<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Sudan Archives - Sweet Melodies FM</title> <atom:link href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/tag/sudan/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/tag/sudan/</link> <description>Keeping You Sanctified Morning, Noon and Night!</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 08 May 2023 11:24:58 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <image> <url>https://i0.wp.com/www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-Sweet-Melodies-FM_text_favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1</url> <title>Sudan Archives - Sweet Melodies FM</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/tag/sudan/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>As conflicts continue, refugees from Sudan enter Ethiopia.</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/as-conflicts-continue-refugees-from-sudan-enter-ethiopia/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 08 May 2023 11:24:57 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=82501</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Hundreds of refugees have entered Ethiopia after escaping the ongoing violent violence in Sudan. The army and paramilitary forces started fighting in Sudan on April 15. Since then, at least 700 people have died, the majority of them civilians. One woman seeking protection near the border of Metema said, “Our safety and lives come first; […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/as-conflicts-continue-refugees-from-sudan-enter-ethiopia/">As conflicts continue, refugees from Sudan enter Ethiopia.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>Hundreds of refugees have entered Ethiopia after escaping the ongoing violent violence in Sudan. The army and paramilitary forces started fighting in Sudan on April 15. Since then, at least 700 people have died, the majority of them civilians.</p> <p>One woman seeking protection near the border of Metema said, “Our safety and lives come first; we can’t be thinking of the things that we have left behind.”</p> <p>Gunfights and airstrikes erupted once more on Sunday in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, which has been shaken by four weeks of fighting despite the most recent ceasefire efforts supported by Saudi Arabia and the United States.</p> <p>Multiple truce deals have been declared and quickly violated since fighting erupted between army and paramilitary forces.</p> <p>Fierce combat since then has killed at least 700 people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands and driven a mass of exodus of Sudanese and foreign nationals.</p> <p>In embattled Khartoum, fighter jets have bombed enemy positions as terrified residents stayed barricaded indoors amid dire shortages of water, food, medicines and other staples.</p> <p>Across the Red Sea, in the Saudi city of Jeddah, talks were underway aiming for a ceasefire that could aid the desperate efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the besieged population.</p> <p>The generals leading the warring parties have blamed each other for the violence, but have said little about the talks being held in Jeddah since Saturday.</p> <p>Army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdalla said the talks were on how a truce “can be correctly implemented to serve the humanitarian side”, while Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), only said on Twitter that he welcomed the technical discussions.</p> <p>Riyad and Washington have supported the “pre-negotiation talks” and urged the belligerents to “get actively involved”.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/south-sudans-president-dismisses-his-foreign-minister/" data-type="post" data-id="81733">South Sudan’s president dismisses his foreign minister.</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudans-sanctions-are-renewed-for-a-year-by-the-united-nations-security-council/" data-type="post" data-id="81717">Sudan’s sanctions are renewed for a year by the United Nations Security Council.</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>– ‘War of attrition’ –</strong></p> <p>Hopes for these and other international efforts to silence the guns have been modest as fighting has raged, threatening a descent into full-scale civil war and a major humanitarian disaster.</p> <p>“The lowest common denominator of the international community is a cessation of hostilities,” said Sudan researcher Aly Verjee at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg. “But there is no apparent consensus on what to do beyond that initial objective.”</p> <p>To be meaningful, Verjee said, any new truce declaration would require a “credible process to monitor and verify ceasefire non-compliance”, and mutually agreed “consequences in the likely event of ceasefire breaches”.</p> <p>Meanwhile both sides have pushed on for military advantage on the ground, in the capital and in fighting elsewhere, including the long-troubled Darfur region.</p> <p>Andreas Krieg of King’s College London said that “the battle for Khartoum is quickly developing into a war of attrition where both sides have similar capabilities and capacities”.</p> <p>The army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has air power and probably more troops, at around 100,000 forces.</p> <p>But the RSF, which emerged out of the notorious Janjaweed militia accused of war crimes in Darfur region, employs guerilla tactics that, Krieg said, can make them “more agile”.</p> <p><strong>– ‘Spillover challenges’ –</strong></p> <p>Both the army and the RSF have sought to present themselves as protectors of democratic values, despite having jointly staged Sudan’s latest coup in 2021.</p> <p>Burhan and his former deputy Daglo jointly ousted Sudan’s longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 palace coup, following mass pro-democracy protests.</p> <p>A military-civilian administration was supposed to steer post-Bashir Sudan toward democracy, but the generals launched another coup in 2021 to assume full powers.</p> <p>They have since fallen out in a bitter power struggle, with the latest flashpoint a plan to integrate the RSF into the army — a conflict that exploded into open warfare four weeks ago.