U.S. and European media

February 12, 2023

Reuters: Sudan's Bashir unlikely to win vote outright: Carter.  Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is unlikely to win outright in April's first democratic elections in 24 years, forcing a second round of voting, former President Jimmy Carter said on Thursday.  His Carter Center is the only monitoring mission to have followed Sudan's elections from the outset, but will be joined for the April polling by observer teams from the European Union, the African Union, China and others.

Reuters: Sudan should lift Darfur security constraints: UN.  Sudan should amend security legislation to protect freedom of speech and assembly in its conflict-torn Darfur region ahead of a nationwide election in April, a senior U.N. official said on Thursday.  Dmitry Titov, an assistant secretary-general in the U.N. peacekeeping department, told the U.N. Security Council that freedom of speech and assembly are "essential for effective campaigning" in Sudan's first democratic poll in 24 years.

Freedom Newspaper: Gambia Deploys 180 Peacekeepers To Darfur.  Few hours before their departure from the country, Gambia's peacekeeping soldiers deployed to the troubled region of Sudan were advised to serve as Ambassadors for The Gambia - by complimenting sub-regional efforts in restoring peace in the war ravaged nation Darfur. At least 189 Gambian soldiers are taking part in the peace mission. This is the tenth batch of Gambia soldiers to be deployed in Darfur - known as GAM COY. 

Reuters: UN peacekeepers should stay in Chad - rights group.  Rights group Amnesty International urged Chad on Thursday to reverse its decision to order U.N. troops out of the country, warning that their departure would put hundreds of thousands of people at risk.  Chad's president, Idriss Deby, has asked the U.N. Security Council not to renew the mandate of the MINURCAT border monitoring mission in the east of the country. He said earlier this week the force had not fully deployed and was unable to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians.