2021 in Sudan explained

Events in the year 2021 in Sudan.

See also: 2021 in North Africa and 2021 in East Africa.

Incumbents

• Chairman of the Sovereignty Council: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
• Prime Minister: Abdalla Hamdok
• Deputy Chairman of the Sovereignty Council: Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo

Ongoing

• War in Darfur
• COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan

Events

January

• January 3 – Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia agree to hold further talks this month to resolve their dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.^[1]
• January 6 – Sudan and the United States sign the Abraham Accords opening a path to normalization of Sudanese-Israeli relations and settling the debt with the World Bank.^[2]
• January 16 – Fighting between Masalit people and Arab nomads in Al Geneina District leaves 84 dead and 160 wounded, including soldiers. This is two weeks after the United Nations withdrew its peacekeepers from West Darfur.^{[3] [4]}
• January 17 – The death toll in weekend fighting goes to 130 in West Darfur and dozens in South Darfur. At least 50,000 people are displaced.^[5]
• January 19 – Tensions rise along the border between Sudan and Ethiopia days after Sudan accused Ethiopia of violating its airspace.^[6] South Sudan has offered to mediate.^[7]
• January 20 – No injuries or damage reported in an attack on Governor Mohammed Abdalla al-Douma's residence in Geneina, West Darfur.^[8]
• January 24 – Police fire tear gas at dozens of people protesting about the economy in Khartoum; similar protests were held in Omdurman. Inflation reached 269% in December and Sudan has a debt of USD $60 billion. The Export–Import Bank of the United States recently gave Sudan a $1 billion loan.^[9]
• January 26 – General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Minister of Defence Yassin Ibrahim meet with Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen in Khartoum.^[10]
• January (date unknown) – Islamist Sheikh Muhammed Al-Amin Ismail condemns The Creation of Adam by Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo, displayed in a history book, as “heresy and atheism”. The book has been withdrawn from the curriculum.^[11]

February

• February 8 – Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announces a new Cabinet including Gibril Ibrahim as finance minister and ministers from the Sudan Revolutionary Front.^[12]
• February 10 – The new Cabinet is sworn in.^[13]
• February 21 – The central bank devalues Sudanese currency. The previous official rate was previous official rate of 55 pounds per U.S. dollar, and the new official rate is 375 pounds to the U.S. dollar.^[14]

March

• March 1 – The USS Winston S. Churchill docks in Port Sudan one day after a Russian Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate docks there.^[15]
• March 3 – Ten people are killed and 32 wounded in ethnic violence in western Darfur.^[16]
• March 6 – Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets with General Al-Burhan, Prime Minister Hamdok, and General Dagal in Khartoum.^[17]
• March 26 – Sudan settles its debt with the World Bank, making it eligible for USD $2 billion in grants from the International Development Association.^[18]
• March 28 – The government and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) reach an agreement paving the way for peace negotiations between the two sides.^[19]

June

• June 23 – Sudan calls on the United Nations Security Council to meet and discuss on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute.^[20]

August

• August 8 – Sudan recalls its ambassador to Ethiopia following Ethiopia's decision to reject mediation offer on the war in Tigray.^[21]
• August 12 – Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi stated that the government would hand over former Sudanese ruler Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court. He was accused of war crimes for the war in Darfur.^[22]

December

• December – Mine collapse kills at least 32 in Kordofan.

Deaths

• January 1 – Abdul Hakim Al-Taher, director and actor (b. 1949).^[23]
• February 8 – Malik Badri, 88, psychologist.^[24]
• February 10 – Ibrahim Othman Ibrahim Idris, 60, ex-detainee (Guantanamo Bay detention camp).^[25]

See also

• COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
• Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
• International Conference on the Great Lakes Region
• Israel–Sudan normalization agreement

External links

• • Viewpoint: Why Ethiopia and Sudan have fallen out over al-Fashaga (Alex De Waal - Africa analyst, BBC News, January 2, 2021)