</p> <p>US intelligence chief Avril Haines has warned of a “protracted” conflict that would “create a greater potential for spillover challenges in the region”.</p> <p>At least 700 people have been killed in the fighting so far, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The Sudanese doctors’ union said 479 of the dead were civilians.</p> <p>Hundreds of thousands have been displaced either internally or to neighbouring countries, while the UN has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis and the threat of famine.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/as-conflicts-continue-refugees-from-sudan-enter-ethiopia/">As conflicts continue, refugees from Sudan enter Ethiopia.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Sudan: Students return to class despite political and economic unrest</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudan-students-return-to-class-despite-political-and-economic-unrest/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2022 10:44:12 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=80045</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>In Sudan, it is back-to-school season, but nine-year-old Zahra Hussein is at home cleaning. She had to drop out of school like many other Sudanese youngsters do since her parents could not afford her tuition. The young lady tells AFP with pride in her home in the village of Ed Moussa, in the eastern state […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudan-students-return-to-class-despite-political-and-economic-unrest/">Sudan: Students return to class despite political and economic unrest</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Sudan, it is back-to-school season, but nine-year-old Zahra Hussein is at home cleaning. She had to drop out of school like many other Sudanese youngsters do since her parents could not afford her tuition.</p> <p>The young lady tells AFP with pride in her home in the village of Ed Moussa, in the eastern state of Kassala, that she “was the third in the class” when she was in first grade.</p> <p>Despite the challenging learning environments in her school, which included crumbling walls, shaky tables, and frequently dry toilets, she even managed to rise to first place two years later.</p> <p>But she had to put everything on hold in the middle of the third grade.</p> <p>She explains in disappointment, “My father didn’t have enough money, so he yanked me out of school.</p> <p>In Sudan, seven million children do not go to school, particularly in rural areas where nearly two-thirds of the 45 million inhabitants live, a “catastrophe for an entire generation”, according to NGOs.</p> <p>Already during the 30-year dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, who will be removed from office in 2019 following a popular protest movement, families withdrew their children from school to cope with the economic crisis.</p> <p>The political and economic stagnation that followed a coup a year ago, recurring ethnic conflicts, and prolonged school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic have only worsened the situation in this country, one of the poorest in the world.</p> <p>And every year, heavy rains destroy schools: this summer, 600 schools were damaged.</p> <p>As a result, Sudan and its 12.4 million students are the second most vulnerable country in terms of schooling, according to the Risk Education Index.</p> <p>“At the age of 10, seven out of ten children are unable to read and understand a simple sentence,” laments Arshad Malik, director of the NGO Save the Children in Sudan.</p> <p>A symbol of the distress that reaches even the teachers, the latter regularly demonstrate to demand better salaries or denounce a military power incapable of raising the country.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/leveraging-national-expertise-to-drive-new-exploration-in-south-sudan/">Leveraging National Expertise to Drive New Exploration in South Sudan</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudans-wheat-harvest-at-risk-of-going-to-waste/">Sudan&#8217;s wheat harvest at risk of going to waste</a></li> </ul> <p>– No meal, no school –</p> <p>Zahra knows that she will only return to school “if we find the money to pay for meals and school books”.</p> <p>In the village next to hers, Wad Charifaï, the school canteens closed down two years ago even though they often provided the only meal for the children, made of lentils, vegetables, and cookies.</p> <p>Since these free meals disappeared, Othmane Aboubakr, a day laborer, has had to drop seven of his nine children from school.</p> <p>Unable to pay for meals in addition to transportation and school supplies, he chose another option: to have the older children work.</p> <p>“Now the children can help bring money home,” he says.</p> <p>Abdallah Ibrahim also sends several of his seven children to work. Some help out in his café, while others have found work in a bakery.</p> <p>“Making the children work is not good but we have to, at least to pay for their meals every day,” says Ohaj Souleïmane, a 43-year-old day laborer.</p> <p>But not all children are equal when it comes to dropping out of school, points out Malik of Save the Children.</p> <p>“A family is more likely to take their daughters out of school to marry them off or to involve them in domestic chores,” he says.</p> <p>He says four out of 10 girls have dropped out of school compared to three out of 10 boys.</p> <p>Without action to get them back into school, “poverty and inequality are likely to increase, and with them families’ vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters,” Malik warns.