Year: 2019

Events that have transpired in the past week in Sudan have heightened tensions throughout the country even as they try to move on from the al-Bashir regime. It is hard to believe that the country will be able to move forward with the continued involvement of proponents of al-Bashir’s regimes still in power.  It appeared that the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and their regional supporter’s strategy has gained traction among political elites and granted them the legitimacy they desperately seek.

• The New Constitution of Sudan was signed on Saturday, Aug 17, and after a 48-hr delay, the leadership of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) has agreed on their cabinet members for the new government. There was a significant amount of infighting within the leadership over the best candidates for the new sovereign council, especially of candidates representing the regions of Darfur and the Nuba Mountains.  It was obvious that the selections were made by people in power without support from the locals in the regions. There was a concern if Darfur’s plight would be heard in the new government; however, recent events in the region clearly show that it will not. 
• The New Sovereign Council sworn in this morning will be headed by al-Burhan the former head of the TMC and al-Bashir’s top man in implementing the Darfur carnage. The council is made up of six civilians and five former TMC members, including General Mohammed Hamadan Dagalo the current commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The New Sovereign Council will fall under Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, after his swearing-in ceremony 9 pm tonight in Khartoum. 

In the past week, al-Bashir’s corruption trial has started in Khartoum, he faces charges within Sudan over accepting millions of dollars from Saudia Arabia. The Khartoum courts are also looking to try other members of the former regime and bring them to justice. Meanwhile, the courts have shown no interest in handing over al-Bashir and his regime to the International Criminal Courts (ICC) that still have arrest warrants out over their involvement in the genocide in Darfur. It would be more appropriate for al-Bashir to be tried by the ICC rather than the courts of Khartoum.  Additionally, the families of slain protestors from the December Revolution call for justice and retribution for the forces that carried out the acts of violence. The families have said in the absence of justice they will take to the streets to call more attention and push for justice to be served. 

The challenge for this interim government will be their willingness to stop violent attacks on civilians, resolve the longstanding crises or pursue justice for the most serious crimes. We doubt with the military taking full control after al-Bashir’s overthrow that their sector of the leadership will not try and take control of this government. Moving forward we and the people of Sudan must stand vigilant and speak up to hold the interim government accountable for their every action. 

If you can share this with 5-10 people in your network and ask them to do the same, you will make a difference.

With our collective effort, we can make a difference.  We can end it.

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The Darfur Women Action Group expresses outrage at the continued acts of violence that are being perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It is inexcusable that on Saturday, the day the New Constitution was signed, the RSF continued its attacks against innocent civilians in Jebel Marra in Darfur. The attack has left three dead and two critically wounded. DWAG has expressed its reservations about the power-sharing agreement in the weeks leading up to the signing of the New Constitution and the events that occurred on Saturday further proves to us that the new agreement will not remedy the situation.

Just a day after, the continued effects of the war zone that the al-Bashir regime has made Darfur were seen again when an unexploded ordnance claimed the lives of two teenage brothers and severely maimed their sister on a farm in West Darfur. Darfur is still currently littered with unexploded ordnances from previous encounters with the RSF which draws out the pain and suffering that the Darfuri people endure. The international community must make it clear to the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the Sudanese Military Council that Darfur must not be overlooked or left to be a free zone for the RSF while they are celebrating in the capital. Without civilians protection, an end to these brutal attacks, and accountability for the perpetrators there will not be peace in Sudan.

Will the August 4th agreement to sign the “Constitutional Charter”  serve to show good faith that Sudan’s interim government is moving forward in becoming more democratic? While the rest of the world has turned to support the new government (made up of civilians and members of the Transitional Military Council [TMC]) during Sudan’s long transition to a civilian-led government over the next three years, there are continued atrocities committed against the people of Darfur. Without peace in Darfur, there will not be peace in Sudan.

• More than 100 Sudanese are still missing from the June 3rd attacks (perpetrated by the ruling TMC) despite 11 complaints being submitted to the Khartoum North Court and a memorandum en route to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights as well as the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights. The Democratic Lawyer Alliance will launch a campaign on August 30 to search for people still missing in conjunction with the International Day of Enforced Disappearance. It is hard to believe that Sudan can be transformed without addressing and improving the human rights situation in Sudan. 
• Sudan wants off the list of State-Sponsored Terror; however, if the United States (US) were to do so they will be mistaken. It is worth noting that the TMC is just the same coin as the al-Bashir regime just another face. Lessons must be learned, in 2017 the US ignored the continuing crises in Darfur relying on misrepresentation of facts on the ground, declaring that the violence was “minimal” when ending sanctions against Sudan. Recent events involving the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the TMC disprove the US’s stance though. In-Depth research and analysis must be done by US policymakers before rewarding the military juntas in Sudan. 
• The disbandment of the TMC with the new constitution appears to many to be a step in the right direction, make no mistake as many members of the new transitional government will come from the TMC. Thereby continuing al-Bashir’s regime into the future of Sudan indefinitely. 
• While expectations are high that August 18th will usher in the new cabinet promised by the new constitution, if ratified August 17th, there are concerns that women will be left out of ruling Sudan. There is a 40% quota in place for women’s participation in Parliament though there is no guarantee for the cabinet. Furthermore, the agreement has not tackled the root causes of the crises in Sudan rather it is just a power-sharing agreement between two groups with a national nature and no grassroots support. We fear that it will only grant a handful of individual seats in the government instead of creating an inclusive process that will reflect the diversity of the people of Sudan. 

While all eyes are on the issues surrounding the New Constitution, Darfur is facing multiple crises of national and international magnitude, characterized by violence perpetrated by RSF elements and severe weather that devastated the lives of the long-suffering civilians. 

• Violence still plagues the state as recent attacks by herders in the region took the lives of three farmers. The attack on the farmers sparked protests in the state capital and a call for an independent committee to investigate the activities of militant herders and gunmen in the state in the past years.
• Flash flooding is currently wreaking havoc across Sudan, hitting Darfur particularly hard leaving six dead and two more missing. The Sudanese Professional Association (SPA) and various political parties have called on all Sudanese to do their part in the “draining of rainwater” campaign, which works to clear drainage systems and build new ones. The heavy rainfall has also caused prices for gas and food to skyrocket in Darfur, altogether increasing the suffering of those who had been forced out of their homes for years.

The same al-Bashir regime that orchestrated the genocide in Darfur is currently in power and stands to remain in power in Sudan under a new banner. Your voices are urgently needed to expose al-Bashir’s crimes in Darfur and across Sudan.  It takes only one action to contribute to ending genocide in Darfur and the unprecedented carnage across Sudan. 

If you can share this with 5-10 people in your network and ask them to do the same, you will make a difference.

With our collective effort, we can make a difference.  We can end it.

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