The UN will invite Sudanese military leaders, political parties and other groups to take part in a “political process” to end the crisis unleashed by the military takeover of their country in October.
In the weeks after the coup, UN mediation led to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok being reinstated, but his resignation on January 2 has deepened uncertainty on Sudan’s political future and a transition towards elections, scheduled for 2023.
There was incredible violence today, the situation in Omdurman has become very difficult
Sudanese protester
Neighbourhood-based resistance committees, political parties and other pro-democracy groups are campaigning under a “no negotiation” slogan, and at least 60 people have died in crackdowns by security forces.
Unless a new course towards a transition and credible elections is charted, more instability within and beyond Sudanese borders is likely, analysts and diplomats have said.
“All measures taken to date have not succeeded in restoring the course of this transformation,” UN Special Representative Volker Perthes said.
“The ... repeated violence against largely peaceful protesters has only served to deepen the mistrust among all political parties in Sudan.”
Sudan’s military, armed movements, political parties, civil society and resistance committees will be invited to participate, the UN statement said.
Security crackdowns continue
The use of lethal force to disburse protests is now a regular occurrence. Security forces shot dead three protesters and fired tear gas in Sudan on Thursday as crowds thronged the capital Khartoum and other cities in more anti-military rallies, medics and Reuters witnesses said.
The people killed on Thursday were all protesters and died from shots fired by security personnel during rallies in the cities of Omdurman and Bahri, across the River Nile from Khartoum, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.
Protesters tried once again to reach the presidential palace in the capital to keep up pressure on the military. The military has justified its actions as a “correction” needed to stabilise the transition.
It said peaceful protests are allowed and those responsible for causing casualties will be held to account.
In Omdurman, where several protesters have been killed in the past week, a protester said that security forces fired live rounds and tear gas, and ran over several protesters with armoured vehicles.
“There was incredible violence today. The situation in Omdurman has become very difficult. Our friends have died, this situation can’t please God,” one protester said.
Khartoum State’s health ministry said security forces had raided Arbaeen Hospital in Omdurman, attacking medical staff and injuring protesters. It said the forces also besieged Khartoum Teaching Hospital and fired tear gas inside the building.
In Bahri, a witness saw forces use heavy tear gas and stun grenades, with some canisters landing on houses and a school.
Protesters were prevented from reaching the bridge to Khartoum, the witness said.
In a statement, Sudanese police said: “The demonstrations witnessed a deviation from peacefulness and cases of aggression and violence by some demonstrators towards the forces present,”.
The statement said some members of the police and armed forces had been injured, and that three people had been arrested over the killing of two citizens in Omdurman.
Sixty people were arrested overall, it said.
UAE welcomes UN involvement
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK and US have welcomed the announcement that the UN is assisting discussions to resolve Sudan’s political crisis.
The countries, known as the Quad for Sudan, said: "We strongly support this UN-facilitated, Sudanese-led dialogue initiative. We urge all Sudanese political actors to seize this opportunity to restore the country’s transition to civilian democracy, in line with the 2019 Constitutional Declaration.
"We look forward to this being a result-oriented process that will guide the country towards democratic elections, in line with the Sudanese people’s manifest aspirations for freedom, democracy, peace, justice and prosperity."
MO
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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More on Coronavirus in France
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
The%20specs
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
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Price: Dh810,000
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
