September 24-30, 2014

Contents

Compiled by Michelle Booth

• Government has Tribalised Sudan
• Sudan Urges UNHRC to End Mandate of Independent Expert
• National Dialogue
• Mahdi Must First Relinquish Paris Declaration Before Returning to Sudan
• Media

Private Media

Source: Radio Dabanga –independent news from Darfur, dated 24 September, in English
Government has Tribalised Sudan: Darfur Civil Society Platform

• According to the Darfur Civil Platform, the Sudanese government is to be held responsible for “tribalizing” conflict in Sudan.
• A group of activists attended The Role of Civil Society in Reducing Tribal Conflicts workshop recently where they determined that Khartoum has “tribalized the entire administrative and political system”
• The group is demanding that this policy end immediately, and argue that the system of tribal governors must be reworked due to the tribal tensions that it causes.

Source: Domestic Media- Sudan Tribune, dated 14 September, in English
Sudan Urges UNHRC to End Mandate of Independent Experts

• The government of Sudan has asked the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to eliminate the independent expert mandate.
• Khartoum claims that there are Western nations that want to put Sudan under Article 4, due to the records of human rights abuses.
• Esam Abdel-Qadir, who the Undersecretary of Justice has argued that the EU and human rights groups are falsely discrediting Sudan.
• The Sudanese government disputes the report by the independent expert for Sudan Mashood Adebayo Baderin, submitted to the UN last week. The report states that Sudan must give consideration to human rights issues, eliminate censorship, undertake an independent commission to investigate government oppression of activists during the protests from last year. The report also calls for Khartoum to eliminate the National Security Act from 2010, as well as revision of apostasy laws.
• Keith Harper, who is the American representative in the UNHCR stated: “We remain troubled by widespread and credible reports of human rights violations and abuses and international humanitarian law violations perpetrated by the Government of Sudan and government-aligned groups. These include reports of ongoing indiscriminate aerial bombardment of civilian areas by Sudanese government forces in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, and Darfur, and reports of the government’s continued killing, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, and violent repression of its citizens. We are also concerned by the government’s continued restrictions on humanitarian access to Sudanese citizens in dire need.”
• Sudan denies all allegations and rejects the independent expert report. You can view the Independent Expert report on the situation of human rights in the Sudan here:

http://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/africaregion/pages/sdindex.aspx

National Dialogue

State Media

Source: Sudan Vision (pro-government), dated 27 September, in English
Editorial: National Dialogue and the DDPD

• This editorial argues that the national dialogue is the way forward to solve the problems in Darfur.
• It is argued that the national dialogue will help ease the political problems throughout Sudan as well as putting an end to war. 

Source: Sudan Vision (pro-government), dated 28 September, in English
Endless Dialogue Will Lead to Divisions: Al Bashir

• Omar al-Bashir addressed the general convention of the National Congress Party (NCP) with concerns about the criticism that has been leveled against the national dialogue.
• al-Bashir spoke out against those who he claims want to use the national dialogue to implement a change in the regime.
• al-Bashir also criticzed the SRF and ordered them to lay down their arms, and reiterated tha the paris Declaration must be renounced by Sadiq Al-Mahdi if he wants to return to Sudan

Mahdi Must First Relinquish Paris Declaration Before Returning to Sudan

Private Media

Source: Domestic Media- Sudan Tribune, dated 29 September, in English
Mahdi Must First Relinquish Paris Declaration Before Returning to Sudan: Bashir

• Omar al-Bashir is refusing to allow Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the opposition Nationa Umma Party (NUP) to return to Sudan, unless he recants the Paris Declaration.
• The Paris Declarations was signed on August 8 in Paris with the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF).
• The NUP and the SRF signed on to the national dialogue and constitutional process, and thus it was assumed that Khartoum would allow Mahdi to return to Sudan.
• Al-Bashir made a surprise announcement last week, that Mahdi could only return if he renounces the Paris Declaration.

Media

Source: Domestic Media- Sudan Tribune, dated 30 September, in English
Print Run of Sudan’s El Ahram El Yowm Confiscated

• The entire run of El Ahram El Yown was confiscated by The Sudanese Security Services without reason, despite the fact that Khartoum recently stated it would cease “all exceptional measures” against the media in Sudan.
• The Sudanese media has experienced an increase in censorship, harassment and control by security forces un the past year.
  

International News

The Guardian published an article about the proliferation of arms in Sudan

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/02/-sp-africa-arms-dump-south-sudan