Politics

Sudan still boils four months after Al-Burhan’s coup; 84 killed so far

Published

2 years ago

March 3, 2022

The dust is yet to settle four months after Sudanese dictator, General Abdel al-Fattah al-Burhan organised a coup to overthrow a regime he has dictated to since 2019, and retained his powers as de facto leader of Sudan.

Demonstrations continue to trail the “self coup” despite the deadly crackdown with protesters calling for the end of military rule of General Al-Burhan.

A self-coup is a form of coup in which a nation’s leader, despite having come to power through legal means, dissolves or renders powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assumes extraordinary powers, not granted under normal circumstances.

One of the protesters was shot dead on Monday during a march by thousands against last year’s coup, thus taking the total number of people killed to at least 84 since General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led the October 25 military takeover.

The protester killed on Monday was shot in the head in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman, according to the Sudanese Doctors’ Committee.

The shooting happened as thousands of demonstrators tried to cross the bridge across the Nile linking the city to Khartoum.

“Tear gas canisters will not stop us!” said Taqwa Mohammed, a demonstrator near Khartoum’s presidential palace, where the ruling Sovereign Council is based along the Nile River.

The Northeast African country has a long history of military coups that dates back to 1957. More recently, the country experienced a coup in 2019 that ousted the military junta of Omar-al-Bashir which had been in power for over 30 years. There was also a report of an aborted coup in September 2021 and a “self coup” later in October of the same year that brought in Head Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

In the case of General Abdel al-Fattah al-Burhan’s coup, the dictator had been the head of the eleven-member Sovereignty Council of Sudan which was the collective head of state of Sudan from 20 August 2019 when it was created by the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration.

Al-Burhan displaced the council in the infamous 25 October 2021 self coup.

Politics

Kenya’s Ruto wants global support for Haiti

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Kenya’s President William Ruto wants the United Nations Security Council to officially support the mission to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti.

Kenya, an East African powerhouse, is active in Haiti, and recently announced it was ready to be part of a multinational force. It committed to deploy 1,000 police officers to the country and “accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti.”

Ruto, during his address, insisted that the Caribbean country “deserves better from the world.” “Kenya is ready to play its part in full, and join with a coalition of other nations of goodwill – and there are many— as a great friend and true sibling of Haiti,” Ruto said while addressing world leaders.

Haiti begged for assistance last year to fight off vicious gangs that had largely taken over the city of Port-au-Prince.

According to diplomats, the council might vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing the deployment of international police as early as next week.

U.N. peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Peacekeeping troops left in 2017 and were replaced by U.N. police, which left in 2019.

Haiti has been without any elected representatives since January and countries across the world have been cautious about supporting the unelected administration of Prime Minister Ariel Henry who has argued that fair elections cannot be held with the current insecurity.

Violent crimes, including kidnappings for ransom, armed robberies, and carjacking are prevalent in the country.

Politics

Sudan: One country, two UNGA addresses, as armed factions stake claim

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

The ongoing civil war in Sudan played out on the global scene at the United Nations General Assembly as heads of rival military factions gave competing addresses at the world meeting on Thursday.

Clashes between the army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s transitional government’s Sovereign Council, and army troops loyal to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the council’s deputy leader who controls the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have led to the destruction of facilities.

The conflict, which broke out in Khartoum in mid-April and extended to other regions of the country, including the western area of Darfur, displacing more than 5 million people and posing a threat to the region’s stability, was blamed on both sides.

Army chief, al-Burhan urged the international community to label the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organisation and to take action against its financiers outside of Sudan’s borders while speaking from the stage at UN headquarters in New York.

On the other hand, RSF leader, Dagalo, known as Hemedti, in a rare video recording from an undisclosed location, said that his forces were fully prepared for a ceasefire and comprehensive political talks to end the conflict. Hemedti has primarily communicated recently through audio messages, and his whereabouts have been a subject of conjecture.

“Today we renew our commitment to the peaceful process to put a halt to this war,” Hemedti said. “The RSF are fully prepared for a ceasefire throughout Sudan to allow the passage of humanitarian aid … and to start serious and comprehensive political talks.”

Repeated declarations of a ceasefire by both the army and the RSF, as well as claims that they are looking for a resolution to the war have not been able to halt the carnage and the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.