GENEVA — After 20 months, there are no signs the war in Sudan is slowing down, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned Friday that the recent surge of arrivals in South Sudan is overwhelming services in border areas. Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights chief said, “The continuing siege of El Fasher and the relentless fighting are devastating lives every day on a massive scale. This alarming situation cannot continue. “The Rapid Support Forces must end this horrible siege, and I urge all parties to the conflict to stop attacks on civilians and civilian objects. I call on them to comply with their obligations and commitments under international law.” UNHCR Representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney said at a UN press conference in Geneva the humanitarian response to support the sudden influx remains “woefully underfunded,” with only 24% of people’s needs this year received. “In less than three weeks,...

New York — Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in a UN Security Council Session on Sudan in New York City, New York. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I thank Mr. Bahr El Din for his briefing.  I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Secretary of State of the United States, and let me again thank each of our briefers for their powerful testimony.  It was very important for this council to hear it. To our fellow council members, on December 19th, 2018 – six years ago today – the people of Sudan rose up to topple a dictator and reclaim their own futures. Who can forget the iconic image of Alaa Salah – Lady Liberty of the Sudanese Revolution – standing on the roof of a car as she rallied her nation to a new path? One student protester put it this way:  “We grinned with freedom...

Portsudan — President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, reviewed the plan of the Ministry of Culture and Information within the framework of developing and modernizing cultural and media institutions. This came during his meeting in his office on Thursday with the Minister of Culture and Information, Khalid Al-Aiser, who explained in a press statement, that the meeting touched on a number of files related to the culture and media and ways to develop media institutions that were damaged by the war, in addition to the files of culture and tourism. The minister stated that TSC President pledged to renovate and develop these institutions. He added that he conveyed to TSC President the concerns and issues of journalists and the consequences of the press situation in the country. Al-Aiser said that his ministry is in the process of developing well-established media institutions...

Abidjan — Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Gebreil Ibrahim met, on the sidelines of his participation in the third Abidjan African Forum held in the capital Abidjan on Wednesday, with the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in the presence of the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Dr. Al-Gaili Mohamed Abdul-Hamid, where the Minister briefed the AfDB President on the latest developments and the effects of the current war on the economic, social and humanitarian conditions in Sudan. The Minister of Finance also expressed the Sudanese government’s appreciation for the continued support provided by the AFDB in various development fields, stressing the importance of coordination between the government and the third party that will be chosen to implement the bank’s projects in Sudan, calling on the bank to participate in assessing the...

A recent report by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) reveals the horrifying use of sexual violence as a weapon in Sudan’s ongoing conflict. The report, published yesterday, details widespread abuse by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with victims subjected to rape, gang rape, forced prostitution, and abductions for sexual purposes. The report states, “Girls as young as nine through to women aged 75 have been subjected to widespread sexual violence, including rape and gang rape by the conflicting parties.” “In the Darfur region, most of the sexual violence cases have been attributed to the RSF and its allied militia,” the report highlights. “The victims are often seized from their homes, streets, and places of work and, in some instances, detained or confined in their homes and other facilities occupied by the perpetrators in conditions that amount to sexual...

Funding women-led organizations and survivor services is critical amid surging gender-based violence in Sudan New York City  — As the crisis in Sudan continues to deepen, UN Women has just published  a new Gender Alert  on the impact of the conflict on women and girls. More than 11 million people have been displaced as of October 2024, with more than half (54 per cent) being women and girls. An estimated 12 million people are currently at risk of gender-based violence. Documented cases of mass and systemic rape highlight the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, leaving survivors in dire need of medical, psychological, and social support. Since December 2023, the number of survivors of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, seeking services increased by 288 per cent, illustrating the scope of the crisis. Evidence shows that women and girls from ethnic minority groups are being deliberately targeted. Economic...

Ed Duweim / El Awj / Tandelti Locality / Um Ruwaba / Wad Madani / Karari / El Fasher — Sudan’s civil war shows no signs of abating, with intense fighting reported across multiple fronts over the past 72 hours. Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in scattered areas, while the RSF launched drone attacks and ground offensives against SAF strongholds. White Nile state According to recent reports, the RSF initiated a coordinated attack in White Nile state earlier today, targeting the Kenana Air Base and the Ed Duweim locality. Sudanese military officials claimed their air defences successfully intercepted and destroyed two RSF drones. Violent clashes erupted in El Awj, with SAF forces reportedly repelling a large-scale RSF assault. However, RSF sources asserted they achieved “significant victories” during these confrontations. North Kordofan In another incident, the RSF deployed 17 drones in...

Portsudan — The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) affirmed its support and backing for Sudan’s efforts in the fields of culture, education, technology, scientific research for heritage and registering Sudanese cultural files on the World Cultural Heritage List. The ALECSO expert, Dr. Ahmed Ould Mohamed Ould Habibi, while addressing the launching activities of the training workshop for “The Power of Culture for Peace” organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information in the Republic of Sudan in collaboration with ALECSO, reiterated the importance of culture in achieving civil peace, peace and stability. Ould Habibi said that the organization is implementing the “Power of Culture for Peace” program in 10 Arab countries, including Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. He added that the program focuses on mechanisms for employing culture locally and regionally to support the mechanisms of culture and peace in Arab countries. Source link

Khartoum — Sudan’s Emergency Lawyers have condemned the decision to hold the Sudanese Certificate exams on December 28, arguing that the decision deprives students in war-torn areas, displacement camps, and refugee camps of their right to equitable access to education. In a statement released yesterday, the Emergency Lawyers criticised the Sudanese authorities for failing to ensure equal educational opportunities for students across the country ahead of the Sudanese Certificate Examinations. The group argued that holding the exams under the current circumstances would further entrench educational disparities, particularly for students in conflict zones. They highlighted the dire humanitarian conditions faced by these students, including bombardments, forced displacement, and the lack of basic services. “These challenges make it impossible for many to access exam centres, particularly those living in camps both inside and outside Sudan,” the statement said. The Emergency Lawyers warned that displaced students, who already face significant barriers to education,...

Portsudan — Minister of Culture and Information and government spokesman Khalid Ali Al-Aiser called on international and regional organizations interested in the cultural sphere to contribute to the reconstruction of Sudan after the war through workshops and forums to combat hate speech and put an end to attempts to fragment the societal conscience led by countries and organizations. Al-Aiser praised, while addressing at the Red Sea University on Sunday morning the launch of the activities of the “Power of Culture for Peace” workshop organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information under the auspices of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the role of the organization in supporting emotional cohesion between nations and peoples, stressing that culture constitutes a basic vessel for integration between societies. The Minister of Culture and Information renewed Sudan’s desire to cooperate with ALECSO and all organizations to rebuild the country after the...