Metro

Sudanese protest against UN, want envoy to leave country

Published

2 years ago

June 2, 2022

Hundreds of Sudanese protesters have hit the streets of the the capital Khartoum demanding for the United Nations Mission as well as its country envoy, Volker Perthes, to leave the country.

The protesters including supporters of Islamist groups critical of efforts by Perthes to resolve the political crisis in the country since last year’s military coup, on Wednesday, rallied in front of the UN mission shouting slogans and carrying placards with different inscription urging the mission to leave their country.

The rallies came as the UN Security Council said it was considering extending the mission’s mandate beyond June 3rd, with many, especially government officials, accusing the envoy of interfering in Sudan’s internal affairs.

One of the leaders of the protest, Mohammed Sayed, who explained the essence of the demonstration to journalists insisted that Perthes must leave the country or he will be forced to leave.

“Volker must leave today, before tomorrow. If he doesn’t, we will make him leave by force. We will not plead, write reports or speeches to the UN. It will be by force, by direct force,” Sayed said.

Another angry protester, Ahmed Ali, accused Perthes involving himself in the country’s affairs which is no longer acceptable.

“Volker came to involve parties of the Forces of Freedom and Change back in the Sudanese society. The Sudanese society is against these parties.

“These people work for their own benefit, and their work involves exclusion and vengeance. We will not stop, and we will not calm down until the problems in Sudan are resolved by the Sudanese,” Ali said.

The UN mission, along with the African Union and regional Eastern African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have been pushing to facilitate Sudanese-led talks to resolve the crisis that has engulfed the country since the October 2021 coup, to no avail.

As part of efforts to pave the way for dialogue, military leader Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Sunday, ordered the lifting of the state of emergency imposed since the coup to set the stage for “meaningful dialogue that achieves stability for the transitional period.”

Watch video here:

Related Topics:Featured Protest Sudan United Nations

Click to comment

Metro

‘Cyber Act fails to protect the vulnerable,’ Student demands media inclusivity for persons with disabilities

Published

11 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Peter Libila, a student at Icof University’s Chipata campus, highlights the lack of awareness among individuals with disabilities and those residing in rural areas about their digital rights, resulting in limited access to media platforms for free expression.

Libila underscored the marginalization of people with disabilities in discussions on community development, leading to their exclusion from voicing their perspectives.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Eastern Province, Libila discussed the discrimination and stigma faced by individuals with disabilities in the media landscape.

Read More: Differently-abled person speaks on challenges impacting freedom of expression in rural areas

“Persons with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to community developments,” he emphasized.

Moreover, as someone with a physical disability, Libala pointed out shortcomings in the Cybersecurity Act which failed to adequately address online barriers to freedom of expression.

“The act fails to ensure online safety for all; it only offers protection to certain groups while neglecting others,” he asserted.

He stressed the importance of bridging these gaps to foster inclusivity within the media.

“There’s a lack of sign language interpreters in most media outlets, which poses challenges for the deaf community,” he observed.

Libila also emphasized the necessity of providing braille reading materials and writing tools for individuals who are blind.

“Even basic resources like braille books are often unavailable for the blind,” he lamented.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

All my tough policy decisions are in Nigerians’ interest— Tinubu

Published

15 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has insisted that all his tough policy decisions and reforms have been taken with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

Tinubu, who made the assertion in Hague, The Netherlands, during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, insisted that though some of the policies had brought hardship on Nigerian masses, he was not afraid to implement more of such policies as they would yield positive results in the end.

“I am a determined leader of my people. I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains,” Tinubu said.

“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.

“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

The President also noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.