Cartoon captures defiant mood of Sudanese people after coup - CNN

But this time Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf is flanked by intelligence chief Salah Abdallah Gosh and Mohammed Hamdan Dogolo, aka "Hemeti," the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with Omar Bashir, the dictator ousted in Thursday's coup, peeking over the top of the chair.

Khalid Albaih, the Sudanese artist and political cartoonist who drew the image and shared it on Facebook and Twitter, told CNN he wanted to send a message to the military leaders: "Thank you for protecting the people and doing your job. Now let the people do their job."

This is a view shared by many in the Sudanese diaspora who are afraid of the consequences for constitutional civil rights and freedoms after a military council dissolved the government, suspended the country's constitution and declared a three-month state of emergency.

The military said it would remain in control for at least two years to oversee a "transition of power."

"The protests will continue and I will continue drawing," Albaih, who lives in Copenhagen, told CNN. "The army announcement was a huge disappointment to the people. We wanted a different outcome than the exact same plan that materialized in the rest of the Arab Spring countries."

"It's how to make the people think they had revolution 101. Egypt. Yemen. Algeria. Now us."

This sentiment is echoed by Dalia Haj-Omar, a Sudanese human rights activist based outside of the country. "People I'm in touch with and my family on the ground, they describe the mood turning from celebrations to anger ... so business as usual regarding protests."

She says the military statement was a shock "because it is basically saying that the same institutions that oppressed us are still there and part of a transition."

Three months "of emergency implies losing important constitutional civic rights," Haj-Omar added. "They tried to do that when Bashir announced a state of emergency on Jan. 22 ... they implemented summary trials for those breaking the ban on protests and could not control the situation because protests continued."

Another activist, Marmar Alsayed, who is based in Qatar, told CNN: "The announcement was a disappointment for all the Sudanese people because we stood up to get rid of the regime but what we got was replacing one criminal with another criminal? We won't rest until it's over and the regime's roots are removed completely, mark my words."

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2019-04-12 13:41:00Z
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Theologians concerned about newly engaged role of Benedict, pope emeritus - National Catholic Reporter

Vatican City — When Pope Benedict XVI shocked a meeting of cardinals Feb. 10, 2013, with news he would be renouncing the papacy at the end of that month, he promised that as the ex-pontiff he would retreat from the public eye and serve the Catholic Church "through a life dedicated to prayer."

But by the third anniversary of his resignation, Benedict was taking on a more active role.

First came a March 2016 interview with a Belgian theologian that focused on the question of God's mercy, just as Pope Francis was in the midst of celebrating an Extraordinary Jubilee Year, also focused on mercy.

In November 2016 came a book-length interview with German journalist Peter Seewald, where Benedict defended his 2005-13 papacy against criticism. "I do not see myself as a failure," he said in the book, titled Last Testament: In His Own Words. "For eight years I carried out my work."

Now comes a letter blaming the continuing clergy abuse crisis on the sexual revolution and theological developments after the Second Vatican Council, weeks after Francis hosted a first-of-its-kind bishops' summit on abuse that focused instead on the endemic structural issues that have abetted cover-up in the church for decades.

What to make of this development of a pope emeritus who emerges from the shadows unannounced from time to time to offer his comments on current affairs, or even on issues being handled by his reigning successor?

A number of noted theologians and church historians are expressing serious concern that Benedict's choice to engage in such public action undermines Francis and plays into narratives splitting Catholics between two popes, one officially in power, and the other wielding influence as he writes from a small monastery in the Vatican Gardens.

"Benedict told us he was going to live a life of quiet contemplation," said Christopher Bellitto, a historian who has written extensively on centuries of popes. "He has not. A former pope should not be publishing or giving interviews."

Richard Gaillardetz, a theologian who focuses on the church's structures of authority, called the precedent being set by Benedict's latest letter "troubling."

The former pontiff, said the theologian, is offering "a controversial analysis of a pressing pastoral and theological crisis, and a set of concrete pastoral remedies."

"These are actions only appropriate for one who actually holds a pastoral office," said Gaillardetz, a professor at Boston College.

"So now we have a situation in which a former pope is offering a parallel pastoral and theological assessment and a parallel pastoral and theological agenda that cannot help but be viewed as an alternative to the exercise pastoral leadership of the current and only bishop of Rome," he said.

