DECEMBER 2018 - FEBRUARY 2019 BRIEFING

HumanitarianJUNE Figures-AUGUST BRIEFINGHighlights 2018

5.7 million > Protests continue without pause after the Third Sudanese People are living at emergency Revolution broke out in December levels of food insecurity in Sudan, according to the World > A state of emergency is declared in February as President Bashir Food Programme. Blue dissolves federal and state governments and South Kordofan were listed as two of the worst affected > An open-ended cessation of hostilities in Sudan’s Two Areas is announced as demonstrations engulf Sudan states.

5.5 million Key Developments

People in Sudan are estimated to require humanitarian > In February, President Omar al Bashir pledged to repeal repressive assistance over the course of laws that ‘target women and curb freedom of expression’. Under the 2019, including 2.6 million Public Order Acts, Sudanese women have for decades faced arrest children, according to a for “indecent” dress or “immoral” behaviour, crimes which carried December report by OCHA punishments of fines and lashes. In his pledge to commit to 150 - 200 % democratic reform, Bashir also announced the release of journalists detained during the protests. Increase in prices for wheat, millet and sorghum as > The Sudanese Government has pledged to facilitate humanitarian households across Sudan, work in South Kordofan, stating it is still waiting for the Sudan including most IDPs, struggle to People’s Liberation Movement/ North (SPLM-N) to respond to the meet bas ic living needs, UN Humanitarian Proposal which was put forward in September according to an Assessment 2018. A federal delegation from the committee on the Capacities Report sourced by implementation of humanitarian work arrived in South Kordofan in Relief Web February to assess the situation in the state. 4.3 million People have been targeted for > Protesters in Sudan have shown resilience and unprecedented humanitarian assistance as solidarity in their fight to win freedoms and rights as nationwide humanitarian crisis continues demonstrations against the autocratic rule of president Al-Bashir in Sudan, according to OCHA show no sign of abating. The uprising of people in Sudan are united ‘more than ever demanding change that seems inevitable even if the report sourced by Relief Web regime rules it out’, according to expert Mahmoud Suleiman.

Key Individuals, Context: Places and Conflict between Sudanese Arabs and Indigenous African tribes Groups emerged in reaction to decades of ethnic and religious persecution in Sudan. Adhering to Sharia Law and the government in , 97 per Khartoum: capital › cent of the Republic of Sudan practice Sunni Islam, while Christian city, centre of minorities and those following different divisions of Islam are government and of marginalised in fragile conflict states in the south. commerce … President Omar al-Bashir was convicted by the International Criminal Omar al-Bashir: › Court for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his President of Sudan actions in Darfur that killed 300,000 indigenous Africans. Since the start 1989 – Present ...... of the civil war, which resulted in the split of South Sudan into a › UNAMID : The separate nation in 2011, an estimated 2 million civilians have been killed United Nations African under the scorched earth policy which destroyed health facilities, Union Mission in infrastructure, and places of education and religious worship. Darfur The government continues to restrict religious freedoms: violent conflict › ICC : International Criminal Committee has erupted in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, amongst many other (International tribunal states, as ethnic minorities are locked into political dispute with in the Netherlands) Khartoum. Humanitarian organisations and aid agencies are refused entry in conflict zones. Food scarcity, displacement, and ongoing threats of religious and ethnic persecution affect many minority communities.

A Map of the Republic of Sudan Demographics ……… Sudanese Arabs account for 70% of the total population. The minority is made up groups such as Nuba, Copts and Beja, and peoples belonging to more than 500 other tribes. The current estimate of Sudan’s post- independence population is placed at 41.5 million. Projections suggest that one million live in Blue Nile, representing more than 40 ethnic groups, and 2.5 million people account for the multi-ethnic population of South Kordofan.

Latest Developments in Sudan – Timeline of Protests December 19th . The National Congress Party Headquarters in Atbara is burned down in protest of rising prices of bread and high living costs, marking the first event of the Third Revolution protests in Sudan. January 8th . The US, Britain, Norway and Canada issued a statement that they are “appalled by reports of deaths and serious injury to those exercising their legitimate right to protest, as well as reports of the use of live ammunition against protesters”. January 9th . President Bashir refuses to step down, telling a thousand-strong gathering of his supporters that he would only step down “through election”. January 11th . The office of EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling for the release of activists and political detainees, asking Khartoum to ensure the right for freedom of assembly, association and expression and to refrain from violence. January 12th . Armed groups made the decision to postpone Darfur peace talks in support of Sudan’s uprising. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader Gibril Ibrahim said: “We cannot betray the Sudanese Revolution at this critical moment”. January 18th . MPs call for the UK Government to protect Sudanese protesters, calling the killings ‘troublingly reminiscent’ of atrocities committed by the regime in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. January 30th . The President’s home town, Shendi, which was long seen as one of Bashir’s firmest powerbases and his tribe’s main town, engages in protests and claim that Sudan needs a new president. February 7th . February 7th marks the 50th day of protests as masses continue to rally against Bashir’s regime. The demonstration in Khartoum was the largest ever organised in the city. February 22nd . President Omar Al Bashir declared a State of Emergency which will come into force in a year. In a speech at the Presidential Palace, Omar al Bashir announced the suspension of constitutional amendment procedures, which will allow him to run for a new term. . Bashir dissolves federal and state governments and appoints high-ranking police and military officers as the new Walis of the states. February 24th . Protesters ralled against state of emergency as police clashes were recorded in Omduran. Opposition leaders in Khartoum, Jabra and Medani defied the state of emergency order, calling on supporters to continue daily demonstrations until al-Bashir resigns. . New Prime Minister, Mohamed Tahir Ela, is sworn in. Al Bashir has left the country’s current defence, foreign and justice ministers in place.

February 25th . The UN expresses deep concern over Bashir’s declaration of a one-year nationwide state of emergency, calling for an inclusive political process towards elections where Sudanese people can exercise their rights.