policies and actions, which lead the West and U.S. into similar conflicts anywhere else. Peace.

Sudan: Sudanese Congress Party – The state of Khartoum – Statement on the spread of murder and looting (17.03.2022)

The media and various media reported the incident of the killing of young Mazen and the armed attack on the Naivasha commercial complex in Khartoum, which resulted in the first’s death as a result of the attack and stabbing of him by an unknown group.

We in the Sudanese Congress Party in the state of Khartoum hold the coup authorities responsible for the deteriorating security situation in the state of Khartoum, which was represented in the spread of looting and kidnappings that spread in all districts of the state of Khartoum.

At a time when Khartoum has turned into a huge military barracks with the aim of suppressing, chasing and arresting peaceful demonstrators in processions, these forces ignore their primary role in protecting citizens, preventing crimes and securing property, until the security chaos became a real threat to the lives of many in the national capital.

Khartoum state supporters:

We in the Sudanese Congress Party, in the state of Khartoum, demand the police and the state security committee to play their primary role, extend security throughout the state, bring criminals to justice and prevent security breaches.

March 17, 2022