</p> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudan-students-return-to-class-despite-political-and-economic-unrest/">Sudan: Students return to class despite political and economic unrest</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>US firms warned about doing business in Sudan</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/us-firms-warned-about-doing-business-in-sudan/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2022 12:17:58 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[American companies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[United States]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=77134</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The United States has warned American companies and individuals that doing business with state-owned and military-controlled firms in Sudan could risk their reputation because of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. While some of these risks had been there before last October’s coup, the military takeover and actions since had made things worse, […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/us-firms-warned-about-doing-business-in-sudan/">US firms warned about doing business in Sudan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The United States has warned American companies and individuals that doing business with state-owned and military-controlled firms in Sudan could risk their reputation because of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.</strong></p> <p>While some of these risks had been there before last October’s coup, the military takeover and actions since had made things worse, the US Department of State said.</p> <p>“These risks arise from, among other things, recent actions undertaken by Sudan’s Sovereign Council and security forces under the military’s command, including and especially serious human rights abuse against protesters,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/thousands-rally-in-sudan-against-coup-teargas-fired/">Thousands rally in Sudan against coup, teargas fired</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/coup-attempt-in-sudan-foiled-mastermind-arrested/">Coup attempt in Sudan foiled, mastermind arrested</a></li> </ul> <p>Mr Price said the US government remained committed to supporting the Sudanese people’s aspiration for a civilian-led transition to an elected government.</p> <p>There have been frequent protests against the coup which have been put down with force – and it is estimated more than 90 people have died.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/us-firms-warned-about-doing-business-in-sudan/">US firms warned about doing business in Sudan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Thousands rally in Sudan against coup, teargas fired</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/thousands-rally-in-sudan-against-coup-teargas-fired/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:30:30 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[coup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=71286</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Sudanese authorities announce the closure of four out of 10 bridges linking the Khartoum with the cities of Bahri and Omdurman. Thousands protested in Sudan’s capital Wednesday against last month’s coup, chanting “no to military power” in defiance of a crackdown that has already claimed 24 lives. Several rallies broke out across Khartoum, even though […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/thousands-rally-in-sudan-against-coup-teargas-fired/">Thousands rally in Sudan against coup, teargas fired</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Sudanese authorities announce the closure of four out of 10 bridges linking the Khartoum with the cities of Bahri and Omdurman.</strong></p> <p>Thousands protested in Sudan’s capital Wednesday against last month’s coup, chanting “no to military power” in defiance of a crackdown that has already claimed 24 lives.</p> <p>Several rallies broke out across Khartoum, even though telephone lines were cut and internet services have been disrupted since the October 25 putsch, AFP journalists reported.</p> <div class="wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content css-1vsenwb"> <p>Security forces fired tear gas on the protesters, causing several injuries, witnesses said.</p> <p>Ahead of the protests, Sudanese authorities announced the closure of four out of 10 bridges linking the capital, Khartoum, with the cities of Bahri and Omdurman, Sudanese television reported.</p> <p data-inc="1">The renewed protests came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Africans to watch out for rising threats to democracy as he began a three-nation tour of the continent in Kenya.</p> <p>“We have seen over the last decade or so what some call a democratic recession,” Blinken said in Nairobi.</p> <p>The United States has suspended some $700 million in assistance to Sudan in response to the coup, which halted a democratic transition that followed the 2019 toppling of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/caf-womens-champions-league-gfa-supports-hasaacas-ladies-fc-with-10000/">CAF Women’s Champions League: GFA supports Hasaacas Ladies FC with $10,000</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sunyani-daily-market-requires-washrooms-to-improve-sanitation-traders/">Sunyani Daily Market requires washrooms to improve sanitation -Traders</a></li> </ul> <p>Sudan’s top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on October 25 declared a state of emergency, dissolved the government and detained the civilian leadership. Last week, the Sudanese general appointed a new governing Sovereign Council, replacing the country’s transitional government comprising of civilian and military figures formed following the removal of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.</p> <p>The death toll from Sudan’s anti-coup protests at the weekend rose to eight, medics said, bringing the total number of those killed since last month’s military takeover to at least 23.</p> <p>Three teenagers were among those who lost their lives during the latest mass protests on Saturday, which were met with the deadliest crackdown since the October 25 coup.</p> <h2>International condemnation</h2> <p>The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, an independent union of medics, named all eight protesters killed, including 13-year-old Remaaz Hatim al-Atta, who was shot in the head in front of her family’s home in Khartoum, and Omar Adam who was shot in his neck during protests in the capital city.