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NEWS SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER 2013

Sudan has not lodged any complaint over US treatment of foreign minister

October 4, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has yet to lodge an official complaint with the United States or the United Nations over stopping a diplomatic vehicle in New York carrying foreign minister Ali Karti and UN ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman last month.

The two diplomats were on their way to the UN headquarters during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meetings on September 23rd when they were stopped by New York police.

The police officers asked all passengers to step outside the vehicle and stand away so it can be searched. Despite objections by the UN envoy, the police went ahead with an "extremely thorough" search of the car including the trunk and compartments using police dogs that sniffed through the interior, a UN official told Sudan Tribune this week.

Karti did not raise this issue during his meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon the next day.

It is now understood that Sudan wants to put this issue to rest and has no desire to escalate it.

A source told Sudan Tribune on Friday that he believes that the search was meant as a message to the Sudanese government to discourage president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir from seeking to attend UNGA meetings.

He noted that similar actions were taken against by US against Syria’s UN ambassador Bashar Ja’afari who has seen his luggage and that of his family being thoroughly searched at airports prompting him to complain.

Washington condemned a visa request made by Bashir to attend UNGA and called on him to answer charges first at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which indicted him in 2009 and 2010 on ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in connection with the decade-long conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.

The US has kept the request pending without making a decision until Bashir eventually cancelled his scheduled appearance and according to a pro-government newspaper in Khartoum withdrew his passport.

(ST)

Santanche del Sudan Tabita Boutros.

Questa donna e Santa Anche del Sudan.

Tabitha Boutros Describes Economic Reforms as a Key for Development


Khartoum – the State Minister at the Ministry of Electricity and Dams has said that Sudan's security is "red line" and welcomed the idea of interactive dialogue among women leaders.



Addressing women forum organized yesterday by the General Union of Sudanese Women; Dr. Tabitha Boutros called for renunciation of violence and regionalism, adding that women are guaranteed the right to express their opinion on national issues.



She said the cooperation agreement signed between Sudan and South Sudan threw the so-called Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) off balance and that was why it triggered a war in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, Abu Karshola and the recent acts of sabotage in the national capital following the announcement of economic reforms package. The SRF will never be able to achieve what it wants, she said.



Sudan, like all other countries faced economic difficulties and took measures to address the crisis, she said, and called on the Sudanese women to undertake effective role.



Meanwhile, the Minister of Human Resources Development, Ms Ishraqa Sayed Mahmoud called for full support for the Armed Forces and its commander-in-chief Field Marshal Omer Hassan Al Bashir.



She urged the formation of a unified national front to preserve the security and integrity of the country. The Sudanese women are required to engage in dialogue to address economic issues, she said.



By Zuleikha Abdel Raziq, 21 hours 4 minutes ago

The Sudanese people will win.

Reform package targets economy collapse aversion: Al Bashir




The commander -in-chief, President Al Bashir praised the armed forces role in safeguarding the territorial integrity of the land throughout the historical epochs, in addition to training officers from sisterly counties, guided by the belief in the unity of cause and destiny.



Al Bashir who yesterday addressed graduation ceremony of national defense batch (25), and PSC No. (13) at the military academy said the salvation revolution has been faced with challenges since its advent. “South Sudan has separated after the peace agreement, and war flared in Darfur to tarnish the image of Sudan,” he said, announcing the government commitment to the Doha peace agreement, and pledging to do the utmost to address the root-causes of conflict in Darfur.



He further added that the government has reached agreements with South Sudan as regards the latter’s support to rebel movements, referring to the recent cooperation between the two countries.



Reverting to the recent economic measures, Al Bashir said these measures were unavoidable to avert the collapse of the economy following the rise of the inflation rate and the weak exchange rate of the national currency, two developments which he said they occurred after oil has gone to South Sudan.



The President affirmed that staging of peaceful demonstrations is a right guaranteed to all citizens, hailing the nation for abortion of conspiracies against the country. He added that Sudan upholds cooperation with neighborly countries and national forces to complete the development projects, hailing the military, police and security forces role to keep up national gains.





By Staff Writer, 4 hours 52 minutes ago

Even the clan of Bashir protested for the violancy his Milzia used against the cost of living.

Sudanese presidential aide suggests crackdown on protestors was "excessive"


September 30, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese presidential assistant Abdel-Rahman al-Sadiq al-Mahdi issued a statement today in which he appeared to blame the government for the large number of deaths that occurred in last week’s protests.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in different parts of Sudan to protest Khartoum’s decision to lift fuel subsidies.

