Politics

Sudanese coup general threatens to expel UN envoy over interference

Published

2 years ago

April 3, 2022

The leader of the October 25, 2021, coup in Sudan, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has threatened to expel the United Nations envoy in the country, Volker Perthes, after accusing him of “unwarranted and flagrant interference” in the country’s internal affairs.

Gen. Burhan who is the head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council (SC), said on Saturday that Perthes had no right to make certain comments on Sudanese affairs after the envoy warned that the country was heading for “an economic and security collapse” unless it addresses the political paralysis.

At a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Perthes who is leading international efforts on resolving the crisis in the country, had said the “absence of a political agreement on returning to a transitional path has already led to a deteriorating economic, humanitarian and security situation in the country.”

But Gen. Burhan who spoke in the capital Khartoum, at a ceremony for new graduates of Sudan’s Military Academy, called on Perthes to “stop exceeding the U.N. mission’s mandate and blatant interference in Sudanese affairs.”

“To the U.N. envoy, Volker, if you exceeded the mandate, we would kick you out of Sudan,” Gen. Burhan said while addressing the military graduates.

Gen. Burhan also called on the U.N. and the African Union to facilitate a dialogue among Sudanese and avoid exceeding their mandate and interfere in the country’s affairs.

The North-Eastern African country has been the center of turmoil with almost daily protests following the military coup led by Burhan which removed a Western-backed transitional government.

The military takeover had effectively put paid to Sudan’s attempt at a democratic transition after a popular uprising forced the military to remove autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

The street protests in Sudan demanding a return to civilian rule have been met by a crackdown on protesters with more than 93 people, mostly young men, killed and thousands injured, as the protesters have been demanding the removal of the military from power and a return to civilian rule.

But the military junta have said they will only hand over power to an elected administration, with elections tentatively fixed for July 2023 as contained in a constitutional document governing the transitional period.

Related Topics:#COUP Featured Sudan United Nations

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Politics

Again, Rwanda denies it attacked displaced persons in DR Congo

Published

18 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

For the sixteenth time, Rwanda refuted US charges on Saturday that its troops attacked a camp for internally displaced persons in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), placing the blame instead on militants it claimed were backed by the military of the Congo.

The US State Department released a statement in which it vehemently denounced the incident that claimed at least nine lives on Friday.

There have been persistent accusations against Rwanda of providing support to the armed organizations, which has resulted in diplomatic tensions between the neighbours in East Africa.

Citing the threat that Rwanda’s surface-to-air missile systems posed to civilians, U.N. and other regional peacekeepers, aid workers, and commercial aircraft operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the US demanded in February that Rwanda remove its systems and all of its armed forces from the DRC immediately. Rwanda denies providing any assistance to the rebels.

According to the U.S. statement, the M23 rebel group, which Rwanda supports, and the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) held the positions from which the attack was launched. The United States is “gravely concerned about the recent RDF and M23 expansion” in eastern Congo.

Speaking on behalf of the Rwandan government, Yolande Makolo refuted claims that the RDF was responsible for the attack, blaming instead rebels backed by the Congolese military.

“The RDF, a professional army, would never attack an IDP (displaced persons). Look to the lawless FDLR and Wazalendo supported by the FARDC (Congolese military) for this kind of atrocity,” she said in a post on X.

Wazalendo is a Christian sect, while the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is a Hutu organization that was founded by Hutu officials who left Rwanda after planning the 1994 genocide.

Thousands of people from the surrounding areas have fled to Goma in eastern Congo as a result of the M23 rebels’ two-year offensive, which has advanced toward the city in recent months.

Politics

Liberia: President Boakai signs order to create war crimes court

Published

19 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

To provide long-overdue justice to those who suffered grave injustices during the two civil wars that raged in Liberia, President Joseph Boakai has signed an executive order to establish a war crimes court. Boakai granted his final approval and congratulated the lawmakers for their effort in the legislation.

Many atrocities, such as rape, massacres, and the use of child soldiers, occurred during the wars that lasted from 1989 to 2003. A special court was eventually ordered to be established to try those who were deemed to be at fault by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

President Boakai proposed a resolution to create a special court, which was later backed by Liberia’s lower house and senate.

“The conviction that brings us here today is that, for peace and harmony to have a chance to prevail, justice and healing must perfect the groundwork,” Boakai said in a special address.

Activists and civil society organizations that have demanded greater justice for crimes committed during the conflicts that claimed the lives of almost 250,000 people have praised the initiative.

With support from global organizations like the UN, the court would function in Liberia under international norms once it was operational. Economic offences will also be handled by it.

Meanwhile, some in Liberia are against its development, arguing that it could weaken the amnesty law that was already in place and cause old grievances to resurface. This helped put a stop to the violence.