</p> <p>The military takeover sparked a chorus of international condemnation, including punitive aid cuts, with world powers demanding a swift return to civilian rule.</p> <p>Demonstrators have rallied since then despite internet outages and disruptions of communication lines, which forced activists to disseminate calls for protests via graffiti and SMS messages.</p> <p>Since last month’s coup, more than 100 government officials and political leaders, along with a large number of demonstrators and activists, have been arrested. The army also placed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest at his residence in Khartoum.</p> <p>Pro-democracy groups have promised to continue protesting until the return of the Sovereign Council, which was formed in 2019 as part of a power-sharing agreement between members of the army and civilians with the task of overseeing Sudan’s transition to democracy after a popular uprising led to the removal of longtime ruler al-Bashir.</p> <p>In an interview with Al Jazeera earlier this month, al-Burhan said he was committed to handing over power to a civilian government, promising not to participate in any government that comes after the transitional period. But last week he announced the formation of a new Sovereign Council and appointed himself as its head.</p> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/thousands-rally-in-sudan-against-coup-teargas-fired/">Thousands rally in Sudan against coup, teargas fired</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Coup attempt in Sudan foiled, mastermind arrested</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/coup-attempt-in-sudan-foiled-mastermind-arrested/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:02:24 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[coup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[East African country]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=68910</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>An attempted coup has reportedly been thwarted in the East African country of Sudan. The army was able to prevent an overthrow, Taher Abu Haja, a military spokesperson, said on Sudanese state television early on Tuesday. All plotters involved in the attempted early morning coup had been arrested, the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) reported. A […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/coup-attempt-in-sudan-foiled-mastermind-arrested/">Coup attempt in Sudan foiled, mastermind arrested</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>An attempted coup has reportedly been thwarted in the East African country of Sudan.</strong></p> <p>The army was able to prevent an overthrow, Taher Abu Haja, a military spokesperson, said on Sudanese state television early on Tuesday.</p> <p>All plotters involved in the attempted early morning coup had been arrested, the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) reported. A large number of military vehicles could be seen on the streets of Khartoum.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/covid-19-ghs-to-begin-moderna-vaccination-this-week/">COVID-19: GHS to begin Moderna vaccination this week.</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/huawei-supports-ministry-of-communications-with-video-conferencing-facility/">Huawei supports Ministry of Communications with video conferencing facility</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>The mastermind is said to be Major General Abdul-Baqi Al-Bakrawi, a military spokesperson told dpa. Al-Bakrawi’s supporters initially prevented his arrest, the spokesperson said. That led to negotiations between the military and the coup plotters.</p> <p>Sudanese Information Minister Hamza Balloul said on state television that the situation was under control and that the masterminds had been arrested. According to Balloul, they are supporters of the former regime.</p> <p>Sudan was ruled with an iron fist by President Omar al-Bashir for 30 years until his overthrow by the army in 2019 after mass protests. Civilians and the military then formed a joint transitional government, a move which was welcomed worldwide.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/coup-attempt-in-sudan-foiled-mastermind-arrested/">Coup attempt in Sudan foiled, mastermind arrested</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Deputy Minister of Lands leads delegation from Sudan to Western Region</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/deputy-minister-of-lands-leads-delegation-from-sudan-to-western-region/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:21:37 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mr George Mireku Duker]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tarkwa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Western Region]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=67552</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker, on Wednesday led a delegation from Sudan to Tarkwa in the Western Region. Mr Duker who is also the Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency was accompanied by Mr Mohamed Basheer Abdalla Mennawi, Minister of Minerals of the Republic of Sudan, Ambassador Mohamed […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/deputy-minister-of-lands-leads-delegation-from-sudan-to-western-region/">Deputy Minister of Lands leads delegation from Sudan to Western Region</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker, on Wednesday led a delegation from Sudan to Tarkwa in the Western Region.</strong></p> <p>Mr Duker who is also the Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency was accompanied by Mr Mohamed Basheer Abdalla Mennawi, Minister of Minerals of the Republic of Sudan, Ambassador Mohamed Abdelrahman Yasin Mohamed, Ambassador of Sudan to Ghana, and Mr. Peter Kofi Awuah, Technical Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources,</p> <p>The rest are; Mr. Ahmed Haron Eltom Musa, Chief Director of the Ministry of Minerals, Republic of Sudan, Mr. Martin Ayisi, Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Minerals Commission, and Mr. Richard Kofi Adjei, Chief Inspector of Mines, Minerals Commission.