Sudan's Al Burhan grants wider powers to security forces amid growing opposition


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Sudan's army chief and coup leader, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, issued a decree on Sunday authorising security forces and agencies to carry out home searches, surveillance and detention of suspects under the state of emergency he declared when he seized power two months ago.

The decree, a copy of which was seen by The National, also grants immunity from prosecution to members of the security forces and agencies while carrying out these duties.

Their validity of the additional powers will cease when the state of nationwide emergency is lifted, according to the decree, a senior security official familiar with the matter said.

The wide-ranging powers given to the security forces and agencies on Sunday come as Gen Al Burhan's military rule is being met with growing opposition from pro-democracy groups demanding a civilian government and an end to the military's political role.

At least 48 protesters have been killed and hundreds injured during anti-military rallies held since the October 25 coup, which has been internationally condemned.

Security forces and agencies had similar powers under dictator Omar Al Bashir, who was removed by army generals in April 2019 after four months of street protests against his 29-year rule.

The transitional government that took office after his removal stripped security forces and agencies from these powers, leaving the agencies with the sole task of gathering intelligence and banning police arrests without judicial warrants.

Activists at the weekend said security agents had stormed the homes of pro-democracy activists, detaining an unspecified number. Security agents had detained and later released scores of activists, politicians, journalists, trade union leaders in the weeks that followed the October 25 coup.

Security forces used tear gas, stun grenades, rubber bullets and live rounds when they confronted tens of thousands of protesters in Khartoum on Saturday. EPA
Security forces used tear gas, stun grenades, rubber bullets and live rounds when they confronted tens of thousands of protesters in Khartoum on Saturday. EPA

Medics linked to the pro-democracy movement, meanwhile, said on Sunday that 178 people were injured during anti-military rallies the previous day. Eight of them suffered wounds caused by live rounds.

Sudanese authorities said 58 police officers were injured during the protests and 114 others were detained and would face prosecution.

Witnesses said security forces used tear gas, stun grenades, rubber bullets and live rounds when they confronted tens of thousands of protesters in Khartoum on Saturday.

The rallies were in protest against the October coup and urging the military to quit politics altogether.

At least 48 protesters have been killed since army chief Gen Al Burhan seized power on October 25. Hundreds have been injured.

Gen Al Burhan says his coup was meant to correct the country’s democratic transition nearly three years after authoritarian ruler Omar Al Bashir was removed. The coup, he maintains, was designed to save Sudan from sliding into civil war.

On Sunday, doctors aligned with the pro-democracy movement said security forces had chased injured protesters into hospitals, where they fired stun grenades and tear gas, and terrorised medical staff attending to the wounded.

They said some of the wounded were injured while in hospital and that security forces acted in a similar way in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan.

Thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied two months after a military takeover. AFP
Thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied two months after a military takeover. AFP

“We call upon the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the European Union, the African Union and all international entities and diplomatic allies to stand by the people of Sudan in their quest for freedom, peace and Justice,” the medics said.

The Forces for Freedom and Change, a pro-democracy alliance of political parties and professional and trade unions, said it had made significant progress in talks to unite all opposition movements in a single “popular front”.

It called for the Sudanese to take part in a new round of rallies against military rule planned for Thursday.

“We value our people’s diligent commitment to face the coup and insist on downing it,” it said.

“We renew our adherence to the slogans of our glorious revolution and the creation of a fully civilian authority. Victory will come even if it takes time to arrive.”

Gen Al Burhan has reinstated Abdalla Hamdok, the prime minister he dismissed and placed under house arrest on October 25. But his decision, on November 21, has fuelled protests and cost the prime minister, a British-educated economist, much of his credibility.

The US and the World Bank, two of Khartoum’s main foreign donors, suspended aid worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

More recently, the US, Britain and other western powers demanded that authorities investigate reports that women who took part in pro-democracy rallies on December 19 were raped. Members of the security forces are blamed for the assaults.

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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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'Moonshot'

Director: Chris Winterbauer

Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse 

Rating: 3/5

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

The%20specs
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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.

INVESTMENT PLEDGES

Cartlow: $13.4m

Rabbitmart: $14m

Smileneo: $5.8m

Soum: $4m

imVentures: $100m

Plug and Play: $25m

Race card

4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m

5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m

5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m

6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m

6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m

7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m

The National selections:

4pm Zabardast

4.35pm Ibn Malik

5.10pm Space Blues

5.45pm Kimbear

6.20pm Barney Roy

6.55pm Matterhorn

7.30pm Defoe

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

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Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Scoreline

Switzerland 5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.

Favourite car: Lamborghini

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. 

Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

THE LOWDOWN

Romeo Akbar Walter

Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher 

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 592bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Price: Dh980,000

On sale: now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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While you're here
It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

FIXTURES

Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan

The top two teams qualify for the World Cup

Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.

Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff

Brief scores:

Toss: South Africa, chose to field

Pakistan: 177 & 294

South Africa: 431 & 43-1

Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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If you go

The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates


The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
 

When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season

Scoreline

Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)

Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)

What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Updated: December 26, 2021, 5:35 PM`