Even the Vatican appears to be struggling to understand what to do with a former pope who wants to engage in public debate. As Benedict's latest letter appeared on several right-wing Catholic websites overnight April 10, the Holy See Press Office seemed unprepared, unable even to respond to questions about whether the text was authentic.

In fact it was Archbishop Georg Ganswein, Benedict's personal secretary, that confirmed for many journalists that the text was indeed from the former pontiff.

"The institution of the pope emeritus in the age of mass media and of social media must be regulated carefully," said Massimo Faggioli, an Italian church historian and theologian who teaches at Villanova University.

"This is something that must be done especially about the papal entourage," he said. "The Vatican is a Renaissance court and it is difficult enough to govern one court without having to deal with a 'shadow papal court' — which is what we have today."

Gaillardetz and Bellitto, a professor of history at Kean University in New Jersey, both said Benedict's decision to continue wearing white after his resignation and to call himself the "pope emeritus," instead of some other title such as the "emeritus bishop of Rome," have not helped make clear that there is only one pope at a time.

"These decisions have rather predictably fed deeply troubling 'two pope' theories," said Gaillardetz.

Shortly after the release of Benedict's letter, one Italian journalist pointed to the official advice the Vatican gives to retired bishops about how to manage their relationships with their reigning diocesan prelates.

"The Bishop Emeritus will be careful not to interfere in any way, directly or indirectly, in the governance of the diocese," states Apostolorum Successores, the Congregation for Bishops latest directory for bishops, released in 2004.

"He will want to avoid every attitude and relationship that could even hint at some kind of parallel authority to that of the diocesan Bishop, with damaging consequences for the pastoral life and unity of the diocesan community," it continues.

"The Bishop Emeritus always carries out his activity in full agreement with the diocesan Bishop and in deference to his authority," it states. "In this way all will understand clearly that the diocesan Bishop alone is the head of the diocese, responsible for its governance."

Or, as theologian Natalia Imperatori-Lee put it about Benedict: "It is crucial that he (and, perhaps more importantly those around him) practice a ministry of silence lest it appear that he wants to undermine the current, only, Bishop of Rome, who is Francis."

"To continue to speak on matters the pope is working vigorously to correct in the global, complex reality … that is the church is to encourage dissent [and] to flirt with schism," said Imperatori-Lee, a professor at Manhattan College.

"Let the pope be the pope," she advised. "And let the pope emeritus pray for him."

[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent. His email address is jmcelwee@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @joshjmac.]

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2019-04-12 13:35:25Z
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Indonesia Issues Tsunami Warning After 6.8 Quake Strikes Off Sulawesi Coast - The Weather Channel

Sign in Nemberala, Indonesia, showing direction for evacuation in the event of a tsunami.

(Peter Ptschelinzew/Getty Images)

• A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sulawesi island Friday evening.
• The quake prompted the country's geophysics agency to issue a tsunami warning.

The Indonesian geophysics agency is warning of a possible tsunami after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Friday off the coast of Sulawesi island.

“The earthquake has the potential to trigger a tsunami,” Harry Tirto, spokesperson for the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, said in a release obtained by The Jakarta Post.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the powerful quake struck around Friday 6:40 p.m. local time at a depth of 10.5 miles.

The epicenter of the quake is located beneath the sea about 149 miles from Kandari City. No cities have been impacted, according to reports.

The USGS also notes that there are no "tsunami warnings, advisories, watches or threats," although they do not issue warnings for Indonesia.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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2019-04-12 12:57:05Z
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Tsunami warning issued after powerful 6.8 quake hits near Indonesia's Sulawesi island - CNBC

Indonesia's geophysics agency says a tsunami is possible after a strong earthquake struck east of Sulawesi island.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake which hit Friday at a depth of 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) had a magnitude of 6.8.

The epicenter of the quake is far from the city of Palu, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in September.

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2019-04-12 12:15:15Z
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Sudan military: We have 'no ambition to hold the reins of power' - Aljazeera.com

The head of Sudan's provisional military political council has said that the army has "no ambition to hold the reins of power", and stressed that "we are ready to step down as early as a month if a government is formed".

Addressing a news conference in the capital, Khartoum, Omar Zein Abideen promised on Friday that the new transitional government will be run by civilians.

Organisers of the months-long demonstrations that triggered the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday urged pro-democracy supporters to protest against a military takeover.

The appeal by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) came as tens of thousands of protesters defied a nighttime curfew announced earlier in the day by General Awad Ibn Auf, who was sworn in as the head of a military council that replaced Bashir.