</p> <p>The delegation first called on the Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah and later proceeded to Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine, where they had a Mine tour with the firm.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/distressed-teenager-forced-into-marriage-given-lifeline/">Distressed teenager forced into marriage given lifeline</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/education-ministry-satisfied-with-work-on-ghanas-first-creative-arts-shs/">Education Ministry satisfied with work on Ghana’s first Creative Arts SHS</a></li> </ul> <p>Addressing the media after the tour, Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, said the visit was to fraternise and deliberate on the legal framework guiding the activities of small scale mining industry in the country.</p> <p>He said “we paid the visit to Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine to acquaint ourselves with their operations in the country,” stressing that, “we chose AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine as a model for our guest to learn from them”.</p> <p>Mr Duker used the opportunity to warned illegal small-scale miners who were still working in river bodies and forest reserves to desist from their operations to help protect the environment.</p> <p>He said with the negative impact of illegal mining activities popularly known as galamsey, anyone who flouted the law would be punished.</p> <p>According to the Deputy Minister, the government had introduced community mining to help create employment for the teaming youth.</p> <p>He emphasized that “through community mining, the government has alternatively provided solutions to those who have been displaced at the various illegal mining enclaves. We are pleading with the citizenry working in the red zone areas to cease immediately”</p> <p>He explained that aside community mining, the government had established training centres and provided incentives to support those who had been affected by illegal small-scale mining.</p> <p>Mr Duker commended Iduapriem Mine for their continuous contributings towards the economy of Ghana.</p> <p>His Mr Mohamed Basheer Abdalla Mennawi, Minister of Minerals for Sudan, expressed appreciation to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor and his Deputy for the opportunity made available to them.</p> <p>“In Sudan our contemporary mining is a bit recent than Ghana’s<br /> and we have challenges in our artisanal small scale mining sector. Through this visit we have got lots of views and procedures to improve upon our current experience,” he indicated.</p> <p>Mr Samuel Boakye Pobee, Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine thanked Mr Duker and his team for paying a working visit to their Mine.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/deputy-minister-of-lands-leads-delegation-from-sudan-to-western-region/">Deputy Minister of Lands leads delegation from Sudan to Western Region</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Conversion to Christianity No Longer Punishable by Death in Sudan</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/conversion-to-christianity-no-longer-punishable-by-death-in-sudan/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2020 10:40:21 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Religion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=55326</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>A transitional government in Sudan is taking steps toward “achieving equality” and ending discrimination, leading to cautious optimism for proponents of democracy. Apostasy (abandoning Islam through speech or behavior, including conversion to Christianity) and morality laws have been eliminated, and female genital mutilation is now banned. The African nation, which is predominantly Muslim, had endured more than three […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/conversion-to-christianity-no-longer-punishable-by-death-in-sudan/">Conversion to Christianity No Longer Punishable by Death in Sudan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<header class="td-post-title"> <div class="td-post-header"> <div class="td-crumb-container"> <div class="entry-crumbs"></div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="td-post-content tagdiv-type"> <div class="td-post-featured-image">A transitional government in Sudan is taking steps toward “achieving equality” and ending discrimination, leading to cautious optimism for proponents of democracy. Apostasy (abandoning Islam through speech or behavior, including conversion to Christianity) and morality laws have been eliminated, and female genital mutilation is now banned.</div> <p>The African nation, which is predominantly Muslim, had endured more than three decades of Sharia law and a 22-year civil war. In 2011, South Sudan, whose residents largely follow Christianity or traditional animist religions, declared independence.</p> <p> </p> <p>Last year, huge street protests and a coup led to the ousting of longtime Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir. Now, as pro-democracy demonstrations continue, a temporary coalition of leaders is attempting to shed the nation’s oppressive past and regain good standing internationally.</p> <h2><strong>Sudan Moves Toward ‘equality of citizenship’</strong></h2> <p>On state television last weekend, <strong>Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari</strong> said Sudan’s transitional government is “keen to demolish any kind of discrimination that was enacted by the old regime and to move toward equality of citizenship and a democratic transformation.” The legal reforms, he says, protect Muslims as well as non-Muslims, who make up about three percent of the population.</p> <p>It’s now legal for non-Muslims to drink <strong>alcohol</strong> in private, though not with Muslims, who still must not partake. Also, women may now travel with their children without needing a permit from a male relative. Previously, morality police made arbitrary arrests and carried out public flogging, often targeting women for how they were dressed.