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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 15 January 2021

Sudanese protesters rally, demand detention centers closed

By NOHA ELHENNAWY cused the Janjaweed of Separately, Lt. Gen. Shams
Associated Press committing war crimes, in- el-Din Kabashi, a member
CAIRO (AP) — Dozens of Su- cluding raping and killing of Sudan’s ruling sovereign
danese rallied in the capi- civilians and burning down council met Thursday in
tal, Khartoum, on Thursday villages. Cairo with Egypt’s President
to demand the closure of il- The force is led by power- Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as both
legal detention centers fol- ful Sudanese Gen. Moham- countries face strained re-
lowing the alleged tortur- med Hamdan Dagalo, who lations with Ethiopia over its
ing and killing of a man by is also the deputy head of building of a controversial
a paramilitary force whose the ruling sovereign coun- dam on the Blue Nile.
members once formed the cil. In response of Nouri’s El-Sissi and Kabashi agreed
backbone of a militia ac- death, Daglo said that he to “continue their coordi-
cused of war crimes in Dar- had removed immunity for nated efforts” to resolve
fur. all suspected force mem- the dispute amd also dis-
The death of Bahaa el-Din bers to allow for an unhin- cussed the situation along
Nouri, snatched last month dered investigation. the Sudanese-Ethiopian
while sitting at a coffee A demonstrator gives the victory sign during a protest, in Since al-Bashir’s ouster, Da- borders, which have re-
shop last month, has re- Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. Associated Press galo has emerged as Su- cently witnessed sporadic
ignited debate over the dan’s main powerbroker, military confrontations be-
mandate of Sudan’s Rap- only the Sudanese police Goma, said the intelligence with his forces deployed tween the two neighboring
id Support Forces, which retain the right to detain chief and officers involved in areas across the capi- countries.
activists have long held people “according to due in Nouri’s detention and tal and other main cities. In the past two months, Su-
responsible for several hu- process.” interrogation have been Sudan is currently led by a dan’s military has deployed
man rights violations. Nouri was taken on Dec. 16 suspended or detained, joint military-civilian gov- troops to the border areas
Men and women held from the Kalakla neighbor- pending an investigation ernment. with Ethiopia and said it re-
up Nouri’s photographs, hood in southern Khartoum into his death. Thursday’s protest comes claimed territories for years
forming a human chain by men in plainclothes rid- Public Prosecutor Taj al- against the backdrop of controlled by Ethiopian mili-
in downtown Khartoum ing in a vehicle without li- Ser Ali al-Hebr said that brewing tension between tias and farmers. This devel-
from the office of Sudan’s cense plates, his family has the autopsy confirmed the military and civilian opment came on the heels
general prosecutor to the said. His body showed up the 42-year-old electrician members of Sudan’s tran- of the eruption of a civil
Cabinet. Many protesters five days later at a hospital died of injuries consistent sitional government. Ten- war in neighboring Ethiopia
also raised banners read- morgue. with being tortured. sions have largely cen- where government forces
ing: “No to enforced disap- The family refused to take “We, as lawyers, hope that tered on the Sudanese have been fighting local
pearances.” it for immediate burial after people can stand together military’s economic assets, forces in the Tigray region
The rally was called for by seeing signs of apparent along with the police and over which the civilian-run since early November.
the Sudanese Professionals’ beating and torture, ac- the army against deten- finance ministry does not The conflict spilled over
Association, which spear- cording to Nouri’s brother, tions and extra-judicial kill- have control. the border into Sudan last
headed the popular upris- Yasser. ings,” said Ghada Abbas The government has been month. At least five Suda-
ing that led to the ouster of Culture and Information Ahmed, a lawyer who took struggling with a huge nese women and a child
longtime autocrat Omar al- Minister Faisal Moham- part in the protest. budget deficit and wide- were killed in an attack
Bashir in April 2019. med Saleh, who is also the The Rapid Support Forces is spread shortages of essen- Monday inside Sudan by
Ammar al-Baqer, a mem- government spokesman, largely comprised of former tial goods, including fuel, Ethiopian militias, the Suda-
ber of the association, said said an initial investigation Janjaweed militiamen who bread and medicines. An- nese foreign ministry said.
the protest aims to reiterate showed Nouri died during have carried out a brutal nual inflation has soared The Tigray fighting has also
his group’s demands that interrogation by the Rapid crackdown in Sudan’s Dar- past 200% in the past sent over 60,000 Ethiopian
“all illegal detention cen- Support Forces. The force’s fur region under al-Bashir. months as prices of bread refugees into Sudan, mostly
ters” be closed and that spokesman, Gen. Gamal Rights groups have ac- and other staples surged. into al-Qadarif.q

Hong Kong internet firm blocked website over security law

provider on Thursday said it “We have disabled the PCCW spokesman said it
had blocked access to a access to the website in had no comment on the
pro-democracy website to compliance with the re- matter.Chan advised Hong
comply with the city’s na- quirement issued under the Kongers to “make early
tional security law. National Security Law. The preparations to counter
In a statement emailed action was taken on 13 Jan future Internet blockage
on Thursday, Hong Kong PM,” the company said. at a larger scale, and to
Broadband Network said The chief editor of the site, face the darkness before
that it had disabled ac- Naomi Chan, said in a post dawn.”
cess to HKChronicles, a last week that users in Hong The move to block HK-
website which compiled Kong reported the site as in- Chronicles has intensified
information on “yellow” accessible. Chan accused concerns that Beijing is as-
shops that had supported telecoms companies such serting more control over
the city’s pro-democracy as SmarTone, China Mobile the city and breaking its
movement and released Hong Kong, PCCW and promise of letting the for-
personal information and Hong Kong Broadband mer British colony main-
This photo shows the main page of HKChronicles website, seen pictures of police and pro- Network of blocking the tain separate civil rights
in Yokohama, Japan, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. Beijing supporters as part website. and political systems for 50
Associated Press
of a doxxing effort during China Mobile Hong Kong years after the communist-
By ZEN SOO HONG KONG (AP) — A anti-government protests in and SmarTone did not im- ruled mainland took over in
Associated Press Hong Kong internet service 2019. mediately comment. A 1997.q