Activists say over a hundred people were killed by the Sudanese security since the start of the protests while authorities admitted to the death of only 33 including policemen. They also accused protestors of vandalizing and damaging gas stations and public transportation buses.

Sudanese officials accused outside elements, namely the Sudanese rebels of carrying out the killings and insisted that they did not use live ammunition.

But al-Mahdi suggested in his statement that the government is responsible for the human toll.

"We have watched with great pity the events which have taken place following the decisions of economic reforms and the concurrent removal of subsidies on fuel , and I would like to address the public opinion out of concern for the homeland and my belief in the sanctity of the blood of the Sudanese," the statement reads in part.

"We tried as much as possible to have the decision on this important issue through consultation and enlightening the political spectrum and by consensus and compromise but the step of consultation did not produce the desired understanding," al-Mahdi wrote.

The presidential assistant stressed that peaceful protests against the decision is legal but not "sabotage and arson".

However he acknowledged that the authorities may have committed some mistakes in handling the protests.

"The response to the demonstrations that occurred had excessive violence by some insubordinates in which peaceful protestors fell victims that our duty was to protect them. I while condemning it, pray for the souls of the martyrs , and we promise that we will seek to achieve accountability deserved on the matter and bring justice for the victims and their families" al-Mahdi said in his statement.

"I also believe that these unfortunate events clearly confirms that the polarization present in our country and the differences in views and positions are always occasions for accusations and mutual mistrust but also for the dialogue of violence and counter-violence".

Al-Mahdi’s departure from the official position echoes that which was expressed in a memo by more than 30 officials from the National Congress Party (NCP) who urged president Omer Hassan al-Bashir to prosecute those behind the killings and asserted that the demonstrators were not allowed to "peacefully express their views in line with the constitution".

A senior official in Sudan’s NCP on Monday criticized the violent crackdown.

"The fact that so many have died points to the degree of violence," the official told Agence France Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity.

"I believe it was unnecessary to repress the peaceful demonstrators. Peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right," the official said.

On Monday, the UK Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds said he was "shocked and saddened by reports of Sudanese security forces’ use of excessive force against protesters in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities over the last five days".

"I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and I call on the Sudanese Government to cease the use of live ammunition immediately," Simmonds said.

The UK official also said he is "concerned at the large number of detentions, including of a number of journalists and political activists, and by the heavy censorship of the press and closure of international news agencies".

"The Government of Sudan must respect the right of its people to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression," he added.

Last week, the US issued a condemnation of the "brutal crackdown" on protestors and " excessive use of force against civilians".

"Such a heavy-handed approach by Sudanese security forces is disproportionate, deeply concerning, and risks escalation of the unrest" the US State department said.

In Geneva the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Cécile Pouilly, issued a statement last Friday expressing concern following reports about excessive use of force against peaceful protesters .

"We are deeply concerned about reports that a significant number of people have been killed during the demonstrations taking place across Sudan since Monday", Pouilly said.

The spokesperson called on the Sudanese authorities to "show utmost restraint" and to refrain from resorting to violence, stressing that "under international law, intentional lethal use of firearms can only be justified when strictly unavoidable and only in order to protect life".

(ST)

Cause in Sudan!!!!???

30 DUP officials call on their party to withdraw from the NCP-led government


September 29, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Thirty members from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have called on their party to pull out from the government and threatened dissociate themselves from their ministers in the cabinet if they don’t.

In a statement sent by the disenfranchised DUP officials, they called on the government to reinstate fuel subsidies that were scrapped this week and led to violent demonstrations that killed at least 33 according to official figures.

They called the economic measures as ones that exacerbated the suffering of Sudanese people.

The signatories also condemned violence against protestors and demanded prosecution of those who stand behind it.

The DUP, which sealed a political partnership with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in December 2011 and was granted several posts in the cabinet, initially announced its support to the economic measures aiming to bridge a budget gap.

But later the DUP spokesperson Ibrahim Mirghani released a statement denying the statement by his colleague in support of the subsidies move adding that they handed a written position to the finance minister in this regard.

Last Thursday, DUP leadership commission made the same calls and threatened to withdraw if their demands are not met by Sunday.

The party’s chief has Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani left the country to seek medical treatment abroad/

(ST)