EU Denounces Human Rights Violations in Sudan

 Protesters march during a rally against military rule following coup in Khartoum, Sudan, February 10, 2022. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo
Protesters march during a rally against military rule following coup in Khartoum, Sudan, February 10, 2022. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo
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EU Denounces Human Rights Violations in Sudan

 Protesters march during a rally against military rule following coup in Khartoum, Sudan, February 10, 2022. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo
Protesters march during a rally against military rule following coup in Khartoum, Sudan, February 10, 2022. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo

The European Union, Canada, Korea and the United States denounced on Monday the human rights violations reported in Sudan.

A report by the Human Rights Council on its 49th session indicated that the countries condemned the “sustained attempts to unduly limit freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

They raised concerns over attacks against journalists, which pose a severe threat to freedom of expression.

In a statement on Monday, Canada, Norway, Spain, France, Japan, Sweden. Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Korea, the United States, the Netherlands and the EU said that protestors have been met with lethal force, activists arrested, local and foreign journalists detained and threatened, and media outlets raided.

“We have also witnessed an increase in hate speech. The overall effect has been to shrink civic space, increase self-censorship and weaken media independence and pluralism.”

The statement stressed that freedom of expression and a free and diverse media are central to democracy.

“They promote transparency, accountability and meaningful participation, which are fundamental to good governance.”

“A free media informs citizens and lays the foundation for healthy public debate that mediates differences and promotes consensus,” the statement read.

The countries called on the de-facto Sudanese authorities to return to commitments made to defend media freedom, including the safety of journalists, and respect the right to peacefully assemble and express opinions free from intimidation.

They reiterated their support for Sudan, noting that as members of the international community, they are steadfast in their support of the Sudanese people to attain these rights.



Biden Calls for Immediate Gaza Ceasefire in Call with Netanyahu

FILE PHOTO: US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
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Biden Calls for Immediate Gaza Ceasefire in Call with Netanyahu

FILE PHOTO: US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, July 25, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said, as US officials race to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20.
Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts underway to reach a deal to halt the fighting in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining hostages there, the White House said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
Biden "stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal," Reuters quoted it as saying.
Netanyahu updated Biden on progress in the talks and on the mandate he has given his top-level security delegation now in Doha in order to advance a hostage deal, Netanyahu said in a statement.
The two leaders also discussed "the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s power in the region," the White House said.
Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" program earlier on Sunday that the parties were "very, very close" to reaching a deal, but still had to get it across the finish line.
He said Biden was getting daily updates on the talks in Doha, where Israeli and Palestinian officials have said since Thursday that some progress has been made in the indirect talks between Israel and militant group Hamas.
"We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done," Sullivan said, "and we are not, by any stretch of imagination, setting this aside."
He said there was still a chance to reach an agreement before Biden leaves office, but that it was also possible "Hamas, in particular, remains intransigent."
During their call, Netanyahu also thanked Biden for his lifelong support of Israel and "the extraordinary support from the United States for Israel’s security and national defense," the White House said.