In a Twitter post, the SPA called on protesters to "gather now" and continue a days-long sit-in outside the army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

"Stay put and guard your revolution," it added.

Defending the military takeover, Abideen said that it intervened to enforce "order and secuirty". He stressed that the military acted to meet the demands of the people.

"We are the protectors of the demands of the people and that is by consensus from the political entities," Abideen said.

His remarks came after Sudan's opposition groups spearheading the months-long protests had called for people to rally after Friday prayers in front of the army's headquarters. 

Abideen warned that the army will have "zero tolerance against any violation, and any misdeed to take place in any corner of the country.

"We are here to provide an opportunity for the people of Sudan to achieve the change they have been aspiring to attain and to devise their own vision for the leadership," he said. 

'Not enough'

Protests broke out in December over steep hike in bread prices and and a deteriorating economic situation in the country.

The latest round of protests began on Saturday, when thousands of protesters camped in front of the defence ministry building demanding Bashir's ouster.

At least 35 people have been killed in clashes with security forces in the past six days, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said. It added that at least 13 people were killed when security forces intervened in Thursday's protests.

Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, siad people have been marching towards the army headquarters despite the military council's pledge to create a "healthy atmosphere" for people to converse and engage in a peacefull manner. 

"At the moment, these remarks do not seem to be enough," Morgan said. 

"Their [protestors] whole point is that they don't want anybody from the old regime or the former ruling party to be a part of the transitional council," she said. 

"They are part of the old regime - so for the people who are on the streets, and for the thousands who have been staging a sit-in near the army HQ for the past week - it's more of the same thing," she added. 

Shortly after Abideen's remarks, the SPA said in a statement that it "vehemently rejects" the outcome of Abideen's press conference and vowed to resist the state of emergency and the curfew imposed by the military.

"This is a rejection based on the experience of the Sudanese people in dealing with deception especially from the current regime," the statement read.

"The regime failed in creating a narrative that would weaken the protest movement and shake our unity … What happened was that the masks merely changed, it is the same regime that the people revolted against, seeking to remove it from its roots," it continued.

"Our demands are clear, fair and legitimate," the SPA said, referring to their demand for power to be immediately transferred to a civilian government.

"We are still in the path of true revolution … our martyrs have shed their blood in pursuit for freedom and justice." 

Sudan protests explained

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2019-04-12 11:42:00Z
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Sudan military: We have 'no ambition to hold the reins of power' - Aljazeera.com

The head of Sudan's provisional military political council has said that the army has "no ambition to hold the reins of power", and stressed that "we are ready to step down as early as a month if a government is formed".

Addressing a news conference in the capital, Khartoum, Omar Zein Abideen promised on Friday that the new transitional government will be run by civilians.

Organisers of the months-long demonstrations that triggered the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday urged pro-democracy supporters to protest against a military takeover.

The appeal by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) came as tens of thousands of protesters defied a nighttime curfew announced earlier in the day by General Awad Ibn Auf, who was sworn in as the head of a military council that replaced Bashir.

In a Twitter post, the SPA called on protesters to "gather now" and continue a days-long sit-in outside the army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

"Stay put and guard your revolution," it added.

Defending the military takeover, Abideen said that it intervened to enforce "order and secuirty". He stressed that the military acted to meet the demands of the people.

"We are the protectors of the demands of the people and that is by consensus from the political entities," Abideen said.

His remarks came after Sudan's opposition groups spearheading the months-long protests had called for people to rally after Friday prayers in front of the army's headquarters. 

Abideen warned that the army will have "zero tolerance against any violation, and any misdeed to take place in any corner of the country.

"We are here to provide an opportunity for the people of Sudan to achieve the change they have been aspiring to attain and to devise their own vision for the leadership," he said. 

'Not enough'

Protests broke out in December over steep hike in bread prices and and a deteriorating economic situation in the country.

The latest round of protests began on Saturday, when thousands of protesters camped in front of the defence ministry building demanding Bashir's ouster.

At least 35 people have been killed in clashes with security forces in the past six days, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said. It added that at least 13 people were killed when security forces intervened in Thursday's protests.

Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, siad people have been marching towards the army headquarters despite the military council's pledge to create a "healthy atmosphere" for people to converse and engage in a peacefull manner. 

"At the moment, these remarks do not seem to be enough," Morgan said. 

