The Sudan Crisis Has Reached A Key Infection Point
By UN Dispatch. Sudan is at a crossroads. In April, popular protests in Khartoum lead to the ouster of the country’s longtime ruler, Omar al Bashir. He was toppled in a coup by military leaders. But the peaceful protests did not stop. Rather, the protesters held their ground and rallied outside the headquarters of the military junta demanding that civilians — not the military — lead the transition to democracy.
The standoff between the military council and civilian protesters held firm until early June, when a paramilitary group known as the Rapid support forces, or RSF, attacked the protesters, killing over 100. The protests were dispersed and a general strike ensued. (Read more from “The Sudan Crisis Has Reached a Key Infection Point” HERE)
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Sudan Crisis: U.S. Appoints Envoy Head as Death Toll Climbs to 129
By UPI. The United States appointed the head of a new special envoy to Sudan Wednesday as opposition forces report dozens of people have been raped and over 120 people have been killed following last week’s military crackdown on protests.
The State Department said in a statement it appointed Ambassador Donald Booth to head a special envoy for Sudan to lead “U.S. efforts to support a political solution to the current crisis that reflects the will of the Sudanese people.”
Booth, who served as U.S. special envoy for Sudan during the Obama administration, was dispatched to accompany Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Tibor Nagy to meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.
Nagy was dispatched Monday by the State Department to speak with leaders of the ruling Transitional Military Council and Forces for Freedom and Change to “call for a cessation of attacks against civilians and urger parties” to return to talks.
The opposition Sudanese Professionals Association said Wednesday that its leaders met with the envoy and agreed that the power of the country should be transferred to civilian rule, welcomed Ethiopia to continue mediations between the two parties, hold the military responsible “for the massacre” and to begin an international investigation commission for fact-finding to bring the perpetrators to justice. (Read more from “Sudan Crisis: U.S. Appoints Envoy Head as Death Toll Climbs to 129” HERE)
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