U.S. and European media

December 8, 2022

OneWorld.net: Darfuri writer honoured.  The Save Darfur Coalition is honoring Halima Bashir as part of an initiative associated with the internationally-observed "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence."  Halima Bashir is the author of "Tears of the Desert", an account of her experiences and the ongoing violence in Darfur. "Halima Bashir is a courageous woman and a powerful writer," said Niemat Ahmadi a genocide survivor and liaison to the Darfuri diaspora community at the Save Darfur Coalition. "By connecting her audiences to the suffering in Darfur and Sudan, she has been able to amplify the courageous voices and stories of survivors of sexual violence."  The Save Darfur Coalition is asking that activists observe the 13th day of the campaign by reading Halima Bashir's book, Tears of the Desert, with their book clubs and using an adaptation of the Random House reader's guide to prompt discussion.

CNN: U.N. chief talks with Sudan president on crisis.  The U.N. chief phoned Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been charged with crimes against humanity, for the "sole purpose of an urgent humanitarian matter," the international body said Monday.  Ban Ki-moon urged al-Bashir to use "direct engagement" in securing the release of two men who have been held hostage for 100 days -- one of whom has fallen "gravely ill." The two men were part of the joint United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur when they were abducted at gunpoint on August 29.  "The situation is critical," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters at a Monday briefing. "The president assured the secretary-general that everything possible was being done," he added.  The weekend attacks coincided with a Security Council briefing Friday by the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor on the continuing violence in Darfur and the lack of cooperation with investigators by al-Bashir and his government.

AP: UN Condemns Sudan Crackdown on Pro-Reform Rally.  The U.N. and a U.S. advocacy group warned that the detention of three senior southern Sudanese politicians during a crackdown Monday on pro-reform protesters in Khartoum could undermine the country's upcoming elections and its fragile north-south peace deal.  Police fired tear gas and used batons to break up a rally in the Sudanese capital that saw thousands calling for reforms ahead of April's presidential and national elections.  Authorities had banned the gathering and deployed security and military troops in and around the suburb of Omdurman ahead of the event.  The protest was organized by the main southern Sudan's People Liberation Movement, and several northern opposition parties. They called on President Omar al-Bashir's ruling northern party to amend laws necessary to ensure free and fair elections.

Reuters: Ex Darfur rebels detain men over peacekeeper killing.  Former Darfur rebels said on Tuesday they had detained three men suspected of killing two Rwandan peacekeepers in a shoot-out that soured relations between Khartoum and Kigali.  Two Rwandan members of the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region were shot dead as they distributed water in a refugee camp in the settlement of Shangil Tobay on Saturday.  A day earlier, three other Rwandan peacekeepers were killed in an ambush as they escorted a water tanker near the North Darfur settlement of Saraf Omra.  Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Khartoum needed to explain the double attack, and how the shootings had happened so close to Sudanese army positions.

The Darfur Daily News is a service of the Save Darfur Coalition. To subscribe to the Daily News, please email [email protected]. For media inquiries, please contact Ashley Roberts at (202) 478-6181, or [email protected].