Police in Sudan’s capital Khartoum used tear gas on Thursday to disperse demonstrators marking an uprising 38 years ago against dictator Jaafar Al Nimeiri amid uncertainty over the signing of a long-awaited deal to restore the country’s democratic transition derailed by a 2021 military coup.
Witnesses said the demonstrators were in the low hundreds but their number was likely to rise later in the evening. The clashes happened near the centre of Khartoum, home to the Nile-side Republican palace and the headquarters of the armed forces.
There were no reports immediately available on whether there were casualties.
The deal between the military and pro-democracy groups would install a civilian-led government, remove the military from politics and reform the armed forces, police and security forces. The signing was scheduled for April 1 but postponed to April 6 before being delayed once again.
The main pro-democracy group negotiating with the military said on Thursday that the only outstanding issue was how to go about reforming the military and security agencies.
“The negotiations have made progress on several issues but only one issue remains unresolved,” the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) said.
That was a thinly veiled reference to what many in Sudan believe to be a deadlock over the integration of the powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary into the armed forces.
RSF commander Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo is believed to be reluctant to sacrifice the autonomy of his force, which has its roots in the Janjaweed militia that fought on the side of the government against rebels in Darfur in the 2000s.
The RSF has since morphed into a major force, boasting 100,000, well-armed and combat seasoned men, independently procuring its arms abroad and hiring foreign military advisers. It has vast economic interests, including gold mining.
Sudan’s military ruler, army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, insists that he will not sign off on any deal that does not clearly spell out a timeline for the integration of the RSF.
A military source familiar with the negotiations said RSF representatives wanted the paramilitary to be under the command of the civilian prime minister, who will take charge of the 24-month transitional period before elections are held. The military, according to the source, wanted it to be under the direct command of the army chief.
The technical committee looking into the issue will hold its next meeting on Sunday, said the source.
Generals Al Burhan and Dagalo led the October 2021 coup, but Gen Dagalo later said the power grab did not realise its declared aims and served as a gateway for supporters of former dictator Omar Al Bahsir to make a political comeback.
The FFC and other pro-democracy groups called for Thursday's demonstrations to mark the 1985 uprising against Al Nimeiri, which paved the way for the military to seize power and hand it over to an elected government a year later.
Al Nimeiri seized power in a 1969 military coup that toppled a democratically elected government. Al Bashir, also a career soldier, seized power in a coup 20 years later.
The FFC urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and demanded that security forces protect participants, apparently against possible attacks by Al Bashir loyalists.
The Khartoum branch of the Resistance Committees also called for demonstrations later on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear how big Thursday's demonstrations would be, but civilians have in recent months shown little appetite for street protests, possibly out of fatigue or fear of violence by security forces.
Security forces have killed more than 120 people and injured 6,000 during protests held since the 2021 coup, according to UN figures.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
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Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
more from Janine di Giovanni
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The biog
Age: 46
Number of Children: Four
Hobby: Reading history books
Loves: Sports
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
