U.S. and European media

March 18, 2023

Reuters: Sudan signs deal with second Darfur rebel group.  Sudan signed a ceasefire deal with a second Darfur rebel group on Thursday, part of a government push to resolve the conflict in Sudan's violent west before elections next month. Government officials signed the deal with the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), an umbrella group of small factions, in Qatar, weeks after Khartoum inked a now faltering accord with Darfur's powerful insurgent Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The Economist: They're off.  How the government is stacking the odds in its favor.  CAMPAIGNING is under way for the country's first real multi-party elections since 1986, due to be held on April 11th. Voters, opposition politicians and foreign governments, all seemingly united in their dislike of President Omar al-Bashir, had hoped that these polls would bring about a "democratic transformation" of the country. But there is every sign the Sudanese will have to wait quite a bit longer for genuinely fair elections.

Associated Press: Kidnapped Red Cross worker freed in Darfur.  A French aid worker kidnapped in Darfur five months ago was freed Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the French government said.  Gauthier Lefevre was freed close to al-Geneina, the West Darfur capital, and was in good health, the ICRC said. He was taken hostage near the city on Oct. 22 by an unidentified group while working to help local communities upgrade water supply systems.

Reuters: Sudan oil figures stoke suspicions: report.  Campaigners said on Wednesday they had fresh evidence of discrepancies in Sudanese oil production data that meant Khartoum could be underpaying its strife-torn south by millions of dollars.  The report by UK-based Global Witness could stoke north- south tensions weeks ahead of Sudan's April national elections and less than a year before a highly charged referendum on southern secession.

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