</p> <p> </p> <p>Death by stoning had been the punishment for apostasy, the crime that pregnant <strong>Meriam Ibrahim</strong> was charged with in 2014. After giving birth in shackles, she managed to <strong>flee</strong> the country.</p> <p>Female genital mutilation, done to an estimated <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/data/fgm/SD" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>88 percent</strong></a> of Sudanese women of childbearing age, now can lead to a three-year prison sentence.</p> <h3><strong>Swift Moves Could Cause Backlash, Some Warn</strong></h3> <p>Sudan remains unstable, with <strong><a href="https://churchleaders.com/news/378038-christians-attacked-in-sudan-after-incitement-by-mosque-leaders-in-khartoum.html" data-mil="378783">attacks on Christians</a></strong> still occurring and current leader <strong><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51800278" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Abdalla Hamdok</a></strong> surviving an assassination attempt in March. The Open Doors World Watch List ranks <strong><a href="https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/sudan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sudan</a></strong> as seventh-worst for Christian persecution, citing “current political chaos” that has “left Christians in limbo.”</p> <p>Some scholars fear the legal reforms are occurring too quickly for the Muslim majority, who could push back. Ahmed Soliman, a researcher at Britain-based <strong><a href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/event/webinar-maintaining-momentum-sudan-s-transition-delivering-international-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chatham House</a></strong>, tells the <strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/13/world/africa/sudan-fgm-alcohol-flogging.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>New York Times,</em></a></strong> “There is also division about these reforms, with a strong backlash by conservative religious and political figures who see the changes as an attack on Islam and morality.”</p> <div id="churc-1061338302" class="churc-inline-3"> <div id="inline-mobile3"></div> </div> <p>Noha Kassa, a Presbyterian deaconess in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum, tells <strong><a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/sudan-drops-apostasy-law-death-penalty-christians-alcohol.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Christianity Toda</em>y</a></strong> the country’s recent reforms are answers to prayer. But she admits it’s “a lot to take for the Sudanese,” especially from leaders billed as merely transitional. “The government is in a critical period,” she says, “but for our church, I am excited for our ministry amid such changes.”</p> <p>Activist Kamal Fahmi, a Sudanese Christian who founded the organization <strong><a href="http://freedom2worship.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Set My People Free</a></strong>, says he praises God “for this miracle” and prays that Sudan “will become an example for religious freedom that other countries can follow, permitting converts [from Islam] their full civil rights.”</p> <p><strong>CHURCHLEADERS.COM</strong></p> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/conversion-to-christianity-no-longer-punishable-by-death-in-sudan/">Conversion to Christianity No Longer Punishable by Death in Sudan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>ADFD provides Sudan with agricultural supplies worth $10.8 million</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/adfd-provides-sudan-with-agricultural-supplies-worth-10-8-million/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:18:48 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <category><![CDATA[ADFD provides Sudan with agricultural supplies worth $10.8 million]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Agribusiness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=51169</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has provided Sudan with agricultural supplies worth AED40 million (US$10.8 million) as part of the UAE’s support for the agricultural sector in Sudan. The support includes the provision of nine million bags for packaging agricultural products and crops. The first shipment comprising 3,315,000 packaging bags has been delivered […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/adfd-provides-sudan-with-agricultural-supplies-worth-10-8-million/">ADFD provides Sudan with agricultural supplies worth $10.8 million</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has provided Sudan with agricultural supplies worth AED40 million (US$10.8 million) as part of the UAE’s support for the agricultural sector in Sudan. The support includes the provision of nine million bags for packaging agricultural products and crops.</p> <p>The first shipment comprising 3,315,000 packaging bags has been delivered to the Sudanese government in coordination with the UAE embassy in Sudan and the Agricultural Bank of Sudan, while the remainder will be dispatched before the end of April, 2020. This shipment is part of the US$3 billion aid package approved by the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support economic and financial stability of Sudan.</p> <p>His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, said: “This assistance articulates the keen interest taken by the UAE’s wise leadership to enable Sudan to overcome its present challenges, and provide its people with necessary supplies to drive growth in key sectors including agriculture, education, healthcare and food security.”</p> <p>He added, “For several years, ADFD has played an active role in the development of Sudan. We have supported projects serving key economic sectors including agriculture given its crucial significance for the country’s economic development. Furthermore, we contributed to the development of many strategic projects that translate a long-term economic impact on the sustainable development of Sudan.”