Notes and References

1. News: Nile dam dispute: Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia agree to hold more talks . January 3, 2021 . . . en.
2. News: Axelrod . Tal . Sudan officials announce signing of 'Abraham Accords' with US . January 6, 2021 . The Hill. 6 January 2021 . en.
3. News: Scores killed in Sudan's Darfur clashes . January 17, 2021 . . . en.
4. 1352417617424900096 . January 21, 2021 . Satellite imagery of El Geneina (الجنينة) in Darfur, Sudan shows widespread burning of homes after ethnic violence on January 16 leaving at least 80 killed, 160+ wounded and more than 50,000 displaced. Image @planetlabs More in this thread Thread . Benjamin . Strick . BenDoBrown . https://web.archive.org/web/20210122165747/https://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://twitter.com/BenDoBrown/status/1352417617424900096 . January 22, 2021.
5. News: Tribal clashes leave dozens dead in 2 Sudanese provinces . January 18, 2021 . . 18 January 2021.
6. News: Mules . Ineke . East Africa: Tensions Escalate Between Ethiopia and Sudan . January 21, 2021 . allAfrica.com . DW . 20 January 2021 . en.
7. News: South Sudan 'Ready to Mediate Between Sudan, Ethiopia' to End Border Conflict . January 21, 2021 . allAfrica.com . East African . 18 January 2021 . en.
8. News: Armed men try to storm governor's house in Sudan's Darfur . January 21, 2021 . . Samy . Magdy . 20 January 2021 . There were no injuries or damage in the attempted attack on West Darfur Gov. Mohammed Abdalla al-Douma’s residence in the provincial capital of Genena, but it underscored the heightened tensions in the restive region where a bout of tribal violence has killed around 230 people since last week..
9. News: Sudan police fire teargas at protesters over worsening economy . January 24, 2021 . msn.com . AFP . January 24, 2021.
10. News: Officials say Israeli minister visited Sudan to discuss ties . January 27, 2021 . . 26 January 2021.
11. News: Brown . Will . 'A picture of God hugging a naked woman?': Sudan Islamists blast Michelangelo painting in textbook . February 10, 2021 . . February 10, 2021.
12. News: Sudan's prime minister names new cabinet . February 8, 2021 . . . February 8, 2021 . en.
13. News: Sudan's new Cabinet sworn in amid protests over dire economy . February 13, 2021 . AP News. 10 February 2021.
14. News: Sudan devalues currency in effort to access debt relief . February 21, 2021 . . . February 21, 2021 . en.
15. News: US, Russia warships dock in strategic Sudan port . March 2, 2021 . . AFP . March 1, 2021.
16. News: Sudan official: Tribal clashes kill at least 10 in Darfur . March 3, 2021 . . 3 March 2021.
17. News: Egypt's president el-Sissi visits Sudan amid rapprochement . March 6, 2021 . . . March 6, 2021.
18. News: Sudan to access $2BN in World Bank grants after settling debts . March 26, 2021 . . . March 26, 2021 . en.
19. News: Sudan gov't and SPLM-N sign agreement to pave way for peace talks . March 28, 2021 . . . March 28, 2021 . en.
20. Web site: Sudan wants UN Security Council to discuss Ethiopia's Nile dam. Al Jazeera. 13 August 2021.
21. News: Sudan recalls ambassador to Ethiopia after mediation offer rejected. 8 August 2021 . Reuters. 13 August 2021. Abdelaziz . Khalid .
22. Web site: Sudan says will 'hand over' al-Bashir to ICC for war crimes trial. Al Jazeera. 13 August 2021.
23. Web site: بسبب كورونا .. وفاة الفنان السودانى عبد الحكيم الطاهر. January 1, 2021. www.mobtada.com.
24. Web site: Father of Modern Islamic Psychology Malik Badri is no more. Shujauddin Fahad. Inamdar. February 9, 2021.
25. News: Ibrahim Idris, a Guantánamo Bay Detainee on Day 1, Dies at 60. Carol. Rosenberg. . February 11, 2021. NYTimes.com.