Following South Sudan's referendum on independence, Insight on Conflict will be producing a weekly round-up of the news. To subscribe to receive the updates via email, please contact joel@insightonconflict.org or complete the form below.
News round-up:
- The largest rebel group in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have suspended peace talks with the Sudanese government in Khartoum. JEM is protesting against the government’s decision to hold a referendum on the administrative status of Darfur.
- The Satellite Sentinel Project has released more images that suggest a military build-up in Abyei. The latest images seem to show the deployment of Northern helicopter gunships and tanks.
- An air strike against a car in Port Sudan has killed two people. The motivations for the attack, and who was behind it, are unclear. It is believed a leading member Hammas was one of those killed. Sudan says it has ‘irrefutable’ proof that Israel was behind the attack. Israel has not commented on the incident.
- A former governor of the Sudanese central bank says that the economy is in its “weakest state”. Sudan has sent a delegation to Washington for talks on debt relief with the IMF and World Bank. How to divide Sudan’s $57bn debt when the South gains independence in July is one of the key unresolved issues.
- South Sudan has renewed its offer of amnesty to rebel groups that have emerged since the referendum in January. 11 people have been killed in fighting over grazing rights between communities from Lakes state and Western Equatoria. The conflict began in February and the UN estimates that so far 34,000 people have fled the area.
- The draft constitution for an independent South Sudan has been completed. The leader of the opposition in South Sudan, who last month pulled out of the committee tasked with drafting the constitution, has said that the ruling SPLM party is not interested in power-sharing, and that it is the Southern Army, the SPLA, that is responsible for provoking the recent violence. Two people were killed during an assassination attempt against a senior SPLM official in Warrap state.
News in detail:
Darfur
Reuters: Darfur rebel group suspends talks with Sudan govt 06 Apr: Darfur's most powerful rebel group has suspended meetings with Sudan's government at peace talks in Qatar in protest at Khartoum's plan to hold a referendum in the war-torn region, the group's chief negotiator said on Tuesday. http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE73502T20110406
North Sudan
Sudan Tribune: Sudanese police break up demos in capital, Kordofan 04 Apr: Sudanese police on Monday reacted to two demonstrations by student activists in the capital Khartoum and by hundreds of unemployed youth in the flashpoint region of Kordofan, in the latest crackdown against dissent fuelled by worsening economic conditions and revolts being witnessed in some Arab countries. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudanese-police-breaks-up-demos-in,38485
BBC: Air strike kills two in Port Sudan 06 Apr: A "foreign" aircraft has destroyed a car near Sudan's city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, killing its two passengers, local officials say. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12976951
Sudan Tribune: Sudanese economy is in its “weakest state”, says former bank governor 07 Apr: The former governor of Sudan’s central bank Sabir Mohamed Al-Hassan sounded the warning bell on Thursday over the economy saying that it is in its "weakest state" and needs to be addressed on an urgent basis. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudanese-economy-is-in-its-weakest,38519
Sudan Tribune: Sudan sending delegation to Washington for talks on debt relief 10 Apr: The Sudanese government is dispatching a delegation to Washington in mid-April for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank on ways to obtain relief from the country’s crippling debt. http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-sending-delegation-to,38534
AFP: Sudan has 'irrefutable proof' Israel behind air strike 10 Apr: Sudan said Sunday it had irrefutable evidence that Israel carried out the air strike on its Red Sea coast last week that killed two people and destroyed the car they were travelling in. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gYhdWPnur3y__s6VygFaYv2nXC_A?docId=CNG.36db2129cefe2fddf937f948acfab92b.1011
South Sudan
Reuters: South Sudan renews amnesty offer to warring militia 05 Apr: South Sudan's government renewed an amnesty offer to rebel militia groups on Tuesday to try to calm tensions in the region before its expected independence in July. http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE7340LA20110405
AFP: Juba 'rejects power sharing': South Sudan opposition 05 Apr: South Sudan's opposition leader Lam Akol says the Southern ruling party, which accuses him of fomenting unrest, does not believe in power-sharing and blames the army for the deadly violence since January. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gigoaUgHcA1rIAMrr6Nocgs6HqWg?docId=CNG.3df529c08a659b53ab8d799e80f593f8.721
Sudan Tribune: South Sudan’s draft constitution finalised – minister 05 Apr: The technical committee that was tasked with reviewing South Sudan’s interim constitution of 2005, ahead of the region’s independence in July, has successfully completed the process, with the draft report expected in a week or so, its chairperson said. http://www.sudantribune.com/S-Sudan-s-draft-constitution,38496
Sudan Tribune: Two killed in assassination attempt against senior SPLM official in Warrap 05 Apr: At least two people have been killed in an assassination attempt against a senior member of the South Sudan’s governing party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), in the State of Warrap, local officials say. Several others are reported to have sustained injuries. The attack took place in Tonj North County, Warrap State on Monday 4 April. http://www.sudantribune.com/Two-killed-in-assassination,38495
Reuters: About 34,000 people flee South Sudan tribal clashes – UN 06 Apr: About 34,000 Southern Sudanese have fled their homes after tribal clashes over land, water and cattle in recent weeks, a U.N. humanitarian official said, adding to Southern troubles before independence in July. http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE7350AH20110406
Sudan Tribune: Eleven killed in new clashes in South Sudan 07 Apr: Eleven people are reported dead in fresh clashes between Lakes, claim residents from Yirol West County and Western Equatoria residents from Mvolo County on Tuesday. The clashes occurred at the same time as a meeting between the governors of the two states in question to seek an end to the fighting. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/east/ELEVEN-KILLED-IN-NEW-CLASHES-IN-SOUTH-SUDAN-119393374.html
Abyei
AFP: Sudan army deploys gunships, tanks near Abyei – monitors 07 Apr: Satellite images indicate a major deployment of military hardware by the Sudanese army, including helicopter gunships and tanks, near the flashpoint Abyei border region, a monitoring group said on Thursday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h9Gw3OnoYWUBEOKYWw2xn-X_NGmg?docId=CNG.a76b4ba0203a6de8b8e726f1b9895209.a11