</p> <p>On his part, His Excellency Hamad Mohammed Humaid Al Junaibi, the UAE Ambassador to Sudan said: “The UAE’s continued support for the government of Sudan will enable the country to overcome its economic challenges and achieve stability and prosperity. Our wise leadership is keen to leverage the outstanding relationship both countries have fostered over the years to achieve our mutual interests.”</p> <p>In April, 2019, the UAE and Saudi Arabia deposited US$500 million into the Central Bank of Sudan as part of the US$3 billion grant aimed at fostering Sudan’s economic and financial stability. Earlier, ADFD dispatched 540,000 tonnes of wheat worth $150 million to Sudan to meet its urgent food needs, besides the provision of school supplies that will support 400,000 students. Furthermore, both countries are providing Sudan with medicine, petroleum derivatives and agricultural supplies as part of the joint aid package aimed at accelerating sustainable economic development in the country.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.adfd.ae/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.adfd.ae</a></strong></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/adfd-provides-sudan-with-agricultural-supplies-worth-10-8-million/">ADFD provides Sudan with agricultural supplies worth $10.8 million</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Air Serv expands operations to Sudan and South Sudan</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/air-serv-expands-operations-to-sudan-and-south-sudan/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 09 Aug 2019 20:42:17 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Companies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Air Serv]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[South Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=44853</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Air Serv is expanding operations in eastern Africa with the deployment of two aircraft to Sudan and South Sudan. Two Cessna Grand Caravans have departed Entebbe, destined for Juba, South Sudan and Darfur, Sudan respectively. These will be the second and third Air Serv aircraft to be based in the region, joining a plane based […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/air-serv-expands-operations-to-sudan-and-south-sudan/">Air Serv expands operations to Sudan and South Sudan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>Air Serv is expanding operations in eastern Africa with the deployment of two aircraft to Sudan and South Sudan.</h3> <p>Two Cessna Grand Caravans have departed Entebbe, destined for Juba, South Sudan and Darfur, Sudan respectively. These will be the second and third Air Serv aircraft to be based in the region, joining a plane based in Wau earlier this year.</p> <p>The two countries have experienced political and economic instability, violence, drought, famine, and tribal warfare over the past two decades, resulting in a population of over five million refugees and internally displaced people.</p> <p>The Darfur-based aircraft will support programs providing shelter, food, and medical services to these communities.</p> <p>In a separate mission, the Juba-based aircraft will be supporting medical response programs. An Ebola outbreak, which now has a death toll quickly nearing 2,000 in bordering Democratic Republic of the Congo, was confirmed last month to have penetrated the city of Goma, a major transit point.</p> <p>The neighboring country of Uganda remains free of the virus, although the deaths of three infected people who crossed the border on foot were confirmed in June.</p> <p>As one of only two aircraft in Juba dedicated to this mission and the only fixed wing airplane, the Caravan will be critically positioned to respond should the epidemic continue to spread.</p> <p>Air Serv crews and staff are working with the World Health Organization to learn proper handling of patients and transport procedures, making the company one of the only air operators specifically trained and experienced in Ebola response in the region.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.airserv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.airserv.org</a></strong></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/air-serv-expands-operations-to-sudan-and-south-sudan/">Air Serv expands operations to Sudan and South Sudan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Sudan generals, protesters in landmark deal on new governing body</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudan-generals-protesters-in-landmark-deal-on-new-governing-body/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 05 Jul 2019 11:51:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sudan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=43691</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Crowds of jubilant Sudanese took to the streets of Khartoum on Friday to celebrate a landmark deal between protest leaders and the country’s ruling generals aimed at turning the page on months of political unrest. The power-sharing deal, reached in the early hours after two days of hard-won talks brokered by Ethiopian and African Union […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudan-generals-protesters-in-landmark-deal-on-new-governing-body/">Sudan generals, protesters in landmark deal on new governing body</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="line textcontent_img watermark"> <h3>Crowds of jubilant Sudanese took to the streets of Khartoum on Friday to celebrate a landmark deal between protest leaders and the country’s ruling generals aimed at turning the page on months of political unrest.</h3> <p>The power-sharing deal, reached in the early hours after two days of hard-won talks brokered by Ethiopian and African Union mediators, came after a previous round of negotiations collapsed in May over who should lead the new body — a civilian or soldier.</p> </div> <p>“The two sides agreed on establishing a sovereign council with a rotating military and civilian (presidency) for a period of three years or little more,” African Union mediator Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt told reporters.