Arabic Media

August 23, 2023

Source: Al Rai (Government-friendly, Jordanian daily enjoys wide circulation)
Headline: Police Assault on Darfur Camp Raises a lot of Protest

• Sudanese news agency said that police arrested 19 people in restive Kalima camp in Darfur for their role in two attacks against police, which killed one policeman and injured eight
• Sudan Liberation Movement spokesperson said the assault on Kalima camp was a clear indication that the Sudanese government wants war rather than peace in Darfur
• Abu Sharrad, camp spokesperson, denied the arrested people had any ties to the attacks on police, and added that 5 people were wounded and 30 were arrested in the assault, in addition to 30 tents were destroyed and 175 homes ransacked
• Abu Sharrad also criticized AU and UN for not responding to their urgent calls for help
• Nouri Adbullah, one Sudan Liberation Movement spokesperson, said that Sudanese army used 35 all terrain vehicles and 1,500 troops in the assault and killed 5 people including two children and arrested about 40 rebels. 
• These figures were not confirmed by any independent source

Source: Al Jazeera (Leading Arabic News Channel, headquartered in Qatar)
Headline: Negotiations between Khartoum and Darfur Rebels Getting Closer

• AU envoy Salim Ahmed Salim, who met with Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lam Akul, said he expects peace negotiations to start at the beginning of October
• UN Secretary General to visit Sudan in September to prod along a speedy deployment of Darfur peacekeeping hybrid force
• Ali Sadiq, Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson, said the government was ready for peace talks adding that Abuja agreement will form the basis of these talks

Meanwhile, six Asian ambassadors- India, Pakistan, Indonesia, China, South Korea, and Japan - concluded a three-day-visit to Darfur:

• They said the security and humanitarian conditions have improved
• They urged the international community to continue its support for peace talks to resolve the conflict as soon as possible

Source: Al Hayat (Saudi-owned Pan-Arab daily with wide circulation)
Headline: Sudan Rejects UN Accusations that Its Supporters Were Responsible for Mass Rape in Darfur
By: Annour Ahmed Annour

• Top UN human rights office accused Popular Defense Forces militia and Abu Gasim faction, which are allied with Sudanese government of mass abduction and rape of women and girls, acts it said could constitute war crimes

• The UN report was based on victims and witnesses and called on Sudanese government to investigate allegation of sexual enslavement of 50 women after an attack on the village of Deribat in Jabal Marra last December
• The abducted women included young girls and were held for about a month
• The report concluded that the Sudanese government bore responsibility for the abuses committed by the official Popular Defense Forces militia and Abu Gasim faction.
• Sudanese Minister of Justice Mohamed Ali Al Mardhi dismissed out of hand all genocide and rape reports as a sign of jealousy and hate and doing the bidding of the United States against Sudan.

Meanwhile, demonstrations broke out in Kalima camp in protest of police assault which resulted in two deaths and many people arrested:

• Camp spokesperson Hassan Abu Sharrad said demonstrations would continue till government violations stop
• Police official Omar Mohamed Ali said 19 suspects were arrested in connection with last week’s attacks which killed two of his men
• Nouri Adbullah, one Sudan Liberation Movement spokesperson, said that Sudanese army used 35 all terrain vehicles and 1,500 troops in the assault and killed 5 people including two children and arrested about 40 rebels. 
• These figures were not confirmed by any independent source

Source: Al Masry Al Youm (Independent Egyptian Daily with increasing circulation)
Headline: British Muslims to Organize a Large Festival to Assist Darfur

• Muslims in Britain will organize large festival in London on October 12th to increase the general public’s awareness of the humanitarian conditions in Darfur
• The festival’s goal is to get 1.5 million Muslims in Britain to get involved in humanitarian activities and especially to help Darfur victims
• Malik of Islamic Relief, one of the participating organizations in this effort, said the festival will be held at the end of Ramadhan to collect money and increase support for Darfur victims
• A group of British Islamic organizations concluded a visit to Darfur to see the situation up close and decried the lack of response by Muslim countries except for Kuwait, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia
• Allam, editor of Key News magazine, regretted the apparent lack of concern and involvement by Muslims in Darfur when there is no doubt that the violence is conducted by a Muslim group against another Muslim group

Read the above in Arabic.