"Their [protestors] whole point is that they don't want anybody from the old regime or the former ruling party to be a part of the transitional council," she said. 

"They are part of the old regime - so for the people who are on the streets, and for the thousands who have been staging a sit-in near the army HQ for the past week - it's more of the same thing," she added. 

Shortly after Abideen's remarks, the SPA said in a statement that it "vehemently rejects" the outcome of Abideen's press conference and vowed to resist the state of emergency and the curfew imposed by the military.

"This is a rejection based on the experience of the Sudanese people in dealing with deception especially from the current regime," the statement read.

"The regime failed in creating a narrative that would weaken the protest movement and shake our unity … What happened was that the masks merely changed, it is the same regime that the people revolted against, seeking to remove it from its roots," it continued.

"Our demands are clear, fair and legitimate," the SPA said, referring to their demand for power to be immediately transferred to a civilian government.

"We are still in the path of true revolution … our martyrs have shed their blood in pursuit for freedom and justice." 

Sudan protests explained

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2019-04-12 11:31:00Z
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Sudan military says 'no ambition to hold the reins of power' - Aljazeera.com

The head of Sudan's provisional military political council has said that the army has "no ambition to hold the reins of power", and stressed that "we are ready to step down as early as a month if a government is formed".

Addressing a news conference in the capital, Khartoum, Omar Zein Abideen promised on Friday that the new transitional government will be run by civilians.

Organisers of the months-long demonstrations that triggered the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday urged pro-democracy supporters to protest against a military takeover.

The appeal by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) came as tens of thousands of protesters defied a nighttime curfew announced earlier in the day by General Awad Ibn Auf, who was sworn in as the head of a military council that replaced Bashir.

In a Twitter post, the SPA called on protesters to "gather now" and continue a days-long sit-in outside the army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

"Stay put and guard your revolution," it added. "To comply with the curfew is to recognise the clone rescue government."

Abideen noted that the people who have been "protesting and staging sit-ins" would be the ones to devise solutions to the country's political, economic and social issues. 

On Bashir's removal, he stressed that the military acted to meet the demands of the people and called for "civilised and peaceful dialogue".

"The committee plans to begin dialogue with political groups later. We are the protectors of the demands of the people and that is by consensus from the political entities," Abideen said.

His remarks came after Sudan's opposition groups spearheading the months-long protests had called for people to rally after Friday prayers in front of the army's headquarters. 

Abideen warned that the army will have "zero tolerance against any violation, and any misdeed to take place in any corner of the country", as he highlighted the army's role in maintaining "public order, "security and stability" during this transitional time.

"We are here to provide an opportunity for the people of Sudan to achieve the change they have been aspiring to attain and to devise their own vision for the leadership," he said. 

'Not enough'

Protests broke out in December over steep hike in bread prices and and a deteriorating economic situation in the country.

Since Saturday, thousands of protesters had camped in front of the defence ministry building to demand Bashir's ouster.

At least 35 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, which have repeatedly tried to disperse the sit-in by force, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.

It said that at least 13 people were killed when security forces intervened in Thursday's protests.

Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, siad people have been marching towards the army headquarters despite the military council's pledge to create a "healthy atmosphere" for people to converse and engage in a peacefull manner. 

"At the moment, these remarks do not seem to be enough," Morgan said. 

"Their [protestors] whole point is that they don't want anybody from the old regime or the former ruling party to be a part of the transitional council," she said. 

"They are part of the old regime - so for the people who are on the streets, and for the thousands who have been staging a sit-in near the army HQ for the past week - it's more of the same thing," she added. 

Shortly after Abideen's remarks, the SPA said in a statement that it "vehemently rejects" the outcome of Abideen's press conference and vowed to resist the state of emergency and the curfew imposed by the military.

"This is a rejection based on the experience of the Sudanese people in dealing with deception especially from the current regime," the statement read.

"The regime failed in creating a narrative that would weaken the protest movement and shake our unity … What happened was that the masks merely changed, it is the same regime that the people revolted against, seeking to remove it from its roots," it continued.

"Our demands are clear, fair and legitimate," the SPA said, referring to their demand for power to be immediately transferred to a civilian government.

"We are still in the path of true revolution … our martyrs have shed their blood in pursuit for freedom and justice." 

Sudan protests explained

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sudan-military-ambition-hold-reins-power-190412093906599.html

2019-04-12 10:39:00Z
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