</p> <p>Sudan has been gripped by political deadlock since the generals ousted longtime president Omar al-Bashir in a palace coup in April following months of mass protests nationwide.</p> <p>“We want to reassure all political forces and armed movements and all those who took part in the change… that this agreement is all-inclusive and does not exclude anyone,” the ruling military council’s number two, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said after the deal was reached.</p> <div class="line textcontent_img watermark"> <div class="w50 right ml1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="w100" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.afp.com/sites/default/files/nfs/diff-intra/english/shared/top/6450e2821696e3674344ec0e65e3b24e6a2732b3.jpg?w=696&ssl=1"></div> <div class="w50 right ml1"><span class="copyright_under"><strong>The deputy head of Sudan’s ruling military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, promises that the landmark deal with protest leaders will “not exclude anyone”</strong><br /> </span></div> <p>Tension between the two sides had soared after a brutal raid on a longstanding protest camp outside army headquarters in Khartoum that killed dozens of demonstrators and wounded hundreds on June 3.</p> <p>Lebatt did not specify the exact make-up of the new ruling body, but prominent protest leader Ahmed al-Rabie told AFP it would comprise six civilians, five of them protest movement nominees, and five military representatives.</p> </div> <p>The Sudanese Professionals Association, which took the lead in organising the long months of protests, said a final draft of the agreement would be ready for signing by the two sides by Monday.</p> <p>It said the transition would last three years and three months, and confirmed: “The first 21 months will be presided by the military: the last 18 months will be presided by the civilians.”</p> <p>– ‘Blood not shed in vain’ –</p> <p>The eagerly waited deal triggered celebrations on the streets of Khartoum from before dawn into Friday.</p> <p>Chants of “the martyrs’ blood has not been shed in vain” and “civilian rule, civilian rule,” reverberated around the city as security forces kep a low profile, an AFP correspondent reported.</p> <p>“Today we can say that our revolution has embarked on the right path in achieving our goals,” said north Khartoum resident Somaiya Hassan.</p> <div class="line textcontent_img watermark"> <div class="w50 left mr1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="w100" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.afp.com/sites/default/files/nfs/diff-intra/english/shared/top/654c406a722b3e78b8ae71138ade25b86a7bb135.jpg?w=696&ssl=1"></div> <div class="w50 left mr1"><span class="copyright_under"><strong>Sudanese women have been at the forefront of the protests</strong></span></div> <p>“I think we will be able to change the horrible situation of our people,” she said, as fellow residents flashed victory signs and waved national flags.</p> <p>The deal was swiftly welcomed by the United Arab Emirates, which like other Gulf Arab states has been sympathetic to the ruling generals.</p> </div> <p>“We hope that the next phase will be the establishment of a strong constitutional system that strengthens the role of institutions,” UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>The latest round of talks had resumed Wednesday after Ethiopian and African Union mediators put forward a draft proposal to break the deadlock.</p> <p>– ‘Independent’ probe –</p> <p>The blueprint proposes that a general hold the presidency of the governing body for the first 18 months of a three-year transition, with a civilian taking over for the rest.</p> <p>However, in a sign of the hurdles that may yet lie ahead, it remained unclear if both sides had signed off on the military holding the presidency first.</p> <p>Lebatt said the two sides had agreed to postpone the establishment of a transitional parliament.</p> <p>Before talks collapsed in May, the generals and protest leaders had agreed on a 300-member legislature, with two-thirds of lawmakers to be from the protest movement.</p> <div class="line textcontent_img watermark"> <div class="w50 right ml1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="w100" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.afp.com/sites/default/files/nfs/diff-intra/english/shared/top/587b4eee11ea85437c039abe46888f68152f4017.jpg?w=696&ssl=1"></div> <div class="w50 right ml1"><span class="copyright_under"><strong>Sudanese celebrate on the streets as word spreads in the early hours of the deal, which also provides for an “independent investigation” into protest deaths</strong><br /> </span></div> <p>Lebatt said the two sides have also “agreed to have a detailed, transparent, national, independent investigation into all the regrettable violent incidents that the country faced in recent weeks,” including the June 3 raid.</p> <p>At least 136 people have been killed nationwide since June 3, including more than 100 on the day of the raid, according to doctors close to umbrella protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change.</p> </div> <p>The health ministry says 78 people have been killed nationwide.</p> <p>The military council insists it did not order the violent dispersal of the sit-in, although witnesses have said the raid was carried out by men in military fatigues.</p> <p>On Sunday, protest leaders managed to mobilise tens of thousands of supporters in the first mass protest against the generals since the raid.</p> <p>The mass rally had been seen as a test for the protest leaders’ ability to mobilise crowds after the generals imposed a widespread internet blackout and deployed security forces in numbers in the capital and its twin city Omdurman.</p> <p>On Thursday, hundreds of schoolchildren held protests in the towns of Madani, Gadaref and Sinnar chanting “civilian rule, civilian rule”, witnesses said.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Source : AFP</h4> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/sudan-generals-protesters-in-landmark-deal-on-new-governing-body/">Sudan generals, protesters in landmark deal on new governing body</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>